Achievement of Full Human Rights and Appropriate Support for People with Emotional Distress and Psychiatric Diagnoses

Mode of action, risks & damages of electroshock

Lehmann, Peter (2025 – in print): "Like fire and water: Mainstream psychiatry and World Health Organisation. New WHO guidance on mental health policy clarifies extreme positions of mainstream psychiatr&yquot;. In: Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 25, No. 3. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/fire-water.pdf

Lehmann, Peter (2022): "A concise guide to electroshock: Indications, mode of action, risks, alternatives". In: Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 36-45. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/lehmann-eshock.pdf

Lehmann, Peter (June 28, 2010): "The self, schizophrenia and neuroleptic iatrogenic injury in mental health and social care". Keynote PowerPoint presentation to the 13th International Conference of the International Network of Philosophy and Psychiatry: "Real People: The Self in Mental Health and Social Care". Macdonald Manchester Hotel, Manchester, United Kingdom. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/ppt/suicideregister-manchester2010-ppt.pdf
Lehmann, Peter (2010): "Medicalization and irresponsibility". In: Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 209-217. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/medicalization-jcpcp.pdf
Lehmann, Peter (2009): Review of the book "Doctors of deception – What they don't want you to know about shock treatment" by Linda Andre [2009]. In: Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 231-232. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/andre-review.pdf
Lehmann, Peter (May 9, 2009): "Towards the ban on electroshock". Unpublished paper. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/e-shock-ban.htm

Lehmann, Peter (1994): "The medical model, diagnostics and treatment methods" (pp. 28-30). In: European Network of Users and Ex-Users in Mental Health (eds.): "The second European conference of users and ex-users in mental health – The international people's college". Amsterdam: European Network of Users and Ex-Users in Mental Health. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/medical-modell.pdf
Lehmann, Peter (1988): "How to produce normality with electricity". In: Phoenix Rising – The Voice of the Psychiatrized, Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 36-37. Online resource https://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/articles/lehmann/pdf/ect-howto.pdf

Articles by further authors

Andre, Linda: Doctors of Deception: What They Don't Want You to Know About Shock (Book from 2009)
Breggin, Peter: Disturbing News for Patients and Shock Doctors. New findings of permanent brain damage and dysfunction caused by e-shocks. Article from the Huffington Post from April 1, 2007
Committee for Truth in Psychiatry: First victory in ECT lawsuit! Jury awards survivor US-$ 635.177 (May 2006)
ECTresources.org: Scientific papers with an index of subjects, such as brain damage, coma, EEG flat lining, abuse of women, and the like. Also with a color brochure to help stop ECT
ECT Justice! Have you suffered from Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)? Expose the Truth
Frank, Leonard Roy: The Electroshock Quotationary. Online publication from June 2006
Law Project for Psychiatric Rights: Collection of material about electroshock
McLaren, Niall: No Psychiatrist Needs to Use ECT. Article from June 27, 2017 by a psychiatrist who managed over 15,000 consecutive, unselected public patients in a wide variety of settings, without once using it.
Read, John / Bentall, Richard: The effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy: A literature review. Article from Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale (2010); Abstract: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21322506
Robertson, Harold / Pryor, Robin: Memory and cognitive effects of ECT: informing and assessing patients. Article from Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2006)
Roky Erickson Documentary, video on YouTube. See different US-American artists – all calling for a ban of electroshock
Rose, Diana / Wykes, Til / Leese, Morven / Bindman, Jonathan / Fleischmann, Pete: Patients' perspectives on electroconvulsive therapy: systematic review. Article from the British Medical Journal (2003)
Rufer, Marc: What about Electroshock? (pp. 394-396), in: Marc Rufer: Psychiatry – Its Diagnostic Methods, Its Therapies, Its Power (pp. 382-399), in: Peter Stastny & Peter Lehmann (Eds.), Alternatives beyond Psychiatry, 2007
Somatics LLC: Thymatron^® System IV. User Manual, UM-TS4, Rev. 22, Venice, FL: Somatics LLC 2024. Online resource https://www.thymatron.com/downloads/System_IV_Instruction_Manual_Rev22.pd
Sterling, Peter: ECT damage is easy to find if you look for it, in: Nature, Vol. 403 (2000), p. 242
Sterling, Peter: Testimony to the New York State Assembly about brain damage by electroconvulsive "therapy" (2001)
Weitz, Don: Electroshock Must Be Banned as Crime Against Humanity – Article from Street Spirit (August 2005)

Last updated on May 23, 2026