Madam, – I have been following the recent correspondence on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with more than a degree of personal interest.
Diagnosed with schizophrenia, my mother was for many years confined in a British residential institution, during which she was subjected to several sessions of ECT. Despite misgivings, my father was persuaded by her medical consultants to sanction the treatment on her behalf. She never forgave him for this, and I am not sure that he ever forgave himself either. Being forced to endure this humiliating and obviously terrifying treatment, wholly against her will, significantly exacerbated the paranoia to which she was already prone. More than 40 years later, I remain convinced that, in the end, it was a significant factor in her decision to take her own life. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – We very much appreciate all the recent letters of support on the subject of forced ECT. In addition, we would like to point out that there are other no less deserving survivors who, even in the face of the stigma referred to by Dr Siobhan Barry (December 14th), have spoken against the practice at public protests which have taken place in Cork for the last three years.
As regards Dr Barry’s claim that forced ECT is ethically well- founded, similar claims were made by psychiatry as recently as the mid 20th century in relation to insulin-coma therapy and pre-frontal lobotomy.
Forced ECT is a perfect metaphor for the domination/control model of bio-psychiatry yet incredibly, Dr Barry claims it to be “a human right” when in reality it is the opposite, to be ranked alongside other violations such as forced drugging and compulsory treatment orders.
In a democratic society people have the right to choose. Why are people with psycho/social problems treated differently? –