Life After ECT – FAQ
What is Life After ECT Inc.?
Life After ECT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people harmed by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We do this through advocacy, education, and research.
Are you anti-ECT or trying to ban ECT?
No. We are not trying to ban ECT.
We know the desperation that can lead people and their families to consider this treatment—especially when nothing else seems to help.
Our focus is on supporting those who’ve been harmed, providing a safe space for their voices, and pushing for protections that are long overdue.
Even well-known supporters of ECT acknowledge that patients are being harmed because of poor training, inconsistent practices, and a lack of enforceable standards.
Dr. Max Fink, one of ECT’s most prominent advocates, said:
“I edited the Journal of ECT for the first 10 years. I read many submissions. And when you read them, you realize that people have… mistreated their patients. They don’t know it, but I know it from the way they write.”
He continued:
“Very few physicians are trained properly [in ECT]… some institutions offer one-day training programs.” He called these programs “spurious” and “unethical.”
— Shock: An Investigation into the Startling Comeback of Electroconvulsive Therapy, p. 27
Dr. Fink, a mandated reporter, has never reported these abuses to the FDA*. This highlights how little oversight exists—even when respected figures are aware of mistreatment.
*Based on our review of submissions to the MAUDE database. Further, the few submissions from doctors involve problems with the machine, not harm to their patients and patients often report doctors downplaying serious side effects and harm.
Why are the ECT stories on this site mostly negative?
This site focuses on a perspective that is often underrepresented: the experiences of people who have been harmed by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
While there are many stories online and in mainstream media that describe ECT in a positive light, reports of serious and lasting side effects are often dismissed or minimized.
Often, those who speak out about memory loss, cognitive problems, or trauma after ECT have faced skepticism, personal attacks and gaslighting.
We’re not here to discredit those who say ECT helped them. Our goal is to offer a safe space for people whose experiences have been overlooked or misunderstood.
Harmed stories matter just as much as postive ones—they’re just not always easy to find. This site was created to help change that.
More FAQs in progress