ECT Pages
Here you can access various writings of mine and links concerning ECT, also known as “shock treatments” or “Electroshock therapy.” I will be adding more links to this page in the upcoming weeks.
Recent Article by Julie Greene regarding experience at McLean Hospital in 1996 and 1997:
Lest We Not Forget: Concerning the Aftereffects of Electroshock
Recent Interview by journalist Colin Taufer:
http://www.psychsearch.net/colinscolumn2/
My public commentary submitted to the FDA regarding “downclassifying” the electroshock machine:
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2014-N-1210-2710 (download file in either .pdf or .doc)
This commentary is publicly available and names the names of the guilty!
Lauren Tenney’s Call to Action December 30 2015 in Mad in America
http://www.madinamerica.com/2015/12/shock-device-safe-as-eyeglasses-89-days-to-say-no/
This is a very important article by Lauren Tenney which first announced that the FDA was planning to “downgrade” the ECT machine to a “safer” classification. Please note that the FDA is attempting to deem it “safe and effective” for specifically depression and “manic depression” in certain circumstances. We are writing in to point out the arbitrary nature of the determination of such circumstances. Specifically, what does “treatment resistance” mean? The FDA, AMA, DSM, all institutions agree that there is NO standard definition for treatment-resistance nor definition of “difficult to treat.” Perhaps “nuisance” might be a more accurate term.
Secondly, the FDA needs feedback on need to use the ECT machine in instances when a “rapid response” is required. We are arguing regarding whose need this is. Is this the need of the patient or the need of those who hold the purse strings, or those who hold the patient in custody? While we are aware that a patient may be promised a “rapid response,” the reality is that recovery to the point of ability to function, that is, care for oneself once more, following ECT generally takes months, years, decades, or never occurs. Suicide following ECT is more common than the proponents of this machine are willing to admit, which by all means is a swift and rapid response.
International Day of Protest: May 16, 2015
This is my own personal reflection.
Sweet Evening Breeze
This is another oral narrative about ECT, a love story about Joe and me as well.
This brings you to another page of my blog where you can find the you-tube. I tried to embed the you-tube but that didn’t work.
This Hunger Is Secret 