Brain Damage: Documented neurological injury and visible brain atrophy in post-ECT scans.
Memory Loss: Short- and long-term memory impairment is common, with some survivors losing decades.
Suicide Risk: Patients who undergo ECT are 44x more likely to die by suicide post-treatment.
Cardiac Complications: About 1 in 15 ECT patients faces life-threatening heart complications.
Women
Often targeted after postpartum or trauma diagnoses.
Elderly
Treated in psychiatric and geriatric wards.
Veterans
Disproportionately treated in public healthcare systems.
Children
As young as 5, based on documented state-level reports.
A Timeline of Regulatory Failure
1976
ECT devices are “grandfathered” by the FDA, exempt from modern clinical trials.
2011
A petition calls for ECT’s removal from the market. The FDA ignores it.
2018
The FDA reclassifies ECT devices from Class III (high risk) to Class II (moderate risk) for some conditions, ignoring 3,400+ public objections.
Today
The FDA still allows “off-label” use for any psychiatric diagnosis, with no monitoring.
Global Human Rights Condemnation
ECT isn’t just dangerous — it’s been called a human rights violation by leading international bodies:
United Nations – Declared involuntary ECT “a form of torture” and called for a global ban.
World Health Organization – Urged countries to eliminate ECT without informed consent.
World Psychiatric Association – Warned against coercive psychiatric practices and emphasized informed autonomy.
Taxpayer Cost
ECT isn’t just medically risky — it’s financially reckless:
Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA all reimburse ECT procedures.
$22.8 million was spent by the VA alone on ECT for veterans from 2018–2023.
Private hospitals often bill tens of thousands of dollars per patient for multiple sessions, with most patients needing anywhere between 10 and 20 sessions annually.
84% of recipients require “maintenance” treatments, typically alongside ongoing antidepressant or other psychiatric drugs.
Get the Facts
The ECT Questions You Deserve Honest Answers To
