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Episode
The Most Dangerous “Therapy” in the World Still Used in America
~8 min
Episode Brief·YouTube

The Most Dangerous “Therapy” in the World Still Used in America

Eric Berg
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TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

4 items

TL;DR

The four things you'd lose by not watching

4 items
1

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still widely used in the US for depression and other mental illnesses, costing $2,000–$2,500 per session, covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and the VA, despite never being FDA approved or proven effective in double-blind placebo-controlled trials.

2

ECT delivers 150 volts through the brain for 8 seconds to induce a grand mal seizure, causing structural brain damage, neuronal death, permanent memory loss, personality changes, and increased suicide risk — side effects documented in at least 60 adverse events.

3

The FDA downgraded ECT from high-risk Class III to moderate-risk Class II in 2018 via a grandfathering loophole, and the UN considers forced ECT on minors a human rights abuse comparable to torture.

4

The speaker argues that depression should be addressed by root causes like vitamin D, B vitamins, omega-3 deficiencies, and poor diet, recommending a low-carb diet and intermittent fasting as natural, side-effect-free alternatives.

Protocols

Concrete recipes — what, when, how much, and why

2 items

Natural depression management protocol

WhatMonitor and correct vitamin D, B vitamin, and omega-3 fatty acid levels; adopt a low-carb diet; practice intermittent fasting.
WhenAs a first-line approach for depression or mental health issues, instead of or before considering ECT or medication.
DoseNot specified; implies ongoing lifestyle change and supplementation as needed based on testing.
For whomAnyone with depression or mental disorders, according to the speaker.
WhyThese nutritional and dietary factors address root causes of depression, are natural, and have no side effects compared to ECT.
CaveatsThe speaker does not provide specific dosages or warn about potential interactions; this is a general recommendation. He also notes that in cases of traumatic brain injury from ECT, these interventions may not reverse the damage.

The speaker presents this protocol as the logical, humane alternative to ECT. He is incredulous that the medical system does not routinely implement these measures before resorting to shock therapy. He emphasizes that these interventions are accessible, low-cost, and free of the devastating side effects of ECT. He ties this to his broader critique of a profit-driven system that ignores root causes. He mentions that he has created a separate video detailing this natural approach, indicating he has covered it in depth elsewhere.

Mechanism

The speaker implies that depression can be caused or exacerbated by deficiencies in vitamin D, B vitamins, and omega-3s, and by high-carbohydrate diets. Correcting these deficiencies and reducing carbohydrate intake (via low-carb diet and intermittent fasting) can improve brain function and mood. He does not elaborate on biological pathways.

Personal experience

The speaker implies he has used these approaches in his practice, but does not share a specific patient success story for depression. He does share that patients with ECT-induced brain injury did not respond to these methods, underscoring that prevention is key.

If someone has depression, they should be monitoring their vitamin D levels, their B vitamin levels, their omega-3 fatty acid levels. They should be looking at their diet to get them on a low carb diet. They should be doing intermittent fasting. All of these things greatly help depression.

Also said
“There's so many alternative things that someone can do for mental disorders that are more natural, that are a lot less barbaric.”— Frames the protocol as part of a broader set of natural alternatives.

Petition against ECT

WhatClick the link in the video description, fill out a form to petition your state representative to ban or restrict ECT.
WhenImmediately, if you agree with the speaker's stance.
DoseOne-time action per person, but collective effort needed.
For whomAny viewer who agrees ECT is barbaric and wants to take action.
WhyTo leverage public pressure to end a taxpayer-funded, unproven, and harmful therapy.
CaveatsEffectiveness depends on mass participation; no guarantee of policy change.

If you're like me and you agree with how barbaric this is and you want to do something about this, I have a link down in the description that you can do something about. You can fill it out and you can start to petition against this therapy to your state representative.

What's new

Personal practice updates, fresh positions, predictions

2 items

ECT is still a common, unproven, and brain-damaging treatment in America

Electroconvulsive therapy (shock therapy) is not a relic of the past; it is a multi-billion-dollar industry performed on children, pregnant women, and the elderly, despite never passing FDA approval or rigorous clinical trials.

Why this matters: Most people assume ECT was banned long ago, but it remains widely available and is reimbursed by government healthcare programs, with the FDA actually lowering its risk classification in 2018.

Background

ECT was introduced before modern FDA regulations and was grandfathered in without ever undergoing the standard drug/device approval process. In 2018, the FDA reclassified it from Class III (high risk) to Class II (moderate risk), making it easier to market and use.

The speaker details the economics: each session costs $2,000–$2,500, with an initial course of 12 sessions in a month and maintenance every 3 weeks, generating billions annually. He emphasizes that no double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has ever demonstrated efficacy. The treatment is administered to vulnerable populations including 8-year-old children, pregnant women, and women with PMS. The UN has condemned forced ECT on minors as torture, and China uses it as a method of torture. Despite this, in the US it is called therapy and is covered by taxpayer-funded programs. The speaker cites neurologist Dr. John Fineberg's 1977 paper stating ECT causes structural brain damage indistinguishable from head trauma. He shares his clinical experience: patients who underwent ECT came to him with loss of personality, humor, and creativity, and he was unable to help them recover because the damage was traumatic brain injury, not a nutritional or metabolic issue. He calls ECT 'traumatic brain injury' and argues that the root causes of depression—diet, nutrient deficiencies—are ignored by the system that profits from ECT.

Personal experience

When I was in practice, I had people come in that had this ECT therapy, so-called therapy. I mean, I actually called it traumatic brain injury. When I was in practice, when people would come in after having that, they had a lot of problems. They had a loss of their personality, a loss of their humor, loss of their creativity. They just weren't themselves. and they're coming to me, but I was never successful in helping them get some of that back because it wasn't a diet thing. It wasn't a nutritional deficiency thing. It was a traumatic brain injury thing.

It's never been scientifically proven to work. There's never ever been any double-blinded placebo control trials.

Also said
“It was never FDA approved. Never FDA approved. How did it get through? Well, it was grandfathered in with a loophole. And in 2018, the FDA downgraded it from a high-risk classification three to a moderate risk classification two.”— Explains the regulatory loophole that allows ECT to remain on the market.
“Neurologist Dr. John Fineberg wrote in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1977 that ECT caused structural brain damage indistinguishable from head trauma.”— Provides a historical medical authority confirming the brain damage claim.
“The UN actually calls this a human right abuse, comparing this forced treatment on minors to torture. This is also being used in China as torture. But of course, in America, we call it a therapy.”— Highlights the international condemnation and the irony of its acceptance in the US.

Natural alternatives to ECT for depression are ignored by mainstream psychiatry

The speaker asserts that depression should be treated by addressing nutritional deficiencies (vitamin D, B vitamins, omega-3) and adopting a low-carb diet with intermittent fasting, rather than using ECT.

Why this matters: He directly challenges the psychiatric standard of care, claiming that simple dietary and supplement interventions can greatly help depression without side effects, yet are not offered to patients.

Background

Mainstream depression treatment often relies on medication and, in severe cases, ECT. The speaker argues that root causes like poor diet and nutrient deficiencies are overlooked, and that these natural approaches are effective and safe.

The speaker contrasts the barbaric nature of ECT with what he sees as obvious, overlooked interventions. He guarantees that clinicians performing ECT will not check vitamin D, B vitamins, or omega-3 levels, nor recommend a low-carb diet or intermittent fasting. He states that all of these things 'greatly help depression.' He frames this as a question: 'What is the elephant in the room? Why aren't they looking at the root cause?' He implies that the financial incentive of the multi-billion-dollar ECT industry suppresses these simpler, cheaper solutions. He ends by offering a video he created on natural depression treatment as a resource.

If someone has depression, they should be monitoring their vitamin D levels, their B vitamin levels, their omega-3 fatty acid levels. They should be looking at their diet to get them on a low carb diet. They should be doing intermittent fasting. All of these things greatly help depression.

Also said
“I'll guarantee they're not going to look at your diet. They're not going to look at nutritional deficiencies.”— Reinforces the claim that standard care ignores root causes.

Recommendations

Products, supplements, and tools mentioned in the episode

1 item

Petition link to contact state representative

Service

The speaker provides a link in the video description for viewers to fill out a form and petition their state representative against ECT.

I have a link down in the description that you can do something about. You can fill it out and you can start to petition against this therapy to your state representative.

Find Petition
Disclosed sponsorships1speaker disclosed

Video on natural depression treatment

Service Sponsored · disclosed

The speaker offers this as a resource for viewers who want to learn how to address depression naturally without ECT or medication.

DisclosureThis is a video created by the speaker, Eric Berg.

At the end of the video, the speaker directs viewers to another video he made that covers natural approaches to mental health problems. He positions it as the solution to the problem he just exposed, providing a practical next step for those suffering from depression or mental issues. He does not describe the content of that video in detail here, only that it shows how to address these issues 'more naturally without the side effects.'

vs alternatives

Compared to ECT, this video offers information on side-effect-free, natural methods. It is an educational alternative to conventional psychiatric treatments.

Now, if any of you have any type of mental problems or depression or anything, I created a video on how to address that more naturally without the side effects in this video right here. Check it out.

Find Video

Notable quotes

Lines worth pulling out — contrarian, specific, or perfectly phrased

5 items
It's never been scientifically proven to work. There's never ever been any double-blinded placebo control trials.
Directly challenges the evidence base of a widely used medical treatment.
It was never FDA approved. Never FDA approved. How did it get through? Well, it was grandfathered in with a loophole.
Highlights a regulatory gap that allows an unapproved device to be used routinely.
The UN actually calls this a human right abuse, comparing this forced treatment on minors to torture. This is also being used in China as torture. But of course, in America, we call it a therapy.
Juxtaposes international condemnation with domestic normalization, emphasizing hypocrisy.
I actually called it traumatic brain injury. When I was in practice, when people would come in after having that, they had a lot of problems. They had a loss of their personality, a loss of their humor, loss of their creativity. They just weren't themselves.
Personal clinical observation that frames ECT as causing irreversible personality destruction.
If you don't care about your memories or your life or anything like that, oh yeah, go ahead, do it. You know, if you love pain, you know, you love headaches and all that, yeah, go do it. You know, if you want to remember your life, you want to remember your friends and all the good times, yeah, don't do it.
Sarcastic, emotionally charged warning that underscores the perceived trade-off of ECT.

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Topics covered

electroconvulsive-therapyect-side-effectsbrain-damagefda-loopholedepression-natural-treatmentvitamin-d-deficiencyb-vitaminsomega-3-fatty-acidslow-carb-dietintermittent-fastingmedical-ethicshuman-rights-abusepsychiatry-critiquetraumatic-brain-injurypatient-testimony
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Educational summary of the cited expert source — not medical advice. Open the source recording linked above and consult a qualified physician before acting on any protocol.