Imagine if your veterinarian offered to electrically induce seizures in your dog’s brain—causing temporary confusion, long-term memory loss, and even death in some cases.
It’s unthinkable. It’s illegal. And yet Electroconvulsive Therapy is still administered to tens of thousands of people in the U.S. every year.
This campaign calls on all of us to hold human medical treatment to at least the same ethical standards we apply to our pets.
Tell congress
It's time to Take Action Against this violent treatment.
What Is Electroconvulsive Therapy?
ECT is a psychiatric procedure that delivers up to 450 volts of electricity through the brain to trigger seizures lasting up to a minute. Marketed as treatment for depression, mental illness, and even agitation in dementia, ECT has never undergone rigorous FDA safety of efficacy trials — allowed instead through regulatory loopholes with little to no oversight.
The Harm They Don’t Talk About
ECT causes well-documented brain damage and memory loss. Patients who undergo it are 44x more likely to die by suicide, and 1 in 15 faces cardiac complications. U.S. courts have ruled against manufacturers for failing to warn patients.
Despite decades of use, ECT has been tied to severe, life-altering side effects. Here’s what the data — and thousands of survivors — reveal:
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
Up to 1 in 15 ECT patients faces life-threatening heart complications.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still legal across the U.S., used on the most vulnerable — children, seniors, trauma survivors — despite well-documented risks of memory loss, cognitive decline, and even death.
Survivors and advocates, alongside the Global Wellness Forum, are working to ban ECT and replace cruelty with true care.
Join us. Help end this practice for good.
The Truth They Don’t Tell You About Electroshock
Discover the hidden history, legal loopholes, and systemic failures that allow ECT to remain in use — even on children, veterans, and the elderly.
1. No Safety Trials Ever Conducted
Unlike other high-risk medical procedures, ECT devices were exempt from clinical trials under a 1976 FDA loophole. The result: a device never tested by modern scientific standards is still in use today.
2. FDA Reclassified ECT — Ignoring Public Outcry
In 2018, the FDA downgraded ECT devices from Class III (high risk) to Class II (moderate risk) for some conditions. This reclassification ignored over 3,400 public comments and denied a citizen petition calling for a ban.
3. Still Used for Unapproved Diagnoses
While reclassified for limited conditions, ECT is still legally administered for any psychiatric diagnosis. The FDA doesn’t regulate medical practice — so “off-label” use is common and unmonitored.
4. Profit Over Patients
ECT remains a billion-dollar industry propped up by insurance reimbursements. Hospitals and providers are incentivized to keep it going.
5. Courts Have Ruled — Manufacturers Are Liable
Judges have sided with survivors in multiple cases, holding ECT manufacturers responsible for failing to warn patients.
Real People. Real Courage.
Real Harm.
Hear from those who’ve lived through ECT—and join them in the fight to protect others from harm.
“They said it would help. I came out broken. I lost decades of memory, and no one ever told me this could happen.”
Michelle Himes
ECT Survivor & Legal Advocate
Decades of peer-reviewed research, government filings, and international statements confirm the risks and rights violations tied to ECT.
Scientific Evidence of Harm
ECT causes irreversible brain damage.
Regulatory Failures and Public Backlash
Despite no clinical trials, ECT is still FDA-cleared and government-funded.
Global Human Rights Condemnation
The UN calls involuntary ECT torture. The U.S. still funds it through Medicare and the VA.
Compassion starts with action.
If shocking a dog sounds unthinkable — why is it legal to shock your neighbor, your sister, your son?
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening. Survivors are sharing their stories. Now we need you to raise your voice.
Urge Congress to take action against ECT. Every email counts.