ECT, or shock treatment as it’s sometimes called, is a controversial topic. Adherents describe it as safe and effective; opponents condemn its use as damaging and ineffective. But it is still widely used in the US and in other countries. The treatment consists essentially of passing sufficient electricity across the brain to cause a seizure. … Continue Reading
ECT: Hypotheses About Mechanisms of Action
There’s a new article on Frontiers in Psychiatry. It’s titled Electroconvulsive treatment: hypotheses about mechanisms of action. The authors are Roar Fosse, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestro Viken State Hospital Trust, Lier, Norway, and John Read, Institute of Psychology, Health, and Society, University of Liverpool, UK. Thanks to Mick Bramham on Twitter for… Continue Reading
ECT – Benefits Are Short-lived
Last Monday (August 26), Lauren Spiro published a post on Mad in America. The post is titled The Today Show and ECT: The Full Story & Informed Consent. Here’s the gist of Lauren’s article. On August 20, the Today Show ran a segment on ECT (electric shock “treatment”). Lauren contends that the coverage was not… Continue Reading
Shock Treatment In Israel
I’ve recently come across (courtesy of Tallaght Trialogue on Twitter) an article titled: The Court: Electroshock treatments should not be forced on psychiatric patients. The original was in Israel Hayom, an Israeli newspaper, and was written by Edna Adato. The English version above was on occupypsychiatry.net, and was translated by Janna Weiss. The article is… Continue Reading