Viewing individuals as dangerous and incompetent allows psychiatrists to treat them as less than human and justifies taking away their freedom and dignity and right of choice, hallmarks of their humanity. As I grapple with attempting to understand how this horror is justified, the second thing I come up with is that those who force electroshock on people must assert that it is a good thing to do, a benevolent, helpful act. Autopsies of several decades ago routinely verified the brain damage, but autopsies following electroshock-related deaths are not performed today. It is a challenge for all of us to retain our common sense in the face of confusing psychiatric rhetoric. The question is only how much.
Electroshock always causes memory loss.
The question is only how much. Electroshock causes death. Published studies suggest the electroshock death rate is about 1 in 1000. Mortality for the elderly is much greater, about 1 in 200. I am always at a loss to explain how psychiatric rhetoric can so cloud our basic judgement, compassion and respect for our elders that we assault them in their declining years with brain damaging electroshock and call it medical treatment.