In Their Own Words: ECT Survivor, Advocates Speak Out Against Continued Forced Electroshocks

Every two or three weeks on a Wednesday morning, Raymond Sandford of Columbia Heights is woken up early in his group home. He is involuntarily escorted 15 miles north to Mercy Hospital, where he receives another round of forced, court-ordered electroshocks to the brain.  Though Sandford, 54, is not charged with any crime, he has received over 40 such rounds of shocks on an outpatient basis so far--even after his original mental problems have long since subsided and he has repeatedly asked for the shocks to stop.

Over the objections of Sandford, his mother and friends, his legal conservator at Lutheran Social Service of MN (LSSMN) has gone to court and succeeded in mandating a continuation of the procedure.  Last year, Sandford went to a public library trying to find a human rights organization that could help, and found the Eugene, Oregon based MindFreedom International, which has helped him wage a campaign to stop the shocks and draw attention to widespread injustices in the mental health system.  From May 1 to 3, MindFreedom will organize peaceful protests, news conferences and other actions in Minneapolis/St. Paul as the next step in the campaign.

In this five-minute video produced by Twin Cities Indymedia, Ray Sandford, his mother Marilyn, and friend Daryl  speak about the issues in their own words.  Below, read excerpts of the FAQ from the campaign.

More info: MindFreedom Campaign for Ray | Related resources: MN Disability Law Center (started ECT work group) | The Icarus Project (radical mental health group meets weekly in MPLS)
 

WHAT IS STATUS OF RAY SANDFORD'S CAMPAIGN?

Ray received another involuntary outpatient maintenance electroshock Wednesday, 4 March 2009. This is approximately his 40th.

On 9 March 2009 Ray met with his psychiatrist, who has changed his frequency of electroshock to every 3 weeks, so his next two scheduled electroshocks are 25 March and 15 April.

MindFreedom is planning peaceful protests for Ray in the first few days of May.

WHAT'S RAY'S STORY IN BRIEF?

On most Wednesdays mornings for the past few months, Ray is woken up early in his room in his group facility called Victory House in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, adjacent to Minnesota. Under court order, he is administered involuntary electroshock.

He is escorted the 15 miles to Mercy Hospital. There he is put under anesthesia, electrodes are placed on his head, and he receives Electroconvulsive Therapy or ECT, also known as electroshock.

Like all other USA states, Minnesota has loopholes allowing citizens to receive electroshock over their expressed wishes.

Ray says the weekly forced electroshock is "scary as hell." He absolutely opposes having the procedure. He says it's causing poor memory for names such as of friends and his favorite niece.

"What am I supposed to do, run away?" Ray asks.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM'S REASON FOR FORCIBLY SHOCKING RAY?

It's hard to tell.

Ray has been in and out of the mental health system  for more than 30 years, with a diagnosis of "bipolar." Ray admits he has had severe and overwhelming mental and emotional problems.

But he says the shock is making him worse, and causing him great pain and suffering.

One main reason Ray is electroshocked is because of the current mental health system tends not to offer many alternatives to the old-fashioned "medical model" of drugs and shock, even though many alternatives have been proven to work, including peer support, counseling, supported housing, jobs programs, nutrition, exercise, community independent living centers, etc.

According to his mother, the mental health system mainly tried psychiatric drugs on Ray, and when those didn't work they turned to electroshock. Apparently, other alternatives have not been offered to Ray and his family beyond psychiatric drugs and shock. 

He is not being forcibly shocked for any criminal justice reasons. According to more than one authority, Ray has no serious criminal convictions, at least for the past number of years.

But a question back to those asking this: Do you conceive of a circumstance where it is okay to forcibly electroshock someone over their expressed wishes?

MindFreedom's position on extremely intrusive and potentially irreversible procedures is that "No always means no," whatever the circumstance.

The bottom line is, there is no good reason to forcibly electroshock anyone, at any time. It is inherently intrusive, traumatic and brain damaging. Despite his experiences, Ray remains crystal clear that he does not want his forced electroshock, and he wants to tell the world. Especially, forcibly shocking someone out in the community makes everyone even in their own homes unsafe.

WHO PROFITS FROM RAY'S FORCED ELECTROSHOCK?

Ray is surrounded by an astounding number of agencies, organizations and individuals who are in some way receiving taxpayer funding.

One of the main entities to profit from Ray's forced electroshock is the enormous medical company Allina.

Allina has been targeted for investigations because of corruption by the government. For an article by MindFreedom's Gloria Gervais about Allina corruption, click here.

WHAT IS THE POSITION OF STATE OF MINNESOTA ON THIS?

Where does Minnesota Governor Timothy Pawlenty -- who has spoken out for "limited government" -- stand on involuntary electroshock? Unfortunately, the Governor's office simply tells people that the law is being followed, that a court has ordered Ray's forced shock, and they can do nothing.

But what about securing better legal representation for Ray? Why wasn't Ray's forced electroshock appealed? 

And what is the Governor's policy position on the whole subject of involuntary outpatient electroshock? The Governor calls for changing laws all the time, why not about involuntary outpatient electroshock?

In any case, why are many phone calls to the Governor's office from what they say are "hundreds of people" mainly routed into a voice mail -- and never answered? Why do some receptionists in the Governor's office hang up on some callers asking about Ray?

Taxpayers are paying for Ray's electroshocks, including the more than a dozen personnel -- such as conservator, guardian, judge, psychiatrist, court-appointed attorney, anethesiologist, attendants and more -- who surround Ray. Other proven alternatives beyond psychiatric drugs and electroshock tend not to get as much funding.

The national media speculates that Governor Pawlenty may have higher political aspirations. He has campaigned for a "get government off our backs" philosophy. He has been Governor since 2002.

So shouldn't he at least answer some simple questions about one of the worst case scenarios in mental health? If you politely insist and persist, you can now reach a staff person who will discuss involuntary electroshock, but who argues that Governor Pawlenty can do nothing. That's not true. He can at least speak out about the need to change the law.

Even the Governor's Director of Communciations, Brian McClung (phone: (651) 296-0001) refuses to comment on the controversial subject.

WHAT IS INVOLUNTARY OUTPATIENT MAINTENANCE ELECTROSHOCK?

From the Back Ward to Your Front Porch!

Involuntary outpatient electroshock (IOE) is part of a trend to bring the power of forced psychiatric procedures out into the community.

Your home is no longer your castle... it can become your ward. For example, most USA states have quietly passed laws allowing individuals living at home to be court ordered to take powerful psychiatric drugs against their will. It was only a matter of time until such outpatient coercion included electroshock.

Electroshock itself has made a comeback throughout the USA, and internationally, without adequate human rights protection.

Ray is receiving so-called "maintenance" ongoing weekly electroshock over his expressed wishes while living at home. Falsely believing "new improved" electroshock is safe, the mental health system is at times administering more than 100 "maintenance" electroshocks to a single individual over months and years.

This could happen to Ray. Even his mother, who is a retired nurse who used to administer involuntary electroshocks back in the 1950's, is concerned by the sheer number of forced shocks he has received.

This could happen to anyone.

This could happen to you or a loved one.

The mental health system today has a lot of "buzz words" like empowerment, self-determination, advocacy, recovery, peer support, transformation, consumer-run, trauma-informed care.

How real are buzz words, when Ray Sandford gets forced outpatient electroshock each week?

For plenty of more information on electroshock itself, click here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/search?SearchableText=electroshock

HAVE THE MEDIA COVERED THIS?

Once the public hears about involuntary electroshock they tend to be outraged. But if the public never hears about it, how will they ever know?

The main media coverage so far has been National Public Radio, which ran Ray's story nationally to an estimated 2 million listeners.

Here is a list of stories, including the 15 December 2008 NPR story.

• 17 December 2008 - Digital Journal covers Ray's story.
• 16 December 2008 - WCCO -- a local Minnesota television station -- reported on Ray's court hearing to end his forced electroshock.
• 15 December 2008 - National Public Radio's Day to Day -- which reaches an estimated two million listeners on 200 stations -- covered the Ray campaign in a nine-minute piece, to hear it on NPR's web site archive. You'll also find a link to transcript and slide show.
  
• 18 November 2008 -- Zenith City Weekly -- a small newspaper from Duluth -- that printed an article about Ray's forced electroshock, quoting MindFreedom's director David Oaks, click here to read it.

Read more FAQs:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/shield/ray/sandford-faq

(Note: LSSMN has had their attorney, George Borer, issue a letter trying to stop the video from going public.  All individuals appearing in the film have given consent verbally and in writing; see the Indymedia Network Principles of Unity.)

http://www.mindfreedom.org/shield/ray/sandford-faq

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 http://www.intenex.net/lists/listinfo/mindfreedom-news