Can ECT Change Your Personality?

In this episode, we discuss a historic legal case involving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Just before trial, a lawsuit in Sacramento, California was settled after two women who said they suffered brain damage, permanent memory loss, and were not properly informed of the risks before receiving ECT. We explore why this case is significant, how it compares to earlier ECT lawsuits, and what it could mean for accountability, informed consent, and future regulation of ECT.SHOWNOTEShttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nm-M5tihjIbKImAu1yO1qYVl2P7QUPzN/view?usp=sharing Life After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research. Learn how you can support our work Life After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research. Learn how you can support our work https://lifeafterect.org/donate/our work https://lifeafterect.org/donate/ 🎵 Music CreditsIntro/Outro: “Naya Instrumental” by TomhArtist: @tomh_musicTrack: https://soundcloud.com/tomh_music/naya-instrumentalUsed under free license with attribution

ECT, Memory, and IdentityIn this episode, we explore a question I get asked often: can ECT change your personality?Drawing on philosopher Patrick Seniuk’s 2018 paper, “I’m Shocked: Informed Consent in ECT and the Phenomenological Self,” we explore how ECT-related memory loss may do more than erase facts — it can disrupt the felt sense of being the same person over time.We walk through patient accounts, share some personal reflections, and ask whether standard informed consent goes far enough in preparing patients for these changes.SHOW NOTEShttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1zft2aX9UpBlMb0FC7YPOiaGd7kukr7Jc/view?usp=drive_link

Lesser-Known ECT Side Effects: Ion Channel Dysfunction,Neurodegenerative Conditions & Cardiac ComplicationsIn this episode, I’ll be discussing some serious, lesser-known electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) side effects including ion channel dysfunction (aquired channelopathies), potential links to neurodegenerative conditions like ALS, and cardiac complications many of us face as we age. We’ll also explore the challenges these conditions create for those living with them—the lack of research and what we can do about it.Show Notes https://drive.google.com/file/d/196hQfpJWox28zcv8psI0iCH3Y1uq3yia/view?usp=sharingMusic CreditsIntro/Outro: "Naya Instrumental" by Tomh Artist: @tomh_music Track: https://soundcloud.com/tomh_music/naya-instrumental Used under free license with attribution.

In this episode, Sarah Price Hancock presents "Electrical Injury: Rehabilitation Needs Through the Lens of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Recipients," originally recorded on November 15, 2024. The presentation examines rehabilitation considerations for individuals who have undergone ECT, drawing on both research and lived experience.About the PresentersSarah Price Hancock is an alumna of the Rehabilitation Counseling program at San Diego State University with over 14 years of experience in the field. She brings both personal and professional perspectives to the topic of ECT and electrical injury rehabilitation. She is also the founder and director of the nonprofit Ion Inc. and leads the Audit ECT campaign. Links to her work are included below.Joining Sarah is Chuck Degeneffe, Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling and Chair of the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University.Sarah's Info https://lifeafterect.org/about-us-2/#:~:text=Sarah,PublicationsThe Audit ECT Campaign https://lifeafterect.org/ect-advocacy/audit-ect/

In this episode, we close out this series by exploring how harm from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been discussed—and often dismissed—over time. We trace patient experiences from the 1950s through the patient-rights movement, and talk about how informedconsent came to shape what happens after patients report problems.We explore what it looks like when ECT recipients do get testing, how patients are described in early research and modern textbooks, and end with unanswered emails from ECT survivors asking for evaluation—and what that silence tells us.Content Warnings Forced ECT AbuseMedical gaslightingFeel free to skip this episode if these topics are distressing to you.Fair Use DisclaimerThis episode includes brief excerpts from copyrighted books, publications, podcasts, and public records for purposes of commentary, criticism, education, and public interest journalism under fair use (Section107, U.S. Copyright Act).This episode discusses medical practices, patient experiences, and systemic issues in healthcare for educational purposes. All cited materials remain the property of their respective copyright holders.This use is transformative and does not substitute for the original works. We encourage listeners to support the original creators.SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES https://drive.google.com/file/d/10k5c4FGMbwAS-oCdIe9x0bmxYF4MmFYC/view?usp=sharingLife After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research.Learn how you can support our work.🎵 Music Credits:Intro/Outro:"Naya Instrumental" by TomhArtist:@tomh_musicTrack:https://soundcloud.com/tomh_music/naya-instrumentalUsed under free license with attribution#Breakingcodesilence #ISeeYouSurvivor

Why are people harmed by ECT so often ignored — even when they reach out directly to researchers?Content Warnings: Brief mention if abuse and suicide.In this episode, we continue reading emails from injured ECT patients who reached out to government-funded researcher Harold Sackeim, only to have their pleas for help ignored. Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after ECT to contact him—but, according to author Linda Andre, he later testified that he discarded 175 of those messages.Through these stories, we dig deeper into the history of why people harmed by ECT are so often not beleived. this is for educational purposes only. I’m not a medical professional, and nothing here should be taken as medical advice. I’m sharing my understanding of the public record and other published works on this topic.Show Notes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C_PesMA4_CFCPkLXojJWSjP8ipq9SGTGo2r5KBeo5Oo/edit?usp=sharing🎵 Music Credits:Intro/Outro: "Naya Instrumental" by TomhArtist: @tomh_musicTrack: https://soundcloud.com/tomh_music/naya-instrumentalUsed under free license with attribution

In this episode, we continue reading emails from injured ECT patients who reached out to government-funded researcher Harold Sackeim, only to have their pleas for help ignored. Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after ECT to contact him—but, according to author Linda Andre, he later testified that he discarded 175 of those messages. Through these stories, we dig deeper into the history of why people harmed by ECT are so often dismissed and disbelieved.Show Notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C_PesMA4_CFCPkLXojJWSjP8ipq9SGTGo2r5KBeo5Oo/edit?usp=sharingLife After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research. Learn how you can support our work.

In this episode, we revisit a 2010 FDA letter by Linda Andre, and emails from ECT survivors who reached out to goverment funded researcher, Harold Sackeim, for help.Sackeim had publicly invited people experiencing memory problems after ECT to contact him—but according to Linda Andre, he later testified that he discarded messages from 175 patients who wrote to him asking for help.Show Notes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1https://docs.google.com/document/d/1csy4Ah-34c0TIkilOpNBFfXHiQ72fLYgRLHTMk0NBSQ/edit?usp=sharing Life After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of those harmed by ECT through advocacy, education, and research.Learn how you can support our work.

This video is for anyone who feels like they lost a part of themselves after ECT. I want to give voice to the unseen challenges so many face after electroconvulsive therapy. Many who’ve had ECT are living with undiagnosed, untreated disabilities—struggling to find acknowledgment and support. The aftermath of ECT can be life-changing, impacting everything—identity, career, and relationships. I created this video essay to process my own experience of becoming disabled after ECT. My hope is that it will help you know that your experience is real and you are not alone. This video was originally uploaded to YouTube in 2016. ResourcesGrief After ECT: ⁠https://lifeafterect.com/disenfranchised-grief-the-unseen-pain-of-those-disabled-by-electroconvulsive-therapy-ect/⁠ Resources: ⁠https://lifeafterect.com/resources/ ⁠ECT Stories: ⁠https://lifeafterect.com/ect-stories/⁠ Learn how you can help all who undergo ECT live their best life by supporting reforms that will ensure informed consent, rehab if recipients need it, and more https://www.change.org/p/standardize-regulate-audit-shock-treatments-electroconvulsive-therapy-or-ect⁠ ------------ 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. ⁠https://lifeafterect.com/donate⁠

This video is for anyone who feels like they lost a part of themselves after ECT. I want to give voice to the unseen challenges so many face after electroconvulsive therapy. Many who’ve had ECT are living with undiagnosed, untreated disabilities—struggling to find acknowledgment and support. The aftermath of ECT can be life-changing, impacting everything—identity, career, and relationships. I created this video essay to process my own experience of becoming disabled after ECT. My hope is that it will help you know that your experience is real and you are not alone. This video was originally uploaded to YouTube in 2016. Resources Grief After ECT: https://lifeafterect.com/disenfranchised-grief-the-unseen-pain-of-those-disabled-by-electroconvulsive-therapy-ect/Resources: https://lifeafterect.com/resources/ ECT Stories: https://lifeafterect.com/ect-stories/ Get Involved Learn how you can help support people harmed by ECT https://www.change.org/p/standardize-regulate-audit-shock-treatments-electroconvulsive-therapy-or-ect ------------ 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. https://lifeafterect.com/donate