Life After ECT

In this episode, we discuss a historic legal case involving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Just before trial, a lawsuit in Sacramento, California was settled after two women who said they suffered brain damage, permanent memory loss, and were not properly informed of the risks before receiving ECT. We explore why this case is significant, how it compares to earlier ECT lawsuits, and what it coul...

ECT, Memory, and Identity In this episode, we explore a question I get asked often: can ECT change your personality? Drawing on philosopher Patrick Seniuk’s 2018 paper, “I’m Shocked: Informed Consent in ECT and the Phenomenological Self,” we explore how ECT-related memory loss may do more than erase facts — it can disrupt the felt sense of being the same person over time. We walk through patient a...

Lesser-Known ECT Side Effects: Ion Channel Dysfunction, Neurodegenerative Conditions & Cardiac Complications In this episode, I’ll be discussing some serious, lesser-known electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) side effects including ion channel dysfunction (aquired channelopathies), potential links to neurodegenerative conditions like ALS, and cardiac complications many of us face as we age. We’ll a...

In this episode, Sarah Price Hancock presents "Electrical Injury: Rehabilitation Needs Through the Lens of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Recipients," originally recorded on November 15, 2024. The presentation examines rehabilitation considerations for individuals who have undergone ECT, drawing on both research and lived experience. About the Presenters Sarah Price Hancock is an alumna...

In this episode, we close out this series by exploring how harm from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been discussed—and often dismissed—over time. We trace patient experiences from the 1950s through the patient-rights movement, and talk about how informedconsent came to shape what happens after patients report problems. We explore what it looks like when ECT recipients do get testing, how pati...

Why are people harmed by ECT so often ignored — even when they reach out directly to researchers? Content Warnings: Brief mention if abuse and suicide. In this episode, we continue reading emails from injured ECT patients who reached out to government-funded researcher Harold Sackeim, only to have their pleas for help ignored. Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after...

In this episode, we continue reading emails from injured ECT patients who reached out to government-funded researcher Harold Sackeim, only to have their pleas for help ignored. Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after ECT to contact him—but, according to author Linda Andre, he later testified that he discarded 175 of those messages. Through these stories, we dig deepe...

In this episode, we revisit a 2010 FDA letter by Linda Andre, and emails from ECT survivors who reached out to goverment funded researcher, Harold Sackeim, for help. Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after ECT to contact him—but according to Linda Andre, he later testified that he discarded messages from 175 patients who wrote to him asking for help. Show Notes https...

This video is for anyone who feels like they lost a part of themselves after ECT. I want to give voice to the unseen challenges so many face after electroconvulsive therapy. Many who’ve had ECT are living with undiagnosed, untreated disabilities—struggling to find acknowledgment and support. The aftermath of ECT can be life-changing, impacting everything—identity, career, and relationships. I crea...

This video is for anyone who feels like they lost a part of themselves after ECT. I want to give voice to the unseen challenges so many face after electroconvulsive therapy. Many who’ve had ECT are living with undiagnosed, untreated disabilities—struggling to find acknowledgment and support. The aftermath of ECT can be life-changing, impacting everything—identity, career, and relationships. I crea...

12/6/24 Update: David Russel has been released! The following is an update on forced drugging and ECT hearings. Content Warnings: Forced psychiactric treatment/ ECT Show Notes Life After ECT, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research. Learn how you can support our work .

Does Electroconvulsive Therapy have a place in 21st century evidence-based medicine? The following is a Presentation by Professor John Read given in March 2024. Dr. John Read is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. He has published over 180 research papers and in 2022 was listed in Stanford University's register of the top 2% most cited researchers in the world. H...

David Russell is an involuntarily committed patient at the Minnesota Mayo Clinic, who has been subjected to forced electroshock therapy (ECT) against his will. His case has drawn significant attention and advocacy efforts from MindFreedom International⁠ , an organization focused on human rights in mental health care. Read David’s full story here: ⁠https://mindfreedom.org/front-page/david-russell/⁠...

Welcome to the Life After ECT podcast! In this episode, we discuss: - The reality of forced ECT still happening today. - MindFreedom International's Shield Program, which helps protect against unwanted psychiatric treatment. - The importance of psychiatric advance directives to formally assert your treatment preferences. Learn how these resources can help you or a loved one, and how you can ge...

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 Co...

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 disc...

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-...

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-andr...

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...

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 individua...

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 pract...

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 p...

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...

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 a...

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 treatment...