Garth Daniels - Shock At the Crossroads

"Whether a patient gets shock treatment depends less on the patient's mental condition than on the doctor's mental and moral condition." Peter R.Breggin, MD. The Anti-Depressant Fact Book, Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, Mass, 2001. P.167


In early 2013 Garth Daniels voluntary signed into a Melbourne clinic to participate in a group therapy program. This was not to be... within less than twenty four hours Garth found himself hand-cuffed by police and bundled off to St. Vincent's Psychiatric Ward in the public sector.


Garth Daniels recollection of events was that he had "flashbacks", approached nurses and asked them if their conscience was not affected by their prior treatment of him. In reply Garth Daniels recalls hearing the duress alarm....


Within a short space of time Garth Daniels says he was surrounded by police who demanded he kneel on the floor, place his hands behind his back...Garth Daniels states he was then bundled into a police van and transported to St.Vincent's Hospital Psychiatric ward.


At St.Vincents adjustments were made to his pharmaceutical drug prescriptions and within two weeks he was discharged. ... it was soon realized that the alteration of the drug prescriptions required further review and adjustment... and, that this required monitoring which could best be achieved in a hospital setting. A negotiated and agreed treatment protocol was embarked upon with the treating clinician at Dandenong Hospital, Southern Health.


Since that initial negotiation and an improved outcome for Garth Daniels... a rotation of clinicians led to Garth being treated by Dr.Neeraj Sareen.... who railroaded over this understanding and forced a management plan upon Garth Daniels which resulted in known adverse drug reaction...  Subsequently, culminating in Garth Daniels being accused of intentionally being violent towards staff and causing injury.


Despite a prior advanced directive in the form of Refusal of Treatment Certificates 'which included a definitive DO NOT CONSENT TO ECT (shock treatment)...reinforced verbally by Garth Daniels. It appears the Medical Program Director, A/Prof. David Barton, his Clinical Director Dr. Fernandez and their consultant/registrar Dr. Neeraj Sareen have placed shock treatment at the crossroads... they authorized that Garth Daniels be given numerous shock treatments... Electro-Convulsive Therapy to curb his violence????.


Garth Daniels appeared before the Mental Health Review Board, who in their wisdom again found that Garth Daniels did not meet the criteria for continued involuntary treatment and discharged Garth Daniels from Dandenong Hospital... in August 2013.


...shortly after Garth Daniels discharge from Dandenong Hospital in August 2013... a policeman delivered Garth Daniels a Summons and Charge for assault to appear in the Dandenong Magistrates Court on 30 January 2014.