Electroconvulsive therapy is a controversial Procedure 

There are many reasons ECT remains a controversial treatment that have nothing to do with its portrayal in movies:

  • ECT is not FDA Approved: The devices used in ECT have never been tested by the FDA for safety or effectiveness.
  • Lack of Standards and Regulation: ECT treatments vary widely, with no standard approach or regulation in place.
  • Inadequet Training: ECT providers lack training on of the effects of repeated high (bipolar-pulsed) electric exposure or training in the physics training in Physics to distinguish between ECT settings (pulsed electric fields).
  • Incomplete Consent: Consent forms often do not fully inform patients of the major risks involved.
  • Limited Follow-up Care: People harmed by ECT are rarely offered proper testing or rehabilitation afterward.
  • Use of Coercion and Force: Some people still receive ECT under pressure or against their will.
  • Use on Vulnerable Groups: ECT is often given to vulnerable individuals, including pregnant women, prisoners, veterans, the elderly, autistic people, teens, children, and more recently, proponents are advocating for its use on unhoused people.
  • Modern ECT is not the Standard Everywhere: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest style” ECT is still happening in many countries around the world.

Our Mission

  • Educate the public of all ECT’s immediate and long-term risks
  • Help those injured by ECT access testing and rehabilitation
  • Help injured patients report their injuries to the FDA
  • Help families impacted by ECT injury understand and support their loved ones
  • Provide a place for those injured to be heard
  • Support electrical injury research

Audit ECT 

The audit ECT campaign advocates for safety measures to be put in place for electroconvulsive therapy patients. This includes things like informed consent, testing, and rehabilitation. Learn about the Audit ECT Campaign.

About Life after ECT Inc.

Life After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research. Learn more about Life After ECT.

You can learn about our current projects here.

About Us

We are a group of concerned former ECT recipients, patient safety activists, and allies from various medical & mental health fields. See our about us page.