A court order mandating electroshock therapy (ECT) for a 54-year-old Minnesota man with schizophrenia has drawn public outcry. Ray Sandford has been receiving ECT since May against his will. Unable to get them stopped, he contacted MindFreedom International for help. Sanford, who is a guardian of Lutheran Social Services, complains of headaches and memory loss and his mother concurs. She told Minnesota Public Radio that after an initial improvement, she expected they would stop. He no longer recognizes family members.
Sandford's situation adds a new dimension to ongoing controversies about forced treatment. Most often they are mandated by the criminal justice system. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. And ECT is not the usual form. A hearing is underway in Minn. courts.
