![]() (See the English translation of this newsletter below the Danish newsletter) I anledning af den Internationale Protestdag imod Chok-behandling, der finder sted den 16. maj hvert år, skal dette nyhedsbrev handle om elektrochok-behandling, der også kaldes electro-convulsive therapy (ECT).Danmark har endnu ikke forbudt ECT. Tværtimod stiger og stiger brugen² på trods af, hvad FN og WHO skriver i deres retningslinjer for mental sundhed baseret på menneskerettigheder³ (2.3.1): “Der er stor uenighed om brugen af ECT og de risici, der er forbundet med det, og der har været opfordringer til helt at forbyde det. Brugen er faldet drastisk i mange lande, og i Luxembourg og Slovenien for eksempel, er det ikke tilgængeligt.” “Personer, der tilbydes ECT, bør også gøres opmærksomme på alle risici og potentielle kort- og langsigtede skadelige virkninger såsom hukommelsestab og hjerneskade.” MMK har også svært ved at se logikken, når man nu ikke ved, hvad det gør ved hjernen, og den spænding man sender gennem hovedet, er i størrelsesordenen 5000 gange større end den naturlige spænding en nervecelle har (0,07 volt). Kunne du tænke dig en behandling med en Thymatron (elektrochokapparat)? Her er, hvad producenten af Thymatron i starten af en brugervejledning selv siger om deres apparat: ECT kan bl.a. resultere i: – Vedvarende eller permanent hukommelsestab – Nedsættelse af kognitive funktioner, så man ikke længere kan varetage et tidligere erhverv – Død i forbindelse med eller som følge af behandlingen – Hjertekomplikationer, hjerteanfald, slagtilfælde og permanent hjerneskade – Epilepsi – Lungekomplikationer – Synsforstyrrelse – lndtræden eller forværring af psykiatriske symptomer – Selvmordsadfærd, tilskyndelse til mord, stofmisbrug En svensk youtuber fortæller om elektrochok her. Den danske læge Herluf Dalhof, der har viet sit liv til at stoppe elektrochokbehandling, skriver i en artikel fra 7. oktober 2007: Danmark er et af de lande i verden, der bruger elektrochok mest som behandlingsform. Tidligere var man helt på det rene med de alvorlige skadevirkninger, men det benægtes eller bagatelliseres nu af førende psykiatere.I snart 70 år har psykiaterne anvendt elektrochok (ECT) til behandling af deres patienter. Og stort set lige så længe har man været klar over, at dette brutale indgreb på den følsomme menneskelige hjerne er en voldsom, helt ufysiologisk procedure, som altid i større eller mindre grad forårsager skade på hjernen og dens funktioner. I de første 20 – 25 år efter indførelsen af ECT i behandlingen af psykisk syge var forskerne bemærkelsesværdigt ærlige i deres beskrivelse af virkninger og bivirkninger heraf. Man blev hurtigt klar over, at det traume, man påførte patientens hjerne ved hver ECT-procedure (som svarer til en kraftig hjernerystelse) i løbet af en behandlingsserie (tre gange om ugen, i alt 8-14 behandlinger), i mange tilfælde hensatte patienten i en tilstand af totalt neurologisk sammenbrud, karakteriseret ved forvirring, desorientering, følelsesmæssig ustabilitet, og eventuelt manglende evne til at holde på urin og afføring. Denne tilstand svinder som regel i løbet af dage eller uger og efterlader personen med en mere eller mindre skadet hjernefunktion, især visende sig ved hukommelsesforstyrrelser, som i modsætning til hvad psykiaterne hævder ofte er vedvarende resten af livet. Denne hjerneskade var de tidlige ECT-terapeuter som nævnt fuldt på det rene med, ja, de betragtede den som en indikator på ECT-behandlingens effektivitet. Som en af de tidlige ECT-fortalere skrev: Reduktion af intelligensen er en vigtig faktor i den helbredende proces … nogle af de bedste helbredelser, man kan få, forekommer hos de personer, man næsten reducerer til demens. I 1960’erne kom så den antipsykiatriske bevægelse med blandt andet bogen og filmen “Gøgereden”. Denne film åbnede befolkningens øjne for ECT-behandlingens rædsler og skabte en voldsom opinion mod dette hæslige indgreb. Resultatet heraf blev, at brugen af ECT mindskedes væsentligt i de følgende år. Ja, i nogle amerikanske stater var proceduren lige ved at blive forbudt. Men takket være psykiaternes effektive lobbyarbejde over for myndighederne varede det ikke længe, før anvendelsen heraf atter øgedes.Lige siden har psykiaterne dog søgt at skjule bivirkningerne ved ECT og har i stedet skamløst og demagogisk lovprist de gode virkninger heraf. Et af deres mest slående argumenter er: ECT redder liv, underforstået at ECT hævdes at være absolut nødvendigt hos for eksempel svært deprimerede, selvmordstruede patienter. Men dette er ikke rigtigt. Flere undersøgelser viser, at langtidsprognosen ikke er bedre hos de suicidale patienter, som får ECT, end hos dem, der får anden behandling. I Danmark, der er et af de lande i verden, hvor der gives flest ECT i forhold til indbyggertallet, nøjes psykiaterne ikke med at skamrose ECTs fortræffeligheder. Nej. Man ræsonnerer åbenbart, at der nu er gået så mange år siden de første klare rapporter om ECTs hjerneskadende virkning, at disse rapporter nok er gået i glemmebogen. For man benægter lodret, at sådanne rapporter eksisterer. Alt dette ifølge Herluf Dalhof. Tak til ham. Alternativer: FN og WHO skriver i den nylige rapport³, at der er for lidt fokus på de faktorer, som påvirker folks mentale sundhed, så psykiatrien bliver nødt til at tænke i ‘årsag-virkning’ og ikke bare symptombehandle, dæmpe eller quick-fixe. Personerne i psykiatrien skal ikke betragtes som ofre, som ikke kan nås, men som fornuftsvæsener, der kan og bør vælge egen behandling gennem omsorgsfuld rådgiving. Det er ikke nogen let opgave, hvis en person har ‘smadret’ sit liv gennem forkerte valg til stor depression. Men personen skal ikke yderligere ‘smadres’ ved en brutal, elektrisk behandling, camoufleret gennem bedøvelser og lungemaskiner, der ånder for ham eller hende under strømstødene. University of East London er ved at lave en spørgeundersøgelse af personer, der har modtaget ECT. Hvis du har modtaget ECT kan du deltage i undersøgelsen her. Nu er det rigtignok ikke MMKs opgave at rådgive om behandlinger, men når psykiateren ønsker elektrochok til de svært deprimerede, meget syge suicidale patienter, går tankerne til to grupper af behandlere, som havde fremragende resultater: Arabere i middelalderen, der anbragte deres syge-i-sindet i helt rolige, men meget smukke omgivelser, og det virkede. Så var der kvækerne, som havde fremragende resultater med samme patientgruppe igennem mild, kærlig omsorg med meget fysisk arbejde. Referencer: 1. Guidance on community mental health services. 2. Antallet af elektrochok steget med 23% på fem år (TV2) 3. Mental health, human rights and legislation Newletter in English In observation of the International Day of Protest against Shock Treatment, which takes place on May 16th every year, this newsletter will be about electric shock treatment, also known as electro-convulsive therapy (ECT).Denmark has still not banned ECT. On the contrary, the use has increased in spite of what the United Nations and WHO write in their guidelines for mental health based on human rights³ (2.3.1): “Significant controversy surrounds the use of ECT and its associated risks, and there have been calls for it to be banned altogether. Its use has dramatically declined in many countries, and in Luxembourg and Slovenia for example, it is not available.” “People being offered ECT should also be made aware of all its risks and potential short- and long-term harmful effects such as memory loss and brain damage.” MMK finds it hard to see the logic, when it is not known what it does to the brain, and the voltage sent through the head is 5000 times greater than the natural voltage in a nervecell (0,07 volt). Would you want a treatment with a Thymatron (ECT-device)? Here is what the manufacturer of Thymatron say about their device in the beginning of the users manual: ECT may cause: – Continuous or permanent memory loss – Reduction of cognitive functions making the patient unable to perform his former job – Death in connection with or following the treatment – Hearth complications, heart attack, stroke and permanent brain damage – Epilepsy – Lung complications – Disturbed vision – Beginning or worsening of psychiatric symptoms – Suicidal behaviour, incentive to murder, substance abuse A Swedish youtuber talks about electric shock treatment here. The Danish physician Herluf Dalhof, who dedicated his life to stop ECT, writes in an article dated 7 October 2007: Denmark is one of the contries in the world, that uses ECT the most. Earlier the severe sideeffects were well acknowledged, but now they are denied or played down by leading psychiatrists. For almost 70 years psychiatrists have used ECT for treatment of their patients. And for almost as long time, it has been known, that this brutal treatment of the human brain is a violent and non-physiological treatment, that always to a greater or lesser degree causes damage to the brain and its functions.In the first 20 – 25 years after the implementation of ECT in the treatment of mentally ill patients, the researchers were notably honest in their describtion of the effects and side effects from this treatment. It was quickly recognized that the trauma inflicted on the patient with each ECT procedure (which can be likened to a heavy concussion of the brain) during a series of treatments (three times a week, a total of 8 – 14 treatments) in many cases put the patient in a state of total neurological collapse characterized by confusion, disorientation, emotional instability and possibly incontinence.This condition is usually reduced in the course of days or weeks but leaves the person with a more og less damaged brain function, especially characterized by memory disorders, which (contrary to what psychiatrist claim) often last for the rest of the persons life. The early ECT-practitioners were fully aware of this brain damage as mentioned earlier. They even considered it as an indicator of the effectiveness of the ECT treatment. One of the early ECT advocates wrote: Reduction of the intelligence is an important factor in the healing process … some of the best cures you can get occur in those persons, who are almost reduced to dementia. In the sixties came the anti-psychiatric movement, and with it the book and film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. This film opened the eyes of the public to the horrors of ECT and created a strong opinion againt this horrible treatment. The result of this was a major reduction in the use of ECT in the coming years. In some American states the procedure was almost banned. But because of effective lobbying by the psychiatrists, it did not take long before the application of ECT increased again. Since that time the psychiatrists have tried to hide the side effects from ECT and have instead shamelessly praised the benefits of it. One of their most striking arguments is that ECT saves lives, claiming that ECT is absolutely necessary for for example severely depressed and suicidal patients.But this is not correct. Several studies have shown that the long term prognosis is not better for suicidal patients getting ECT, than for those who receive other treatment. In Denmark, which is one of those countries in the world where ECT is used the most in relation to the number of inhabitants, the psychiatrists not only shamelessly praise the benefits from ECT. No, they evidently reason that so many years have passed since the first clear reports of the brain damaging effects of ECT, that those reports likely have been forgotten, because they downright deny that such reports exist. All this according to Herluf Dalhof. Thanks to him. Alternatives: United Nations and WHO wrote in the recent report³, that there is insufficient focus on the factors which influence the mental health of people, so psychiatry needs to think in ’cause-effect’ and not just treat symptoms, alleviate or quick fix. The patients in psychiatry should not be viewed as victims, who cannot be reached, but as thinking beings, who can and should choose their own treatment through caring advice. This is not an easy task if a person has busted his life through wrong choices resulting in severe depression. But the person should not be further busted with brutal electrical treatment camouflaged with anaestesia and lung machines, that breathe for the person while applying electric shocks. The University of East London is currently doing a survey of persons, who have received ECT. If you have received ECT, you may participate in the survey here. It may not be the duty of MMK to give advice about treatment, but when the psychiatrist wants to electric shock the severely depressed and very ill suicial patients, then the thoughts go to two groups of practitioners, who had excellent results: The Arabs in the middle ages, who placed the mentally ill in very quiet and very beautiful environments, and it worked. Then there were the Quakers, who had great results with the same group of patients with mild, loving care and plenty of physical work. References: 1. Guidance on community mental health services. 2. Antallet af elektrochok steget med 23% på fem år (TV2) 3. Mental health, human rights and legislation |