UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
Article 12 (i)
The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the
enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
There is a wealth of evidence to indicate that Electro Convulsive Therapy ('ECT') causes damage to
the brain. It is prescribed in Ireland, often for the treatment of what psychiatry term ‘nonresponsive’ depression and for other ‘disorders’. However, most people receiving it are vulnerable,
are not given the full facts, including short and long term permanent damage to the brain. So in
effect even if a patient signs a consent form, they are not in any real sense consenting to this
treatment. If a person objects to the proposed ''treatment, a second psychiatrist is called in and he
or she usually rubber stamps original recommendation.
Most people presenting to hospital are not aware that even if they go on a voluntary basis, they can
receive coercive treatment, be held for weeks, months, years or indefinitely, if psychiatry decide
they need ‘treatment’. If a person is switched to involuntary status or has it from initial assessment,
then not only does the person have no rights over what' treatment' they are given, and neither do
immediate family, guardians or advocates. This is clearly not appropriate in civilized Society. Some
adverse effects of psychotropic drugs such as lobotomy, Tardive Dyskinisia and Akathisia can only be
described as torture. In addition destruction of physical health, including diabetes, thyroid, heart
problems etc. is not uncommon in people taking these psychotropic drugs long term.
Current proposals for Advanced Health Care Directives (AHCD) which have been tagged on to
proposed Capacity Legislation do not allow for the AHCD’s of those with ‘involuntary’ status to be
legally binding. In effect, even when someone makes an AHCD when they are deemed to have
‘capacity’, they can be still given electroshock ('ECT') or any forced psychiatric drugs or ‘treatment’,
regardless of their expressed wishes. MindFreedom Ireland regard this as being an assault on the
bodily integrity of the individual and denying them the autonomy to decline treatment which is
clearly not in the best interests of their well being, especially when forced upon them. MindFreedom
Ireland believes that no one should be given electroshock ('ECT') as it causes brain damage.
Electroshock causes a grande mal seizure and doctors should be preventing seizures not causing
them but especially no one should be given electroshock ('ECT') against their express wishes.
MindFreedom Ireland refers to' ECT' as electroshock as it causes brain damage and people are not
objects to be treated. Peter Breggin, Psychiatrist, Author & Medical Legal Expert
(www.breggin.com) is a world renowned expert in this field and his site has links to his extensive
published work on this matter including (www.ectresources.org).
The State Party has an obligation under ICESCR to provide for citizens to enjoy the highest attainable
standard of physical and mental health, then clearly it is currently failing to fulfill its remit in respect
of ECT and other coercive psychiatric treatments, when there are clearly more humane alternatives
that do not do damage to physical health. Clearly pathologising and medicating distress is not
working, given the ever increasing numbers being diagnosed with ‘mental illnesses. .
Organisations and Groups like MindFreedom Ireland receive no funding from any official or
Government sources, yet we receive ongoing calls from people damaged by ‘the mental health
system’ or the system of psychiatric ‘care’ in Ireland and we reach out to these people as best we
can. What we have found is people in emotional distress respond to kindness, compassion,
empathy. In reality no drug can replace our humanity and human connections.
MindFreedom Ireland (affiliated to www.MindFreedom.org) thanks FLAC for their advocacy and
assistance in making this submission. We thank the UN Secretariat and UN Committee for affording
us this opportunity to have our voice heard, something we find very difficult to do within our own
State Mechanisms.
MindFreedom Ireland urges the Committee to request the State Party to allow people in distress
the choice of alternative holistic therapies to the current Medical Model and step up to their
responsibilities to uphold Human Rights in accordance with International Covenants including
ICESCR. We request that all coercive practices including forced electroshock (‘ECT’) be abolished.
MindFreedom Ireland urges the Committee to request the State Party to provide funding for
alternative holistic therapies that reflects our humanity and allow individuals define what they
need to move on in their lives, free from fear, force, fraud and torture.
Email: marymaddock@hotmail.com
REFERENCES:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/
http://www.mindfreedomireland.com
Book: Soul Survivor 'A Personal Encounter with Psychiatry by Mary and Jim Maddock
Mary Maddock speaking on Irish Television 30th July 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcaVdkmlLU
MindFreedom Ireland Documentary (published June 7th 2014)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeHaYUd9rXA
Irish Television: TV3 ECT Debate Collette Ni Dhuinneacha Vs Dr. Anne Jeffers College of Psychiatry,
Ireland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqqbcBe0rTI
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/aaron-vallely/irish-psychiatry-and-consent_b_5653172.htm
www.breggin.com
http://www.ectresources.org/
http://www.madinamerica.com/2013/12/psychiatric-treatment-may-force-go/
http://www.psychotherapy.net/interview/thomas-szasz
http://cepuk.org/
CEP, Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry (has video of Mary Maddock speaking – Under
Recovery Stories www.cepuk.org/recovery-stories/
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mary-maddock/why-electroshock-should-be-abolished-dr-johnfriedberg/297981310273658
Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing
SUBMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND CHILDREN ON THE NEED FOR A SUBSTANTATIVE
REVIEW OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT 2001
http://www.iimhn.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mental-Health-Act-SubmissionFinal.pdf
Recovery Experts by Experience (REE) Submission to UN ICCPR Periodic Review 2014, direct link on
Blog Post by Eilionoir Flynn, NUIG on www.humanrights.ie
http://humanrights.ie/civil-liberties/civil-and-political-rights-in-mental-health-irelands-dialoguewith-the-human-rights-committee/
http://larsmartensson.com/should-neuroleptic-drugs-be-banned/
http://www.wnusp.net/index.php/newsletters/
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/contrib-wnusp.htm
http://www.wildestcolts.com/psych_opp.html
http://www.madinamerica.com/author/bizomadness/
Book: Anatomy of an Epidemic – Robert Whitaker (founder of Mad in America)
http://psychrights.org/
www.recoveryourmentalhealth.com
Dr. Terry Lynch is an Irish medical doctor, psychotherapist and author. Terry is a campaigner for
change in mental health, from the psychiatric/medical model to a ‘holistic understanding’
Books: Beyond Prozac: Healing Mental Distress
Selfhood: A Key to the Recovery of Emotional Wellbeing, Mental Health and the Prevention of
Mental Health Problems
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcaVdkmlLU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqqbcBe0rTI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31PhV2JeUwI
http://cepuk.org/recovery-stories/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcaVdkmlLU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqqbcBe0rTI