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Attorney Jonathan Emord Takes on the FDA Over Electroshock (ECT) Device

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — In December 2015, the FDA issued a proposed order to down-classify the device used to deliver electroshock therapy. Today, Attorney Jonathan Emord filed a Citizens Petition with the FDA on behalf of 5 individuals who were damaged by electroshock.

I hope this is the beginning of the path to do away with shock [ECT]. Hopefully it’ll go the way of lobotomies, another ‘miracle treatment’.
ECT survivor, shocked as a teenager.

Most people surveyed thought electroshock therapy, also called electroconvulsive therapy or ECT, did go the way of lobotomies. In fact, a conservative estimate is that over 100,000 individuals receive electroshock therapy each year in the U.S. Actual numbers are not available because there is no tracking of this.

Click here to read complete article.

Stop FDA from Down-Classifying the Electroshock Device – MindFreedom International

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MindFreedom International

Sign MindFreedom International’s Petition

#FDASTOPTHESHOCKDEVICEThere is a long history of the FDA attempting to remove the experimental status of the shock device. There is an even longer history of those who have been subjected to shock treatment and their allies working to expose the damage shock treatment causes. Shock treatment has robbed people of the memories of their lives, their education, skills, passions, relationships, children, significant others, and total sense of oneself.  For decades, when proper rule-making processes were upheld, the voices of those whose lives were destroyed by shock treatment reached those in power and prevented the down-classification of the shock device from happening.

Read & sign the petition ->

Comments by Shock Survivors & Their Loved Ones – Mad in America

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Lauren Tenney PHD
Lauren Tenney PHD

Lauren Tenney, PhD, MPhil, MPA, is a psychiatric survivor and environmental psychologist.

The #FDAStopTheShockDevice petition has received over 2,200 signatures and 800+ comments. A more thorough analysis of those comments is forthcoming, however, we wanted to offer a glimpse of what people shared. The sixth, seventh, and eighth most common words used in the comments submitted through the petition were “damage,” “barbaric” and “torture.” We must continue the fight to make sure that the FDA hears the people who will be adversely affected by the proposed rule if it becomes an order. There is still a small window of time for you to sign the petition and leave a comment to the FDA.

Read full article in Mad in America ->

The FDA Wants to Approve ECT Without Testing – Mad in America

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Peter Breggin, MD
Peter Breggin, MD

Dr. Peter Breggin’s response to the FDA’s proposal.

On December 29, 2015, the FDA proposed reclassifying ECT, essentially approving of its routine clinical use.  The FDA describes its recommendation as follows:

… To support reclassification of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Devices into class II (special controls) for severe major depressive episode (MDE) associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Bipolar Disorder (BPD) in patients 18 years of age and older who are treatment-resistant or who require a rapid response due to the severity of their psychiatric or medical condition.

The FDA is also proposing specific warnings that should go along with the ECT devices.  The strongest of the warnings — “Warning: ECT device use may be associated with: disorientation, confusion, and memory problems” — is grossly inadequate and misleading.

In response to the FDA’s request for responses, I submitted the following statement…

Read full article in Mad in America ->

Women, ECT, and Memory – Mad in America

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Bonnie Burstow PHD
Bonnie Burstow PHD

Dr. Bonnie Burstow, is a faculty member at the University of Toronto.

This article is about women, ECT, and memory. Despite the fact that the memory loss caused by ECT is greatly minimized by psychiatry to the point of downright denial, it is fairly common knowledge at this point, at least among people who have looked beyond the official ECT line, that one of the main and most devastating effects of ECT is the destruction of memory.

Innumerable shock survivors have testified to it, and it is conclusively established by credible research. That noted, many of those who take in the reality of ECT-created memory loss are aware of it largely in an abstract manner.  As a statistic. As a fact supported by research. If our memory is relatively in tact, we can forget how very integral memory is to most every aspect of our daily lives…

Read full article in Mad in America ->

About ECT Justice

ECT Justice is an independent advocate for ECT survivors and the families of those injured by ECT. We are not a part of or sponsored by any other organization. It is our hope that together we will be a voice that is heard, and the use of ECT in psychiatric practice will be eliminated. If you are an ECT survivor please know that you are not alone! Together we can make a difference.

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