What Happens When You Talk About ECT?

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 25, 2011

Thanks for everyone who took the time to read my electroconvulsive therapy primer and the Badger’s personal experience of ECT. Most people were really respectful in their opinions and asked great questions. As per the usual, however, electroconvulsive therapy is a controversial, contentious and polarizing topic that brings out people’s abusive side pretty quickly.

The Goal of Sharing a Personal ECT Experience

My goal in having a personal ECT experience shared here is to provide the perspective that many people silently have – ECT works, it works quickly, and it works with few side effects. (That’s few, not none.) This is not to say this is everyone’s experience, because it certainly isn’t, but statistically speaking, most (more than half of) people have a positive response to ECT.

Myths, Realities and Journey Through ECT – by BiPolar Badger

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 22, 2011

This post was controversial even before posted; clearly underscoring how much people need to talk about ECT. The Bipolar Burble welcomes Steven Schwartz, the BiPolar Badger, and his experiences with electroconvulsive therapy.

Myths, Realities and Journey Through ECT – by the BiPolar Badger

I was 9-years-old in 1975 when One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest came out. I remember watching it on our floral, pleather sofa, late one night on TV. It scared the crap out of me; this was the first time in my life I saw E.C.T. (electroconvulsive therapy, previously electroshock therapy or shock therapy) and little could I imagine that one day I would find myself in McMurphy’s position.

After Third ECT Treatment – How Do I Feel? Less Depressed.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Works (ECT, shock therapy)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 20, 2011

Natasha Tracy and the Bipolar Burble welcome Steven Schwartz, the BiPolar Badger as a guest blogger later this week. Steven will be speaking from the point of view of someone who has chosen to get electroconvulsive therapy treatments and is in the middle of his current series of electroconvulsive therapy treatments.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Primer

In preparation for Steven’s piece, I’ve written this primer.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the second most controversial medical procedure. (Abortion is the first.) Certainly when I write about ECT it seems to prove the controversy of this topic. And it doesn’t matter what I say about ECT, even if it’s not pro or con, people insist on expressing very strong viewpoints on the use of ECT. And yes, I have had ECT.

And generally the strong viewpoints are anti-ECT. They are from the ECT-is-torture crowd. A prevalent crowd online, to be sure, but someone needs to actually talk about the facts of ECT.

Can’t Not Talk About Shock Therapy (Electroconvulsive Therapy, ECT)

Posted by Natasha Tracy | Mar 10, 2010

I hadn’t planned on discussing my electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) experience with many people. I found it terrible, scarring, not to mention futile and immensely embarrassing; those aren’t generally feelings I like to talk about. I still find the idea of shock therapy, well, shocking. Incomprehensible. Absolutely impossible.

Write About What You Know – I Know ECT

The problem with being a writer is that you write what you know, and you’re driven to write what plagues you most. At least I am. I can’t write about fluffy bunnies and sparkling rainbows, because these aren’t the things that occupy my conscious mind. But ECT. Ironically it erased pieces of my brain only to seemingly permanently occupy others. I’m acutely aware of its happening and yet find it completely unbelievable.