Woman challenges mandatory electroshock therapy in Victoria Supreme Court

Dear ATS Readers,

Electric shock therapy has been used for a long time to treat schizophrenia, and perhaps other mental issues.

Forced 'shock therapy' laws to be tested in Victorian Supreme Court

Laws governing how electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) can be administered in Victoria will be tested for the first time in the Supreme Court today.

A woman with schizophrenia, known only as NJE, is fighting a Mental Health Tribunal order forcing her to undergo 12 sessions of ECT against her will.

On two occasions in March, the woman's treating team failed to get an ECT order to treat the woman from the Mental Health Tribunal.

At both hearings she had a lawyer present.

However, at a third hearing the tribunal ordered the treatment without allowing the patient time to get legal advice.

This is something that I would probably be against... granted, I am having memories of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and nurse Rachet...

I wonder just how "bad off" this lady is..... and if she is fighting against getting shocked, maybe they should leave her alone? That is no electroshock therapy.

It does seem a very horrible experience to have to go through, and conjures up thoughts akin to waterboarding etc.

I am of the opinion that no one should be forced into anything medical if they don't want it.

A lot of patients get institutionalised, and there is little legal protection for them once that happens. They fall into a dark "hellhole" in a lot of cases.

I hope this lady can someday be allowed to enter society again.

Pravdaseeker

Well I'm bipolar and I believe that shock therapy has been proven ineffective at least here in the states! and against her will is bad without due process! well maybe they don't have that there! I'm stable on Paxil and wouldn't want to be without it! UTTERLY BARBARIC!

What year is it? Like 1810?

Since when are people forced to have electroshock therapy?

This kind of barbarism, I thought, was old school!

That is extremely messed up. No one should be forced to go through any medical procedures without their own permission. Even if she is a severe case. EST is not always beneficial - it was forced on my great-grandma just after WWII and she had to spend her life in a home afterwards. The modern day version of EST is not as invasive, but it is still out of line to force upon someone who is unwilling.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

It is obviously a confluence of 'bad airs' that vex her.

This type of thing is best treated with blood letting and leeches to drain the humors.

Failing that, we will have to trepan.

My mom used to work in an ECT unit as an assistant (getting them set up and then after-care). She told me that the patients were largely there for Major Depressive Disorder and they said that it helped them to feel better "for a while". These were those people who had spent years on every antidepressant available and nothing worked. But these ECT treatments had a substantial effect on memory and needed to be repeated every 2-3 months to maintain efficacy.

Personally, I'd be scared to death to have a seizure induced in myself. No way. I'd have to be very very desperate to go that route and if a court tried to force me to do so? It would be one hell of a fight. I hope this woman turns out "ok".

I don't understand how a doctor's who "vow to do no harm" can perform this procedure. It might not harm the patient BUT, when you are sending an electrical current into the brain how can you be certain what effects may happen? The possibility of permanent memory loss, impaired motor functions, virtually anything, is there...

If it's the patient's choice, I'm all for it. Mandated by a judge? Hell no, that's treating her like a criminal not a patient.

Robert Pirsig the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance passed away April 24, 2017, in South Berwick, ME.
He railed against the use of electroshock therapy claiming the procedure murdered an important part of his personality.

originally posted by: Cauliflower
Robert Pirsig the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance passed away April 24, 2017, in South Berwick, ME.
He railed against the use of electroshock therapy claiming the procedure murdered an important part of his personality.

Isn't that, though, what SSRI meds, the psycho meds do? Shatter your mind, personality and self? Along with the side effects of suicidal thoughts, nausea, vomiting, eye trouble, GI trouble and on and on?

Meaning - If you can't make the 'voices stop' and a shock or two would give you ease (which they give you anesthesia for now - it's not done cold)? In this persons place I'd much rather choose electro-shock over a lifetime marriage to Pharma shat shattering me inside and out?

I'm not saying it's the lesser of two evils - only saying - Big Pharma SSRI psycho drugs/etc are far more mind blowing.

As for forcing this on someone who isn’t right in their mind anyway? That’s a tough one isn’t it.

peace

Shocking information here. I have a montgomery Wards medical box from the early nineteen hundreds, It will straighten you right out and everyone gets in a good mood when playing with it. medical-electric-battery.com... The one I have is similar to the one in the catalog picture from 1923 on the right. But it was a Monkey wards one.

Maybe that is why I am no longer nuts, I may have played with it too much. My hair does still stand up on end a lot now too.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

They use it the most for severe depression these days.

Not a fan.

originally posted by: MRuss
What year is it? Like 1810?

Since when are people forced to have electroshock therapy?

This kind of barbarism, I thought, was old school!

They still use it in gay aversion therapy too!

a reply to: silo13

Pirsig claimed he was given electroshock for severe depression which caused irreversible loss of memory organization.
Didn't sound as though he was going to get better on his own, but I'm not sure that tweaking seratonin levels temporarily with psychoactive therapy is as invasive.

originally posted by: Cauliflower
a reply to: silo13

Pirsig claimed he was given electroshock for severe depression which caused irreversible loss of memory organization.
Didn't sound as though he was going to get better on his own, but I'm not sure that tweaking seratonin levels temporarily with psychoactive therapy is as invasive.

I study myself as being pretty sound in mind all in all... That said? If I could get a zap or two - taking out some of the worst memories anyone should ever have to endure?

I just might say flip the switch boys!

Not sure...

peace

a reply to: redhorse

Yep - also severe Schizophrenia, MDD & some personality disorders (namely BPD).

originally posted by: rickymouse
Shocking information here. I have a montgomery Wards medical box from the early nineteen hundreds, It will straighten you right out and everyone gets in a good mood when playing with it. medical-electric-battery.com... The one I have is similar to the one in the catalog picture from 1923 on the right. But it was a Monkey wards one.

Maybe that is why I am no longer nuts, I may have played with it too much. My hair does still stand up on end a lot now too.

Heck no! I'd stay a mile away from that thing!

Is EST not used in the US anymore? Or was it permitted again later on?

a reply to: silo13

Awwwwww crap!

I just watched the vid I posted.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

*TEARS*

Then again...

Here's this guys take...



peace...

On the bright side it's free healthcare so she's still got that going for her.

originally posted by: lydie15

originally posted by: rickymouse
Shocking information here. I have a montgomery Wards medical box from the early nineteen hundreds, It will straighten you right out and everyone gets in a good mood when playing with it. medical-electric-battery.com... The one I have is similar to the one in the catalog picture from 1923 on the right. But it was a Monkey wards one.

Maybe that is why I am no longer nuts, I may have played with it too much. My hair does still stand up on end a lot now too.

Heck no! I'd stay a mile away from that thing!

Is EST not used in the US anymore? Or was it permitted again later on?

It is still used in the USA per this video.

That it's given to an autistic child.

Crap this is getting depressing beyond the pale.

peace

a reply to: rickymouse

LOL so thats why you're now able to put 2 sentences together; and here's me thinking you did all your studies on foods and the environment to help your body. Oh wait maybe I'm thinking of the other Ricky that suffers form MPD

www.webmd.com...

a reply to: TimHeller

Psilocybin
Dimethyltriptamine
Lysergic Di-acid

These are the chemicals that should be being used to treat mental illnesses.