Electro Shock Protest US, UK, Canada Locations May 16, 2015

Contact this email for latest list information - 

Action (at) ECTJustice.com

or see

http://ectjustice.com/protest.php

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyPsychiatry/events

If you want to organize a protest and get added to the list, please e-mail 

StopShock (at) networkagainstpsychiatricassault.org 

with the details.

If you haven't done so already, you can "join" https://www.facebook.com/events/1575284619354883/ 

STATE -- ADDRESS -- TIME

CA Herrick Hospital - Dwight Way (near Shattuck Ave.), Berkeley, CA 2pm - 4pm

FL UF Health Brain Stimulation Center - Shands Hospital - 1600 SW Archer Rd., Gainesville, FL
12 - 2pm

MA Mass General Hospital - corner of Cambridge St. and N. Grove St., Boston Starts at 1pm

ME Acadia Hospital - 268 Stillwater Ave., Bangor, ME 04401 11am - 1pm

NM Gerald Champion Hospital - 2669 N. Scenic Dr., Alamogordo, NM

NY Bluestockings Bookstore, Cafe, and Activist Center - 172 Allen St., NY, NY 10002 7pm - 9pm

NY Bellevue Hospital - Manhattan, NY

OH OSU Wexner’s Harding Hospital - 12th and Upham, 1670 Upham Dr. #130, South Campus, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 2pm - 4pm

OR Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center - 10180 SE Sunnyside Rd., Clackamas, OR 11am - 1pm

OR Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza - 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene, OR 1:30pm - 2:30pm



Country -- ADDRESS TIME

Canada Grey Nuns Community Hospital - 1100 Youville Dr. West (3015 62 Street NW), Edmonton - website:http://hereticalpsychiatry.blogspot.ca/p/ect.html 12 - 3pm

Canada Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center - 1145 Carling Ave., Ottawa, Ontario 2pm

Canada Nathan Phillips Square - 100 Queen St. West, in front of Archer Statue, Toronto 1pm

England Park House @ North Manchester Hospital - Manchester, England

England Prospect Park Hospital - Honey End Lane, RG30 4EJ Reading, England 10am

England The Houses of Parliament (Old Palace Yard - behind Westminster Abbey), London SW1P 3JY
2pm - 6pm

Ireland Grand Parade - Cork, Ireland 2pm - 4pm

After Many Years the FDA Moves to Evaluate Electric Shocking of Disabled Persons

In support of using these electric shocking devices, a mother of a young man who is shocked is quoted. Why isn't the student who gets the shocks allowed to speak? Does his mother know better what is good for him? Only when the experts cannot find a professional is a relative allowed to speak for the disabled persons. Usually the parents are marginalized because they are not professionals. Then again when it comes to psychiatric illnesses everyone is an expert is allowed to make diagnoses. 

[From article]
The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to ban devices used by the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton, Massachusetts, the only place in the country known to use skin shocks as aversive conditioning for aggressive patients.
It's a rare move by the FDA, following years of complaints from disability rights' groups and even a U.N. report that the shocks are tantamount to torture.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says the shock therapy has raised a lot of questions.
[. . .]
Dr. Steven Miles, a bioethicist at the University of Minnesota, was one of several advisers concerned about the lack of scientific studies showing the shock therapy works. That only one treatment facility uses them, he said, makes it "unreasonable to conclude that these devices are part of the standard of care for this class of patients."

http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2014/09/skin_shocks_used_at_mass_school_draw_fda_look

Skin shocks used at Mass. school draw FDA look
Sunday, September 14, 2014
By: Associated Press
Boston Herald

Electro-shock Sadistic Abuses Continue

http://www.wtsp.com/news/florida/article/330764/19/Electro-shock-therapy-sees-a-resurgence

Electro-shock therapy sees a resurgence, despite controversial past
11:21 AM, Aug 18, 2013
Fort Myers News-Press
WTSP-TV Tampa FL

FDA Advisory Committee On Electro Shock

Please Forward


US Federal Committee To Have Meeting About Electroshock Devices

Electroshock Survivors Invited to Speak Out


On January 27 and 28, 2011, an US Food & Drug Administration committee
will "discuss and make recommendations regarding the possible
reclassification of devices indicated for use in electroconvulsive
therapy."

More info:

http://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/Calendar/ucm234979.htm

Background:

~~~~~

The FDA has appointed an advisory committee to assist it to determine
if ECT devices will be moved from Class III to Class II, or as many
have proposed, to require the manufacturers to submit a "Pre-Market
Application" which they should have been required to do 35 years ago.

If the Committee agrees to downgrade the risk of ECT to Class II, it
will be more readily available, and the manufacturers will never have
been required to prove either that it is safe, nor that it is effective.

ECT survivors may briefly speak to the committee in this public
meeting to provide their story or perspective on the harms caused to
them by ECT. Communication of long term harms is especially
important, as the manufacturuers and ECT advocates all claim that ECT
has no long term ill effects - no long term memory loss - no long term
effect of reducing ability to learn and remember new information.

Persons wishing to speak at this important meeting may contact James
Engles at James.Engles@fda.hhs.gov. There will certainly be
psychistrists and manufacturers representatives and others claiming
ECT is a life saving treatment. The Committee needs to hear from mean
people who know that is not true.

~~~~~

Please forward.

ELECTROSHOCK IS HARMFUL AND DANGEROUS



This is a reminder that comments are due to the FDA on the safety of electroshock machines by January 8, 2009.


The FDA Wants to Declare Electroshock Machines Safe Without a Safety Investigation. TELL THEM NO!

The Food and Drug Administration is in charge of regulating medical devices just as it does drugs, including the machines used to give Electroshock. But it's not doing its job. It has allowed these machines to be used on millions of patients over the past generation without requiring any evidence whatsoever that shock treatment is safe or effective! This is so even though shock machines are Class III---high risk---devices, which by law are supposed to be investigated by clinical trials as thoroughly as new drugs and devices just coming onto the market. But because of intense lobbying by the American Psychiatric Association---which claims the devices are safe but opposes an investigation---the FDA has disregarded its own law. (For the full story of how shock survivors have fought for a scientific safety investigation of Electroshock for the past 25 years, see Linda Andre's terrific new book, Doctors of Deception: What They Don't Want You to Know About Shock Treatment.)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813544416/lawprojectfor-20

In April 2009---20 years after it first ruled the devices high-risk and named brain damage and memory loss as risks of the treatment---the FDA belatedly announced it would call on the manufacturers of the devices to provide evidence of safety and efficacy. The deadline for submissions has passed, but the manufacturers have not conducted any clinical trials, claiming they cannot afford them. They simply point to the opinions of shock doctors (including those who have financial interests in companies making Electroshock machines) as evidence that shock is safe.

The FDA is now supposed to require Electroshock machines to undergo the rigorous PreMarket Approval process (PMA) that is required of new devices, including clinical safety trials. These machines, technically known as "devices," are referred to as Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), but I don't like to use this euphemistic term for running electricity through people's brains. The FDA could have called for this investigation any time in the past 30 years but has previously failed to do so. There is great risk the FDA will downclassify it to the low-risk Class II, without scientific evidence of its safety. As a Class II device, Electroshock machines would never have to go through the PMA process. The amount of damage that electroshock has been allowed to inflict is an outrage. We now finally have a chance to at least register our opposition because the FDA has opened up a new docket for public comment on electroshock machines. It is important for as many people as possible to write in with their opposition. Comments will be accepted up to January 8, 2010.

If you have personal knowledge or expertise about Electroshock, writing about that can be good. Or you can pull information from various sources. For more information a Briefing Sheet is available and Linda Andre's book, Doctors of Deception is a gold mine of information. In addition Leonard Roy Frank published the free, downloadable Electroshock Quotationary, in June 2006, which is a good source of material, and there is also a brand new web page of historical materials from Leonard at http://psychiatrized.org/LeonardRoyFrank/FromTheFilesOfLeonardRoyFrank.htm Also, PsychRights has quite a large collection of materials at http://psychrights.org/Research/Digest/Electroshock/electroshock.htm from which comments can be drawn.

You can make comments in writing to Food and Drug Administration, Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

You can also submit comments by going to www.regulations.gov and either type in electroconvulsive therapy as a keyword, or the number of the federal register notice: 2009-N-0392

The Federal Register Notice can be found on PsychRights' website at http://psychrights.org/Actions/FDA/090910FedRegisterFDAElectroshockReclassDkt.pdf

The following are the comments of three organizations:

* December 28, 2009, Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights®)
* December 15, 2009, Coalition Against Psychiatric Assault (CAPA)
* November 9, 2009, International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP)

If you are not in a position to write something up, then please send in the below coupon or the one at
http://psychrights.org/Actions/FDA/FDAShockDktFlyer.pdf.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To:
Food and Drug Administration,
Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305),
5630 Fishers Lane,
Room 1061,
Rockville, MD 20852

Re: Electroconvulsive Therapy Device (882.5940), Docket #FDA-2009-N0392

The undersigned opposes the reclassification of the ECT device to Class II by the FDA in the absence of adequate scientific evidence of its safety, and asks the agency to call for PreMarket Approval Applications for the device.

Name: _____________________________

Address: _____________________________

_____________________________

Signature:_____________________________



Last modified December 28, 2009

--

James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.
President/CEO

Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686) Fax: (907) 274-9493
jim.gottstein[[at]]psychrights.org
http://psychrights.org/

PsychRights®
Law Project for
Psychiatric Rights

The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is a public interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing the horrors of forced psychiatric drugging. We are further dedicated to exposing the truth about these drugs and the courts being misled into ordering people to be drugged and subjected to other brain and body damaging interventions against their will. Extensive information about this is available on our web site, http://psychrights.org/. Please donate generously. Our work is fueled with your IRS 501(c) tax deductible donations. Thank you for your ongoing help and support.

FDA and Electro-Shock Machines


The FDA Wants to Declare Electroshock Machines Safe Without a Safety Investigation. TELL THEM NO!

The Food and Drug Administration is in charge of regulating medical devices just as it does drugs, including the machines used to give Electroshock. But it's not doing its job. It has allowed these machines to be used on millions of patients over the past generation without requiring any evidence whatsoever that shock treatment is safe or effective! This is so even though shock machines are Class III---high risk---devices, which by law are supposed to be investigated by clinical trials as thoroughly as new drugs and devices just coming onto the market. But because of intense lobbying by the American Psychiatric Association---which claims the devices are safe but opposes an investigation---the FDA has disregarded its own law. (For the full story of how shock survivors have fought for a scientific safety investigation of Electroshock for the past 25 years, see Linda Andre's terrific new book, Doctors of Deception: What They Don't Want You to Know About Shock Treatment.)

In April 2009---20 years after it first ruled the devices high-risk and named brain damage and memory loss as risks of the treatment---the FDA belatedly announced it would call on the manufacturers of the devices to provide evidence of safety and efficacy. The deadline for submissions has passed, but the manufacturers have not conducted any clinical trials, claiming they cannot afford them. They simply point to the opinions of shock doctors (including those who have financial interests in companies making Electroshock machines) as evidence that shock is safe.

The FDA is now supposed to require Electroshock machines to undergo the rigorous PreMarket Approval process (PMA) that is required of new devices, including clinical safety trials. These machines, technically known as "devices," are referred to as Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT), but I don't like to use this euphemistic term for running electricity through people's brains. The FDA could have called for this investigation any time in the past 30 years but has previously failed to do so. There is great risk the FDA will downclassify it to the low-risk Class II, without scientific evidence of its safety. As a Class II device, Electroshock machines would never have to go through the PMA process. The amount of damage that electroshock has been allowed to inflict is an outrage. We now finally have a chance to at least register our opposition because the FDA has opened up a new docket for public comment on electroshock machines. It is important for as many people as possible to write in with their opposition. Comments will be accepted up through January 2010.

If you have personal knowledge or expertise about Electroshock, writing about that can be good. Or you can pull information from various sources. Linda Andre's book, Doctors of Deception is a gold mine of information. Leonard Roy Frank issued the Electroshock Quotationary, in June 2006, which is a good source of material, and there is also a brand new web page of historical materials from Leonard at http://psychiatrized.org/LeonardRoyFrank/FromTheFilesOfLeonardRoyFrank.htm Also, PsychRights has quite a large collection of materials at http://psychrights.org/Research/Digest/Electroshock/electroshock.htm from which comments can be drawn.

If you are not in a position to write something up, then please send in the below coupon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Food and Drug Administration, Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852

Re: Electroconvulsive Therapy Device (882.5940), Docket #FDA-2009-N0392

The undersigned opposes the reclassification of the ECT device to Class II by the FDA in the absence of adequate scientific evidence of its safety, and asks the agency to call for PreMarket Approval Applications for the device.

Name: ___________________________
Address: _________________________
_________________________
Signature: _________________________




--


James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.
President/CEO

Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686) Fax: (907) 274-9493
jim.gottstein[[at]]psychrights.org
http://psychrights.org/

PsychRights®
Law Project for
Psychiatric Rights

The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is a public interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing the horrors of forced psychiatric drugging. We are further dedicated to exposing the truth about these drugs and the courts being misled into ordering people to be drugged and subjected to other brain and body damaging interventions against their will. Extensive information about this is available on our web site, http://psychrights.org/. Please donate generously. Our work is fueled with your IRS 501(c) tax deductible donations. Thank you for your ongoing help and support.

THE STORY OF THE FIRST FORCED ELECTROSHOCK IN ITALY ON 15 APRIL 1938 -- FROM ECT.ORG

http://www.ect.org/cgi-bin/faq/smartfaq.cgi?answer=1014926706&id=1014926466
Who invented ECT?

...Italian psychiatrist Ugo Cerletti
is credited with the introduction of electroshock therapy. Cerletti, having "doubts regarding the danger of electric applications to man," observed that hogs were subdued and calm moments before slaughter after the application of 125 volts using metallic tongs clamped to their temples.

"It occurred to me," wrote Cerletti, "that the hogs of the slaughterhouse could furnish the most valuable material for my experiments...At this point I felt we could venture to experiment on man, and I instructed my assistants to be on the alert for the selection of a suitable subject."

On April 15, 1938, Cerletti found his man, known only by the initials S. E. The Police Commissioner of Rome found S.E. wandering, and took him to the hospital for observation. Cerletti diagnosed S.E. with a form of schizophrenia and applied the first use of ECT, using the small dose of 80 volts for 0.2 seconds. S.E. jumped, then stiffened and fell back on the bed. Then he burst into song.

"It was quite evident to all of us that we had been using a too low voltage," Cerletti wrote. He discussed the patient with his colleagues and decided to let S.E. rest before giving him another shock. The patient, who had - unbeknownst to Cerletti - been listening to the conversation said clearly in Italian "Not another one! It's deadly!" [Non una seconda! Mortifierel"]

"I confess that such explicit admonition under such circumstances, and so emphatic and commanding, coming from a person whose enigmatic jargon had until then been very difficult to understand, shook my determination to carry on with the experiment. But it was just this fear of yielding to a superstitious notion that caused me to make up my mind. The electrodes were applied again, and a 110-volt discharge was applied for 0.2 seconds." (1)

With that, electroshock therapy was born.

In an article written by Dr. Frank Ayd in 1963, Cerletti is quoted as saying "When I saw the patient's reaction, I thought to myself: This ought to be abolished! Ever since I have looked forward to the time when another treatment would replace electroshock." (2)

References

1. Frank, LR (1978). The History of Shock Treatment. San Francisco.

2. Ayd, F.J. Jr. Guest Editorial UGO CERLETTI, M.D. (1877-1963). Psychosomatics, 4:A6-A7, 1963.