Peter R. Breggin

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)— in which pulsed electricity is sent through electrodes that have been placed on a patient’s head, inducing a brief seizure—is a dangerous treatment that results in significant brain damage, contends Peter R. Breggin in the following viewpoint. He maintains that ECT is harmful because human beings do not suffer convulsions unless sufficient damage is inflicted to their brains. According to Breggin, patients who undergo this treatment often endure lasting amnesia and mental dysfunction. Breggin is a psychiatrist and the author of many books, including Talking Back to Prozac and Toxic Psychiatry.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Breggin’s opinion, how is modern ECT more dangerous than the older forms?
2. What were Max Fink’s early views on ECT and cerebral trauma...