<p>
	In 2011, 25 out of 332 programmes of ECT were given to patients who were either unwilling or unable to give consent to the treatment.</p>
<p>
	A protest was held in Cork over the weekend against the current practise of electroshock therapy or ECT.</p>
<p>
	Speakers who had received electroshock spoke of the severe memory loss and cognitive dysfunction they experienced.</p>
<p>
	The protest also highlighted that ECT was used on &ldquo;twice as many women as men, the oldest a woman of 92&Prime;.</p>
<p>
	It was organised by MindFreedom Ireland, a Cork based psychiatric survivor organisation.</p>
<p>
	ECT is administered in 68 approved and registered centres across the country.</p>
<p>
	Figures from The Irish Mental Health Commission for 2012 stated that 2152 single treatments were given to a total of 244 people.</p>
<p>
	MindFreedom Ireland do not consider that ECT can be therapy, they say that &ldquo;it causes brain damage and therefore it should be abolished.</p>
<p>
	Doctors should not use brain damage as a &lsquo;treatment&rsquo;. It shows how deprived our &lsquo;mental health&rsquo; services are when electroshock is still offered to people in severe emotional distress.</p>
<p>
	Unwilling or Unable<br />
	Article 59b of the 2001 Mental Health Act allows ECT for a person &ldquo;unwilling or unable&rdquo; to consent, it&rsquo;s still in force today despite the Mental Health Commission wanting its removal.<br />
	The Commission reported that in 2011, 25 out of 332 programmes of ECT were given to patients who were either unwilling or unable to give consent to the treatment.</p>
<p>
	The Minister with responsibility for mental health Kathleen Lynch said the law will be changed so that unwilling patients will no longer be forced to receive ECT.</p>
<p>
	She told TheJournal.ie last year that &ldquo;I know for a fact that we are taking out &lsquo;unwilling&rsquo; from the ECT piece. That to me always did seem outrageous, so that is going to go.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
	The protest on Saturday was calling for a total ban on the procedure.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.thejournal.ie/protest-electroshock-therapy-1460418-May2014/">http://www.thejournal.ie/protest-electroshock-therapy-1460418-May2014/</a></p>
