Many Americans are not aware that some individuals are administered involuntary electroshock (also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) over their expressed wishes.

Most people sign voluntarily for their procedure (and this can still be a problem with flawed informed consent and not being offered alternatives).

However, this 'idea' is very simple: Ban federal funding for involuntary electroshock over the expressed wishes of the subject. Note I am not talking here about an individual who is mute or non-responsive (while of course they too should be free of intrusive controversial irreversible procedures).

No, this idea is very focused: When an individual says "no" to electroshock IT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN. This is the case today with psychosurgery, which is still done in places like Mass. General Hospital (go ahead and google it). Today, federal law bans all involuntary psychosurgery, which is the destruction of healthy brain tissue to change behavior. That's obvious, of course.

So why is it not obvious that we should ban electroshock? This is usually taxpayer money involved, our scarce dollars. In a land based on the core value of freedom, there are still American citizens who are being walked that long walk down the hallway to their involuntary electroshock, where they could potentially lose precious memories, for life.

In case someone thinks we are making this up, go ahead and google the words -- involuntary electroshock.

Or go straight to the "Ray Campaign." That's a campaign our nonprofit did for Ray Sandford of Minnesota, who was actually on court-ordered involuntary OUTPATIENT electroshock. That's right, with taxpayer money -- thousands of dollars -- he was woken up each Wednesday morning to be taken to a psychiatric institution for another involuntary electroshock, over his poignantly-expressed and clear objections.

MindFreedom, the nonprofit I direct, did a big campaign for Ray, and we won. But we found many other Americans are still experiencing this.

That such a horrendous abuse could occur in our nation, funded by taxpayers who would be outraged, is a sign of something deeper. While psychiatry has not yet found proof of its theorized 'chemical imbalance,' we see evidence of an astounding POWER IMBALANCE. And that the federal government is still funding something from the 1950's, so nightmarishly horrible as forced electroshock, says volumes.

The main lesson from something like forced electroshock is to watch out for minor reform in the mental health system. You see, those for minor reform in mental health will talk about 'empowerment,' 'self-determination,' 'advocacy,' 'peer support, 'recovery,' etc. Sounds good.

Then focus on the fact that RAY SANDFORD WAS WOKEN UP EACH MORNING, TO BE BROUGHT FROM HIS GROUP HOME TO ANOTHER INVOLUNTARY ELECTROSHOCK, PAID FOR BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Focus on that when you hear buzz words about minor reform.

Truly, the changes required in 'mental health' care today are so immense, so enormous, that we need allies in SAMHSA who will be willing to demonstrate what the last four words are in our national anthem: HOME OF THE BRAVE.

We need allies inside SAMHSA who are willing to go out on a limb, and stand by side with survivors of overwhelming traumatic abuse, at the hands of our own psychiatric institutions and procedures. This is not a case of a 'few bad apples.' Yes, I'm aware many people are satisfied with their care. This is about INSTITUTIONAL SILENCE. Only through massive silence by thousands in the mental health profession, could the taxpayers be tricked into funding something they would find so utterly reprehensible, as involuntary electroshock. Once American citizens find that forced electroshock still exists, and that they are funding it, and that we're talking about someone getting it over their EXPRESSED WISHES... Then you see Americans from both red and blue states express absolute outrage. And of course, they would, they're Americans, and we love freedom.

So ban involuntary electroshock now, and please be on the winning side of history in this case. Because freedom will win, even for those who are among the most marginalized in our country, like Ray Sandford.

Read about what it took to win Ray's freedom here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray