Life After ECT

First Aired: 05-12-2009 on Madness Radio ECT SURVIVOR ACTIVIST AND AUTHOR LINDA ANDRE TALKS ABOUT HER BOOK, DOCTORS OF DECEPTION, WITH MADNESS RADIO (2009.) Linda Andre became an accidental activist after her life was irreparably altered by ECT. She lost five years of her life and suffered permanent cognitive disability after a series of treatments she was aggressively coerced into having. Andre’s journey would lead her to the electroshock survivor community and activism, later to write what many consider the definitive book on electroshock, Doctors of Deception: What They Don’t Want You to Know about Shock Treatment. In this interview, Linda discusses her experience, the complex history of shock therapy, and elaborate efforts by the industry to mislead and suppress information about ECT’s true risks, side effects, and efficacy. If I could summarize my book in one sentence it would be this: if you tell a big lie and you tell it often enough and it’s big enough people will believe you. ~Linda Andre Listen here ECT MYTHS DISCUSSED: Modified ECT isn’t new – electroconvulsive therapy performed under anesthesia with muscle paralytics have been in use since the 1950s. Modified ECT is physically more damaging to the brain because the seizure threshold is raised by anesthesia, requiring more electricity to induce convulsions Pure oxygenation is used to make seizures last longer, not to improve patient safety. Patients injured by ECT struggle to be taken seriously by doctors, the media, and society. See ECT Arguments: All Medical Procedures Have Risks Celebrity ECT promoters like Kitty Dukakis and Carrie Fisher have acknowledged they have experienced permanent memory loss. Psychiatry lobbied against FDA safety testing at a time the device was supposed to be proven effective or taken off the market. Conflicts of interest are rife in ECT research. Show Notes  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SCiXfxFswJZNVzdp84ZOWNbG3EwPYsUHpKUHsD82Z5g/edit?usp=sharing  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

I love Jim Carrey. While mostly known for his off-the-wall physical comedy, he has a few serious roles in his film roster. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favorite movies starring Jim Carrey. It's a story about a couple's breakup and the painful consequences that follow. Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, undergoes a procedure to erase Joel, played by Jim Carrey, from her memory, and he does the same in turn. However, this leads to some unexpected results. I watched this movie often during the early stages of recovery from brain damage from ECT. I think I was searching for a reflection of my new reality after losing old memories, and the ability to make new ones was wrecked. The film's choppy jump cuts and shuffled timelines felt true to my early recovery days. At that time, I constantly felt confused and struggled to make sense of my fragmented memories. I would go to places I'd been before but couldn't remember, talk to people I sensed I knew but couldn't place, and feel like something was missing but not know what place. Doctors refused to believe anything was wrong. I'd gone so long without talking to another injured ECT recipient, and doctors repeatedly told me ECT doesn’t cause permanent brain damage... I guess I needed to see a reflection of how distorted my world was after shock therapy after my ability to make new memories was wrecked. The idea of selectively erasing traumatic memories is interesting, but is it possible? There’s research on using Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD & PTSD), like in the movie, selectively erasing or reducing traumatic memories. Over the years, this topic has generated a lot of pop science buzz in the media, often citing Spotless Mind like I’m doing now. But I can speculate where the journalists can't because I’ve lived it. Many considering shock therapy says they don't care if their memories are erased from the treatment. I was one of those people. I wish I'd known more about memory before undergoing electroconvulsive therapy for supposed treatment-resistant depression (CPTSD and life-threatening undiagnosed medical conditions— all 100% treatable.) Memory is not a buffet you can pick and choose from. In a brain made up of mostly water, doctors can't control the electricity, let alone identify and target specific memories while leaving other memories and cognition intact. Cranial nerves involved in trauma responses are also at risk of damage in ways we're only beginning to understand. Trauma mixed with brain damage is a hell I could never have imagined. People like me desperately need comprehensive testing and rehabilitation for long-term sequelae of electrical injury from ECT. Learn how you can support all ECT patients https://www.change.org/p/standardize-... Blog post https://lifeafterect.com/can-ect-eras... Works Cited Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. Directed by Michel Gondry, performances by Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet. Focus Features, 2004. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/ Gifs https://giphy.com/ Music courtesy of : RYYZN MEMORIES ERASED https://hypeddit.com/track/3zzfl9 Links to articles cited https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

ECT and brain injury: what does electroconvulsive therapy-induced brain damage look like and how can patients get testing and rehab?  Continuing this special series, Deborah, former level 1 trauma nurse and electroshock survivor, explains  ECT injury symptoms & consequences of those injuries as far as we understand  Barriers keeping patients from getting appropriate testing and rehabilitative following ECT  What tests to request How sharing your experience can help yourself and other patients  PETITIONS  Sarah's petition - Petition · Standardize, Regulate & Audit Shock Treatments (Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) · Change.org Sarah’s Latest Article Open Letter to the FDA's Denial of ECT's Harms - 2021 - Life After ECT  Sue's Petition - closed Medical Errors Podcast interview - ECT & Brain Damage - A Physician's Experience - Life After ECT Maudsley Debate  RESOURCES  Electroconvulsive trauma episode  Aftercare following electroshock  Obtaining medical records  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Today marks the 59th anniversary of renowned American author, Ernest Hemingway's suicide. Hemingway killed himself following a series of involuntary electroshock (ECT) that wrecked his writing ability, giving one of the most cited quotes on ECT injury in the process: "What these shock doctors don't know is about writers and such things as remorse and contrition and what they do to them . . . Well, what is the sense of ruining my head and erasing my memory, which is my capital, and putting me out of business? It was a brilliant cure, but we lost the patient." Ernest Hemingway, Papa Hemingway, A.E. Hotchner Hemingway's case is still relevant in the year 2020; people are still losing their livelihoods to electroshock. Some patients like Ernest, kill themselves, too. I recently learned of more tragic circumstances leading up to his death that I feel more people should know about. I will also share a bit about similar struggles with work and school and I invite other survivors to also for a follow-up episode. It's easy! Your Story: What work/education problems did you have after ECT? Leave a voicemail Voice Mail - https://anchor.fm/lifeafterect/message Include your name, initials or alias if you prefer to remain anonymous Briefly describe any work/school issues you had Stay tuned for the follow-up episode! RESOURCES Hemingway Hounded by the Feds https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/opinion/02hotchner.htm  Ernest Hemingway: macho man of letters http://www.cnn.com/fyi/school.tools/profiles/hemingway/index.story.html Latest analysis of ECT efficacy The latest analysis of ECT dismal efficacy https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/06/john-read-irving-kirsch-electroconvulsive-therapy-ect-evidence-clinical-trials-justify-continued-use/ http://cepuk.org/2020/06/04/guest-blog-by-richard-bentall-ect-is-a-classic-failure-of-evidence-based-medicine/ Did you know shock therapy has never been standardized? Learn why this matters and how you can help https://www.change.org/p/standardize-regulate-audit-shock-treatments-electroconvulsive-therapy-or-ect ----- JaneLifeAfterECT@gmail.com LifeAfterECT.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Deborah was coerced into having electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at a vulnerable time in her life.  As a result of these treatments, she lost her career as a trauma nurse, skills, marriage, memories of her children's lives, and the ability to make new memories, and more. Read The impact of electroshock on my life She has since worked tirelessly to help educate society and help peers obtain legal and medical support for their injuries.    Over the years she has done extensive research and her activism efforts have propelled our cause forward with the first successful class-action lawsuit, and medical & psychological tests that confirm brain damage from electroshock.   She has generously let me convert her videos to podcast format so this valuable information can reach more people.   Topics Covered:   issues with informed consent   evidence ECT causes brain damage   brain damage symptoms   how patients struggle to get testing by most medical fields who prefer to protect colleagues rather than help brain-damaged patients   lawsuits   how to get testing & rehabilitation   Learn more about Deborah's work  ECTJustice.com   Life After ECT Resource Page  Life After ECT Action Page  Did you know ECT has never been safety tested by the FDA, nor is it regulated or standardized? Learn why this matters and how you can help Petition --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Welcome to the Life After ECT Podcast! This intro give background on why I made this podcast and what I hope to accomplish. Thanks for stopping by! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Thank you for tuning into the Life After ECT Podcast. Life After ECT Inc. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organazation focused on improving the quality of life for those injured by ECT. Learn more about what we do and how you can support our work: Looking to a Brighter Future for Those Harmed by ECT Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LrUHhroyOX66T7FUQ0iytyfNoCzmqKN91PQ0LfiKeBI/edit?usp=sharing Correction: The law firm is now Wisner & Baum, not Baum Headlund --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Disenfranchised grief: the unseen pain of those disabled by electroconvulsive therapy In this podcast, I talk about the grief that people disabled by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may experience, which often goes unrecognized. I want to clarify that I am not a mental health professional but someone who has gone through this experience, sharing what has helped my ongoing recovery. (see full disclaimer) Resources mentioned in the episode: https://lifeafterect.com/disenfranchised-grief-the-unseen-pain-of-those-disabled-by-electroconvulsive-therapy-ect/ Support our mission: https://lifeafterect.com/donate/ Sign our patient safety petition: https://www.change.org/p/standardize-regulate-audit-shock-treatments-electroconvulsive-therapy-or-ect --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Linda Andre Testimony - Vermont House Bill H12, Informed consent to electroconvulsive therapy, 1999 Testimony date: 2000 ⁠⁠Links to Linda's Work⁠ If you can, please consider supporting Linda's son's GoFund me to cover funeral expenses and preserve her library of research. ⁠⁠Fundraiser by Alandra Markman : Linda Andre's Legacy (gofundme.com)⁠⁠  ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/linda-andre ) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Linda Andre Testimony - Vermont House Bill H12, Informed consent to electroconvulsive therapy, 1999 Testimony date: 2000 ⁠Links to Linda's Work If you can, please consider supporting Linda's son's GoFund me to cover funeral expenses and preserve her library of research. ⁠Fundraiser by Alandra Markman : Linda Andre's Legacy (gofundme.com)⁠  ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/linda-andre ) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

An Interview with Linda Andre by Philip Bennet, recorded several years ago (the recording date was not included in the file). In it they discuss her book, Doctors of Deception, What they Don't Want You to Know About Shock Treatment. Our community has recently suffered a great loss. Linda Andre, author of one of the most important books on ECT ever written, passed away this month. Linda was my hero. I first came across her work while desperately searching the Internet for answers when ECT damaged my brain and my doctors refused to believe me. Reading her presentation "Electroconvulsive Therapy as a Head Injury" changed my life. Her work showed me that ECT can cause permanent brain damage and those affected by ECT are routinely denied testing and rehabilitation, as was the case with me. Linda showed me the hope of recovery through the stories of people who found a way to recover when doctors couldn't help them. There is so much I want to say about Linda, but after ECT, the right words are always so hard to find. Until I can write a full tribute post I wanted to do something so I recorded a small tribute to ger along with her second inteview with Philip Bennet. In it they sumarize key points from her book. Find links and resources and tributes to Linda Andre in the show notes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Have you experienced any unexpected problems after undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)? Have you faced difficulties in convincing your doctor to refer you for testing and rehabilitation? You're not alone. For over 80 years that ECT has been in use, people have reported disabling side effects. Despite decades of ECT's use, no mandatory standards have been established to ensure that individuals can receive comprehensive testing and rehabilitation if necessary. View the ⁠⁠⁠#AuditECT petition⁠⁠⁠. In 2016, there was an opportunity to address this issue when the FDA attempted to reclassify the ECT device. The FDA's proposed guidance included mandatory neuropsychological testing for those undergoing treatment. However, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a professional organization representing 36,000 psychiatric physicians, opposed the idea of mandated testing. Eventually, when the reclassification was finalized, the original proposed testing mandates were abandoned. There are people who underwent ECT many years ago and have never undergone a neuropsychological evaluation, not to mention the countless people who have recently undergone electroshock therapy. With an estimated 2 million people worldwide undergoing ECT each year, a staggering number of individuals will continue to struggle to access appropriate testing and treatment for disabilities caused by ECT and other health issues related to electrical injury. See show notes for links and resources. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Many harmed by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) want to protect themselves from forced ECT in the future. One way to do this is by creating a psychiatric advanced directive (PAD), which is a document that outlines their wishes regarding psychiatric treatment. Content warnings: In this episode I briefly discuss forced treatment, unmodified ECT, and the limits of advanced directives. Be sure to practice self care if any of these topics are disressing to you. Learn more about psychiactric advanced directives, forced and unmodified ECT in the show notes. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

There are so many things I wish I had known before having ECT. The following are the focus of this episode: Like how my doctors would treat me after being disabled by the procedure The "new and improved" safety measures aren't as effective as advertised ECT's lasting impact on how the brain processes vision That ECT doctors don't know much about electricity or what it does to the human body Some people will experience serious disabling conditions from the electricity used to cause a seizure citations and resources 5 Things I wish I knew before having ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

There are so many things I wish I had known before having ECT. The following are the focus of this episode: Like how my doctors would treat me after being disabled by the procedure The "new and improved" safety measures aren't as effective as advertised ECT's lasting impact on how the brain processes vision That ECT doctors don't know much about electricity or what it does to the human body Some people will experience serious disabling conditions from the electricity used to cause a seizure citations and resources ⁠5 Things I wish I knew before having ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

This is a presentation by Sarah Price Hancock for the Stop Depression Summit, 2023. ⁠https://stopdepressionsummit.com/⁠  Show notes and links https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EWo9lkpuK2lU4roaMYumZ8fJ6ujM4UKc_IBvsOnskfk/edit?usp=sharing About Sarah Sarah lived for nearly two decades, misdiagnosed with severe “treatment resistant” mental illness. She was given⁠ ⁠116 bilateral ECT treatments⁠⁠ and now lives with Delayed Electrical Injury’s Myoneural Disorder. Sarah holds a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and taught for four years in San Diego State University’s Rehabilitation Counseling program. She also hosts The Emotional Self-Reliance Podcast and guest lectures on psychiatric recovery. She founded a newly formed nonprofit, The ⁠⁠Ionic Injury Foundation⁠⁠, with a focus on electrical injury research. Donate to her fundraiser ⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/ionic-injury-foundation?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1⁠ Learn how you can participate in⁠ ⁠electrical injury research⁠⁠. Learn about⁠ ⁠Sarah’s campaign⁠⁠ to ensure those harmed by ECT get the help they need and future ECT patients are protected through standardization and regulation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

This is a presentation by Sarah Price Hancock for the Stop Depression Summit, 2023. ⁠⁠https://stopdepressionsummit.com/⁠⁠  Show notes and links ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EWo9lkpuK2lU4roaMYumZ8fJ6ujM4UKc_IBvsOnskfk/edit?usp=sharing⁠ About Sarah Sarah lived for nearly two decades, misdiagnosed with severe “treatment resistant” mental illness. She was given⁠⁠ ⁠116 bilateral ECT treatments⁠⁠⁠ and now lives with Delayed Electrical Injury’s Myoneural Disorder. Sarah holds a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and taught for four years in San Diego State University’s Rehabilitation Counseling program. She also hosts The Emotional Self-Reliance Podcast and guest lectures on psychiatric recovery. She founded a newly formed nonprofit, The ⁠⁠⁠Ionic Injury Foundation⁠⁠⁠, with a focus on electrical injury research. Donate to her fundraiser ⁠⁠https://www.gofundme.com/f/ionic-injury-foundation?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1⁠⁠ Learn how you can participate in⁠⁠ ⁠electrical injury research⁠⁠⁠. Learn about⁠⁠ ⁠Sarah’s campaign⁠⁠⁠ to ensure those harmed by ECT get the help they need and future ECT patients are protected through standardization and regulation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Bill SB898 Public Health Hearings, Connecticut The state of Connecticut held public hearings on several bills that would impact forced electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in that state. This is the testimony of Emily Stanton, a concerned mental health advocate, regarding this bill in Connecticut that extends the timeframe a patient deemed unable to consent can be forcibly given electroshock and eliminates the probate court process. Connecticut Public Health Hearings on SB898 ECT, February 1st, 2023 C G A (ct.gov) 2023SB-00898-R00-SB.PDF (ct.gov) 2021 Senate Bill 898 (wisconsin.gov) Public Health Committee Public Hearing - YouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Connecticut Public Health Hearings on SB898 ECT, February 1st, 2023 This is the testimony of ECT survivor Jill Edwards regarding a new ECT bill in Connecticut that extends the timeframe a patient deemed unable to consent can be forcibly given electroshock and eliminates the probate court process. C G A (ct.gov) 2023SB-00898-R00-SB.PDF (ct.gov) 2021 Senate Bill 898 (wisconsin.gov) Public Health Committee Public Hearing - YouTube The state of Connecticut held public hearings on several bills that would impact forced electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in that state. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message

Connecticut Public Health Hearings on SB898 ECT, February 1st, 2023 C G A (ct.gov) 2023SB-00898-R00-SB.PDF (ct.gov) 2021 Senate Bill 898 (wisconsin.gov) Public Health Committee Public Hearing - YouTube More works by Professor Read John Read and Irving Kirsch – Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Does the Evidence From Clinical Trials Justify its Continued Use? – Mad in the UK  A second independent audit of electroconvulsive therapy in England, 2019: Usage, demographics, consent, and adherence to guidelines and legislation   Why aren’t patients being told truth about electric shock therapy?  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lifeafterect/message