Shock advocates have proven impervious to science and to public criticism. Like men who beat their wives and abuse their children, shock doctors escalate their violence when criticized. Like other abusers, criticism by itself will not stop them. Shock treatment must be banned. We can begin by banning it on children eighteen and younger, and involuntary adults.
Electroshock for Children and Involuntary Adults
by Dr. Peter Breggin
America and Australia are two countries I vastly admire. Nonetheless, they are continuing to abuse psychiatric patients with electroshock treatment (ECT). In America involuntary adults are being shocked despite the best efforts of psychiatric reformers. In Australia psychiatrists have taken shock treatment to a new level of barbarity by shocking 55 toddlers age four and younger in Victoria.
The controversy over shocking children has a long history. In 2000 before his untimely death, Steve Baldwin, at the time a professor of psychology in Australia, and his co-author Melissa Oxlad wrote a book reviewing and condemning the practice throughout the world.
Electroshock "treatment" was discovered in the 1930s in a slaughterhouse in Italy. Before being killed, hogs were knocked out by a jolt of electricity to the head and brain. If they weren't slaughtered, after a while the animals awoke and were able walk around on wobbly legs. Two Italian psychiatrists learned about this phenomenon and immediately tested it on an involuntary patient. The patient wasn't knocked out by the first jolt and struggled from the table screaming "Murder!" The doctors gave him a bigger jolt. When he awoke, he was docile and no longer complained. A miracle treatment was born and the two psychiatrists became famous.
Why in the world would medical doctors be so excited about a jolt of electricity that knocked out a hog without killing it?
Full Article and Source:
Electroshock for Children and Involuntary Adults
See also:
Remember Ray
Electroshock for Children and Involuntary Adults
by Dr. Peter Breggin
America and Australia are two countries I vastly admire. Nonetheless, they are continuing to abuse psychiatric patients with electroshock treatment (ECT). In America involuntary adults are being shocked despite the best efforts of psychiatric reformers. In Australia psychiatrists have taken shock treatment to a new level of barbarity by shocking 55 toddlers age four and younger in Victoria.
The controversy over shocking children has a long history. In 2000 before his untimely death, Steve Baldwin, at the time a professor of psychology in Australia, and his co-author Melissa Oxlad wrote a book reviewing and condemning the practice throughout the world.
Electroshock "treatment" was discovered in the 1930s in a slaughterhouse in Italy. Before being killed, hogs were knocked out by a jolt of electricity to the head and brain. If they weren't slaughtered, after a while the animals awoke and were able walk around on wobbly legs. Two Italian psychiatrists learned about this phenomenon and immediately tested it on an involuntary patient. The patient wasn't knocked out by the first jolt and struggled from the table screaming "Murder!" The doctors gave him a bigger jolt. When he awoke, he was docile and no longer complained. A miracle treatment was born and the two psychiatrists became famous.
Why in the world would medical doctors be so excited about a jolt of electricity that knocked out a hog without killing it?
Full Article and Source:
Electroshock for Children and Involuntary Adults
See also:
Remember Ray
I guess the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with Jack Nicholson was more true to life than people could have ever imagined.
ReplyDeleteThis is the year 2009 yes?
ReplyDeleteI think there are people in this line of work who are sadistic, taking out their anger and frustrations on others.
I have a suggestion: let those who were tortured (or their family members if the victim did not survive their treatments) get a chance to have an hour with those who were adminstering the shock treatments to them.
An eye for an eye.
Electric shock treatment is barbaric. Although we have made teriffic strides in the field of medicine, we are still old school too -- electric shock, drugs labeled as medicine, unnecessary surgeries....
ReplyDelete