Cryptic crossword clue
Distraught ringsider has shock treatment

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word HAIRDRESSING

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "shock treatment" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shock treatment = hairdressing.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does HAIRDRESSING mean?

HAIRDRESSING verb
  1. To dress or style hair.
HAIRDRESSING noun
  1. The washing, colouring, cutting and styling of the hair; the art or trade of a hairdresser.

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