Oh, Therese! Now talking about ECT…I was sooo afraid of getting it during my first hospitalization at 20 in 1968, when it was still considered the major treatment for ANY mental disorder. Though it never came to that, the fear remained.
I can remember talking to patients as they came out of the shock therapy, trying to help them remember small, silly stuff, like “Where is the Washington Monument?” when that was WHERE the psychiatric ward WAS. To tell the truth – it WAS painful to see them jerk themselves out of a hazy memory…
To this day, when anyone mentions shock therapy, I shudder, thinking of how close I came to receiving it. Although I know (I THINK I know) my parents would NOT have OKd such an abomination, the very thought of it still fills me with dread.
“Power to the People” to make educated choices in health care!!
God bless you, 4ever!
SuzanneWA

When my doctor mentioned the possibility of ECT, I stopped dead in my tracks so to speak. What does that mean? I’m really a crazy person to need such a thing. My husband and I discuss the cons of memory loss and wonder just what I would forget and if I would be able to work. It’s such a scary thing. What do you tell people? What would people think? My children? In the mean time I try my 10th or 12th drug I’m not sure which and what combination this makes it. I should log it or something but for so long i was mistreated by my family doctor before finding my wonderful psych. But what else is there to say. I’m hanging on and am glad I can even while I’m glad ECT has helped others.
Anyone have an experience with ECT?

It occurs to me moments later that I shouldn’t label myself “crazy” but instead sick and I shouldn’t care what other people think(but I do). anyone else going thru this? Thanks.

All I can say is then when I was depressed, my father-in-law who a psychiatrist, and was at the time at the head of a psychiatric hospital recommended that I have ECT when I was suicidal. He said that he had very impressive results with it. I don’t believe that he would have recommended that his son’s wife have anything that he didn’t think was the best possible treatment.
I didn’t have it in the end … and I hope I never will have to – but I believe that I would risk it (and the associated memory loss) if I was in so much pain that suicide was the other alternative I was considering.

Hi, I found you through a few links from other blogs and wanted to put in my two cents. My mother’s depression would not respond to anything. It kept getting worse, and we were prepared for her to spend the rest of her life in a hospital ward. She started getting ECT treatments about 5 years ago and I’m convinced it saved her life. She’s not “all better” – far from it – but it has made a huge difference. Yes, the trade off of memory loss is tough, but at least she’s here. And actually, they’re starting to ween her off the ECT now. We’ll see what happens.
I look forward to reading more from you. Thanks.

My uncle (who suffers from various mental illnesses) fell into a catatonic state a year ago. He underwent ECT to bring him out of it. He doesn’t recall the period right before the catatonia, and not the catatonia itself. I don’t know if he’s suffered any other memory loss though.
It was so frightening when he was catatonic and we’re all so glad the ECT worked.

I’ve been considering the ECT myself lately after being prescribed almost every antidepressent that’s been on the market.

Hi
I’m booked in for my first acute course of ECT next week. Any encouragement? I am very concerned about memory loss and how that will affect my relationship with my young children.
Jane