Every week, Ray, a 54-year-old man, is taken to a local clinic for electro-convulsive therapy. But Ray finds these treatments frightening and a direct cause of significant memory loss. He wants the treatments to stop, but he’ll need a court order for that to happen.
For most people, the right to refuse medical treatment isn’t a matter up for debate. But for people with mental illness, the same standards don’t always apply. We tend to assume that a person who is experiencing debilitating depression or hearing voices isn’t capable of making decisions about their medical treatment. In some cases, there may be legitimate arguments to make regarding a person’s competence, but it’s worth questioning whether stigma influences a judge’s decision to compel treatment. I don’t pretend to have a full understanding of the role mental illness plays in affecting one’s decision-making capabilities, but I do think it’s possible for a person to make a rational decision between coping with one’s symptoms and the dramatic side-effects of a treatment.
Thanks to Bridget for the tip.
