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.
It’s one day after my third of six ECT treatments; so how do I feel? Well to be honest very good, my mood is improved. I am not longer in the depth of a major depression which was growing quickly and was headed to a place that was not so manageable.[push]Sure, all my depression has not lifted, but I am in a place that would have taken months on medication only.[/push]
This is the beautiful thing about my experiences with ECT. A week ago I was hopeless and thinking about hospitalization again to protect myself. Five days and three treatments later I am in a good space.
Electroconvulsive Therapy and Side Effects
In my case there have been no side effects of memory loss or confusion. My muscles do not hurt, but my neck is a little stiff, which could be my resistance to the muscle relaxants or just my pillow. What I do know is that once again ECT has saved my life from my illness.
I’ve Had Electroconvulsive Therapy Three Times
Since 2009 I have now had three courses of ECT. My first was 9 treatments and I was well for a year. In the summer of 2010 I had a shorter course of 6 treatments and again and I was quickly back to a happier and more stable mood. This course will end next week, and if my current experiences hold it will bring me to a healthier place, a life where I can function and be stable.
Memory of My First ECT Treatment
In the morning I was dressed in an assless hospital gown and wheeled to the recovery room of the surgical suites. I laid down on a gurney a nurse put on some heart monitors, blood pressure, pulse, O2 and an I.V. in my arm. So far this was different than my image from the film, but I was still scared. Then my psychiatrists arrived and in his usual, kind way talked me through everything, showed me the equipment and explained how this would work. Then the anesthesiologist arrived and explained to me how he would be giving me three medications: two to put me to sleep and one to paralyze my muscles so they would not react to the seizures. They pulled curtain and put some gel on my head. (I was getting unilateral ECT, which means one electrode on top of my head, and the other on my temple. This type has fewer cognitive side effects.) They then pushed the drugs, and for five seconds before I was out cold, I was very, very happy.
Soon I woke up, it seemed like hours but was only 5 to 10 minutes and I felt groggy from the meds but OK. After an hour in recovery to make sure I was OK, I returned to the ward.
The Day of My First ECT Treatment, I Felt Less Depressed
Later that day, I noticed my mood had lifted a bit; I was a little less depressed and not sore or a vegetable. Maybe there was something to this ECT, which held such a social stigma. I finished my course of 9 treatments and after each one, my depression lifted even more. I left the Burnaby Psychiatric Ward missing the dark companion who was always with me for over a half a year.
ECT Stigma Prevents Positive ECT Stories from Being Told
There is still a huge stigma around ECT, fueled by media, stories (which are now a kind of urban legend) and lots of anti-ECT writing on the internet. Not everyone has had a great experience with this treatment and they tend to be very vocal, while the stigma of ECT keeps people like me who have had good ECT outcomes quiet; why talk about it?
ECT is a Personal Choice and Needs to Remain a Choice
ECT is a personal choice, which all mental healthcare should be, and not to be taken lightly, but also the same is true of medication. I was made part of my own treatment and was given options openly and frankly. ECT can be a good option and for many it can change life for the better. It is not torture or cruel. It is treated like any medical procedure in a safe controlled environment.
By taking options off our own treatment plate based on fear or stigma we are doing ourselves, as people living with mental illnesses, a disservice. We have the right to access all options and work to be well.
I have just had treatment 7 in a course of 12, whilst an inpatient on a psych ward. My first few treatments resulted in me waking up with a blinding headache and in floods of tears, thought he headache cleared with indocid & paracetamol. My mood has shown steady improvement from a state of near catatonic depression to functional and dare I say– there are moments of “light” in my mood which become more frequent after each treatment.
Disorientation and memory loss are the worst side effects for me so far– I am having to keep a little diary so I can read about where I am & how I came to be here, what the day & date are, who I have told about my illness and treatment etc. I am not sure how I will go returning to work- i have trouble remembering things on the ward like where do I go to get a coffee around here?!
Overall, I think it is definitely worth it for me so far- I’ve tried plenty of medications and lots of therapy but this time I don’t think I would have dug myself out of the hole those ways.
It’s interesting that ECT will be given and that Stem Cell treatment will not (to one’s brain, that is) because of brain aneurysm corrective surgery.
Thank you Steven Schwartz for sharing your personal experience….very interesting. “One Flew Over the Cukoo’s nest horrified the nation, I’m sure, as it did me, too.
@AB thanks for the response.My pdoc is a research guy and this procedure is one of his ‘special projects’.Also this is Yale so I am pretty sure money wouldn’t be an issue. Just coming off some horrendous rapid cycling with a chaser of a week long mixed state these would be things to discuss.As with all these processes I am always fearful of the effects on parts of my brain that make me an artist.I have been on meds that have a neg effect but you can just not take those.I appreciate your sharing.
I’ve been receiving monthly ECT maintenance treatments for about a year now. I do have to say it has made good and not so good changes in my life. Before treatment, I had a successful career with a major bank but my mood was very unstable and out of control. I ended up in the hospital a couple times, meds didnt seem to work, so I agreed to ECT. Since then, my mood has improved (with Continued ECT) every 3-4 weeks, but I’m now unable to work in the field I was in for 20 years. I was approved for SSDI and I am now a stay at home dad. I do have bouts of confusion and memory loss, but it’s well worth not being inpatient at the psych ward again. So I would say, in my case anyway, meds/ECT/therapy have helped me and my family.
I could only handle one round of ECT. I will start by saying that the one treatment worked, too well! They overshot there mark and I became hypomanic? The bad part was waking up feeling like an axe was trying to split my head open, the constant leaking of tears, and thinking I was 5 years old. I continuously asked when my mommy was coming to get me, and the nurses kept saying soon. What they did not know was she had passed away a few ypyears prior. It took most of the day for me to relive her death and realize she wasn’t coming. That was the absolute worse thing to go through. For that reason alone I can’t do it again. They can’t guarantee I won’t wake up like that again. The brain is a mysterious thing with still so many unknowns. So mostly I suffer. Being med resistant and having cognitive issues from the beginning. My Dr. knew it would be a challenge for me but we have to try.
I wrote this post and still since my first ECT I continue to get yearly tune up unilateral ECT. I am no longer on any meds and have not had a manic or lasting major depressive episode since. While not everyone has this success the reality is not everyone has success with medications either. ECT is just another tool in the box to treat depression and Bipolar, not a cure all. I have also come out as having Borderline Personality Disorder. I went through a year of intensive DBT (Dialective Behavioural Therapy) and am now in remission. I am happy the say the healthiest mental health wise I have ever been. Now am I “Normal” (I hate that word but using it anyway)? No, far from it, but I am miles healthier than I have ever been.
I have even managed to stay mentally health while dealing with cancer and chemo this past winter and the crohn’s flair and bowel surgery the chemo caused this summer without entering hospital for my mental health. Three years ago as Natasha would probably concur with I would have been a total train wreck.
So yes it worked for me and again I will state it may not be for everyone or work for everyone. But the demonization of a treatment which can save lives has to stop. That is why I wrote this to begin with.
I am wondering if there is something you have posted similar to this about rTMS?
Hi Delight,
Sorry, I don’t have that and I don’t have any personal experience with that either.
– Natasha Tracy
Hey @delight. I underwent a treatment of rTMS and thought I’d share…
first hurdle: insurance. My insurance didn’t cover it and it is pricey. So under open enrollment (not sure if you can still do this) I purchased a separate individual health plan that covered TMS. Still pricey, but it saved me thousands.
My experience: TMS is an amazing treatment for depression. It is a little trickier for bipolar disorder. I have BPII and experience primarily crippling depressions. THe TMS lifted that. It’s painless. It’s easy. It’s almost magical. However, after a few treatments I started to cycle. I had two full-blown manic sessions induced by the TMS. After we controlled those and reduced the treatment, I still found myself in a constant, agitated, mixed state. We were able to control this with meds, but I couldn’t tolerate the meds (that’s my own thing, I’m super sensitive.)
Most places will do an eval for free so I think it’s worth giving it a try. Good luck.
This is the uk independent evaluation of tms. In summary, fewer side effects, but much less effective than ect. It’s place in treatment is currently uncertain. http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg477
I had my first ECT treatment this morning and it was pure hell for me! The minute i woke in recovery my head felt as if it had been it by a live grenade. It was burning and had such a deep, non-relenting throb that i truly thought part of my head had been blown away. I began to scream from the pain as tears ran down my face. My hands mashed in tight on my temples and sides. One of the nurses came over and explained how i had been told that some patients might wake up with a little headache. This was not little! They finally injected be with Torridol, a medicine for migraines, and repeated 15-20 minutes later to no avail. They r trying to talk calmly about being there for my scheduled appointments next Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was screaming at them that there would ever be another treatment. I felt like my last chance for any kind of life was slipping away with the treatments. Now i lay here 11 hours later and wonder if anyone else experienced the kind of headaches like mine, and if they found any way to keep them under control during treatment? I must make a decision about my next treatment tmrw and at this point, i know i cannot let the doctor inflict that pain on me purposely. Your thoughts?
I’m so glad I found your blog and both of you! I’m trained and worked over 10 years as a therapist (I absolutely loved my job) but had a lot of difficulty keeping a job due to MDD and GAD. I, too receive ECT and have faced feeling ashamed, attacked by friends with negativity but I know that more than once it has saved my life – without a doubt. I have treatment-resistant depression and tried over 30 different antidepressants! I’m now on SSDI (I miss work so much) and have had some pretty terrible experiences when I’ve disclosed to people on dates all of the above. One man, when he told me that he was no longer interested in dating me, said “I’m just not sure what you bring to the relationship.” I’m starting an ECT support group at the hospital where I receive ECT and I’m active in NAMI where I live. I would love to hear from both/either of you – if you were single and dating, how and when would you disclose? What “should” I disclose?
I’m five sessions into a course of ECT, and so far, so good. I am having some memory problems and headaches, but that’s nothing compared to the mental pain I was experiencing. I think that my mood is slightly better, and I probably have at least 3 or 4 more treatments left. I honestly wish this had been the course I had chosen years ago.I no longer want to die…the depression isn’t gone yet, but ‘m ok with being alive.
Maybe it was just me. I had this ECT thing for 3 months with no good effects. I lost my memory and is not returning. its been more than 2 years. During the treatment I was in a lot of pain especially in my head. I was given some ibuprophen but they never help. I was once in so much pain I yelled something at a nurse. Another nurse said I was suffering and should stop this. I said this is helping I need help. Then on a thursday before my treatment was done I was totally afraid to do it. The nurse said “stand up, be a man” something like that. They wheeled me in, and I stood up and said “no more, i’ve had enough.” So two years of hoping to get memory back I am still unable to and I chose not to try to remember. Physical pain and memory loss and still suicidally depressed made me stop. I think the only positive thing is I made a good friend. They did it wrong or perhaps its like “we’re gonna shock you until you lighten up.”
Glad I found your website as I too have had ect treatments for a severe depression that didn’t seem to be responding to a regiment of different medication cocktails. I had a total of 6 treatments 1 bilateral and the rest unilateral in latter July and early August of this year. I feel my depression may have lifted somewhat but my anxiety level is through the roof as I get very nervous and shaky for no real reasons at all. I also wonder if ect can change a personality because I sure don’t feel like my old self at all. I used to be very confident and outgoing whereas now I feel very quiet and lack all levels of confidence.I still am on a barrage of meds such as Cymbalta,cytomelremeron,and sonata for sleep. I just want to get the old me to reemerge but I don’t know where to find him. This has put a great strain on my marriage as well and I don’t know if my wife can tolerate that much more of me or not. I wish I could cry but I,m not able to muster anything of an emotion and feel very scared and bland all of the time. I have had to sell my business as I could no longer function in a capacity to run it successfully and now I am supposed to be looking for a job but I lack the motovation and confidence to get very far with this process either. That alone adds great stress to my wife as she thinks I can just pull myself out of this hell I’ve been existing in. I wish it were all that simple but in retrospect I don’t know if I would do ect if I had thought it could change my personality. I suffered little of the more common memory loss problems stated here but my concentration is very scattered still at this time. Don’t know if that has to do with the depression or the ect.Thanks for reading this and hope to be able to lend a little insight to anyone else contemplating the use of ect.
It was because my meds stopped working that ECT treatment was suggested. I am now on meds and haven’t required any further ECT treatments.
I became drug resistant and extremely suicidal. ECT was offered as last course of action. I signed the release in a fog.
Underwent weeks and weeks of sessions, cannot even recall how many in total.
I had awful headaches after each treatment and have suffered some memory loss. For a good six months I struggled with directions. Had a hard time finding my way around the city I have lived in my whole life. Was so frustrating getting list all the time. That’s resolved itself, but some of the things I did while really I’ll are lost. They are stories friends and family members tell me that don’t even nudge my memory. That’s a bit scary!
I do believe it saved my life and am now on a combo of meds that keep me level.
I don’t know if I would go through it again, I just can’t say for sure. It’s been so long since I was in such dire straights that I like to believe I will never fall off such a high cliff again…but who knows really.
I did agree to it once at a point in my life when all I wanted was my life to end. So perhaps I would sign that release again. Somewhere in my fucked up head, I did want to live. The human spirit astounds me!
Hi Lisa,
Your story in terms of meds not working is pretty common. That is usually when ECT is tried and, like you, what then happens is that meds are found that _do_ work and then no more ECT is used. I might suggest that what happens is that the depression lifts enough to give medications a chance to work. That seems to be what occurs.
And I completely agree that we all like to think we wouldn’t fall off a cliff that high or that far, but sometimes we do fall like that, and this is an option. But no one says you have to ponder that when you’re well :)
And as for wanting to die – it is my belief that no one does. People simply want to end the pain and they see suicide as the only way of doing that. So when you signed that release form you were saying exactly what I think all people say – END THIS PAIN. And we all want to do it without dying. Unfortunately, not all of us do.
– Natasha Tracy
This is an option my Dr and I have discussed if I get depressed again. I am almost unipolar manic. I only have depression when I have been way to manic for way to long, and my body and mind just shut down. The problem is every antidepressant I have tried, no matter how much they up my mood stabilizers, makes me manic. Which makes my cycle faster and faster out of control. I’m tryting to think of what I want to do now, because when I get that bad decisions are generally made by my Dr and husband, not me.
Hi Monica,
You’re very wise to be looking at the decision when you’re well, because yes, when things get bad, we often can’t make decisions (or good decisions) for ourselves. Definitely make sure all your questions are answered and you get all the information you need to make your decision now.
– Natasha Tracy
In 2006, I had what may be classified as “Emergent ECT”; I was in a Neurogenic blackout for several weeks, before and InHospital, not conscious of the aggressive havoc I was wreaking on the ward. This was not a case of “informed consent”. It was the last option to bring me back. And it worked. I “came to” one morning when an MH worker was helping me shower. I was entirely accepting of the schedule of treatments, as my mind had been reunited with my consciousness and I was no long hyper-violent. Discharge planning was initiated, with my full participation.
Over the next several months, I was deeply depressed, and continued a “maintenance schedule” at my own Medical Center. a few weeks I was in-patient for series of three. I’m sure they helped. But complications developed. At least twice, I woke up on the table; Anesthesia was prepared with more sedation. I felt very safe, and wanted success. Yet what my last treatment was entirely frightening: I woke up to see my nurse quite upset who said: “Thom, you turned purple on us?” Evidently, I had a breakthrough grand mal, and they really pumped the Succhinicholine, then couldn’t breathe for me, or even insert the airway.
Hi Thomas,
Well, I’m both happy and sorry for your experience. Obviously you had some positive and negative experiences with ECT. I’m not a doctor, of course, but from what I understand, airway support is actually required on every procedure so I’m not sure where the trouble was for you (that’s required due to the anaesthetic, I believe). And as for a prolonged seizure, that is a complication, certainly, I’m sorry it’s one you experienced. It’s actually quite rare.
If you feel like answering, would you do it again if you felt you didn’t have another option?
– Natasha Tracy
Wow i had a lucky escape then.I was told that ECT is a permanent solution and a one off.I would have suffered brain damage for a year at most of relief.I am not bi-polar but it was the first and only option offered for my treatment.No therapy no pills just ECT.
ECT has a deservingly bad name because of what it was used for in the past and from the information given it shouldn’t even be a treatment option.Well maybe an option but only for Bi-Polar people and the risk ratio highligted.Brain damage either significant or minor(and the difference between ECT and Alcohol is?) and an increased inability to cope with life and a year relief.
Hi Patrick,
To be clear, no scientist has ever said that ECT causes brain damage and in an official major study of 60 years of research the FDA restated this fact.
That being said, I’m not sure why that would be offered as a front-line treatment as, to the best of my knowledge, that is virtually never the case. But for many people it is a one-off. Often people are able to get control of their condition through ECT and then can hold onto the benefits through medication therapy.
It’s the case that ECT is extremely effective for people with depression with an over 80% success rate. There is a similar success rate in bipolar depression.
– Natasha Tracy
Hello,
I have been dealing with depression for decades, have hit the wall on the psycho-pharmacutical, and have decided to do ECT. I have been told that I will be unable to drive for 6 weeks. I teach yoga and sell real estate. I have some questions. I realize it’s all individual, but any insight would be helpful.
1. How functional will I be? Is someone going to have to take care of me, or will I still be able to cook dinner? When I begin teaching yoga classes again, will there be any difference?
2. Will I be able to read? Will I forget all my computer codes? My cats names?
3. I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano (don’t laugh). Since I will be at home for 4-6 weeks, will I be able to do something like that or will I be in bed mostly.
4. What about not driving?
5. Will I lose my sense of humor?
6. I can be a bit caustic, which some find endearing. Am I going to be “nice” from now on?
7. Will I switch from being a radical gay Democrat to a evangelical Republican?
8. Should I get off all my meds before treatment? I also take Botox for migraine. Opinion?
9. 4 weeks 3X/week. How confused will I be- does it become less intense over time or more. Will I be functional at the end of 4 weeks or need another 2weeks? I’ve heard both.
10. I have option to do in hospital. Should I stay there for the first week?
Thanks for the information
Hi Michael,
Those are some good questions. I’ll do my best to answer them, but as you said, it’s all individual.
1. In my opinion it’s best to have as much support as possible during this time. I would say yes, you _could_ cook dinner, but you might not want to. It’s really not necessary that someone watch you you every moment or anything like that, but you probably would appreciate help. As for your yoga, I can’t say for sure as it depends on when you go back but your muscles might be sore and you might tire a bit easier, but that’s pretty individual.
2. Yes, you can read but you might not remember what you read later on. I don’t think you will forget your cat’s names. As for your computer codes (I assume you mean passwords) I doubt you’ll forget them but you might be confused sometimes so it can’t hurt to write them down,
3. You might sleep a lot or you might not. Sometimes people find they can even work during ECT, so that’s pretty individual. I would say it could be hard to pick up new skills during that time though.
4. I wouldn’t recommend driving because of the amount of anesthetic (every other day) you’ll be on plus you might get confused sometimes which isn’t great in a car.
5 and 6. No, you will not lose your sense of humor :) ECT doesn’t change your personality (so you’ll stay caustic and you’ll stay you), and it’s a good think because you could use that during treatment :)
7. I highly doubt that. That would be a side effect I couldn’t live with ;)
8. You need to talk to your doctor about these. Most meds can be continued during ECT as normal but a few need to be discontinued or stopped temporarily.
9. In my opinion the physical effects (like muscle soreness) get better over time but the cognitive side effects (like confusion) get worse over time. I doubt you’ll need 2 weeks to recover after treatment ends, but it depends on what you’ll be doing and how you feel. If what you plan on doing is highly cognitively intensive, then you might need the time.
10. If you have support at home, ECT is quite doable outpatient. If you’re all on your own and trying to handle it, you might consider the hospital until you find out how you react.
I hope that helps.
– Natasha Tracy
Dear Michael,
I’d like add some thoughts to many of the valuable points offered by Natasha although not in sequence to any of your questions.
From my vantage point as a very long-time support person:
1- There are no guarantees of efficacy from ECT treatment option just as there are no guarantees as you may already know from any number of other options you may have already tried. There is also the potential for serious memory and cognitive side-effects from this treatment option. There simply is no way of knowing how well or badly you will respond to this treatment. You also should be aware, to the best of my knowledge, there are three (3) different courses of ECT treatment (bi-lateral, bi-frontal and unilateral with the latter supposedly having the least potential for memory and cognitive issues). In my opinion, if suicidal ideations are not currently an issue there is other treatment options I would consider before ECT which I’ll point out to you shortly.
2- Enlist a physician who you trust and can easily communicate and collaborate with and ask the very same questions you posted to this message forum. Don’t hesitate to insist upon answers. You might also consider having a support person with you when discussing treatment in case you miss something important as well as having the support person educated as to the treatment, what to expect and how to better assist you through this period.
3- I’ll reiterate the importance of having caring and supportive individuals around to help especially during the treatment period and by all means write notes for yourself with all your important passwords, bank accounts etc., etc.
4- Have you investigated TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)? It is FDA approved and from what I learned recently, it is Medicare approved in the New England states should you be a resident. Otherwise, treatment is pricey with little to no serious side-effects. There is also VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation), FDA approved but not covered by Medicare or private insurance carriers in the U.S with potential side-effects. There is also DBS currently being studied with a number of study sites here in the U.S also with potential side-effects. There is also t-VNS (Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation) as well as other treatments being researched.
Whatever your decision I wish you wellness and all the good you’d wish for yourself.
Warmly,
Herb
vnsdepression@gmail.com
http://www.vnstherapy-herb.blogspot.com
First of all, I want to say that I am sincerely glad for anybody who went through a course of ECT and found it beneficial. Still, I had this “treatment” as well and it is still a reasonably debatable point if ECT is effective. Modern stigma does exist surrounding ECT but this is because ECT causes cognitive defecits and patients are still being told that brain damage from ECT is a myth. This is obviously wrong. Again, I am glad for anyone that found this treatment helpful. I personally did not and do believe strongly that patients deserve to know about the negative consequences that according to significant relevant research is fairly common. Electroconvulsive Therapy, primarily “succeeds” through causing brain damage. Here is some of the evidence and some things to consider if you are thinking about getting ECT.
To Consider Before Getting Electroconvulsive Therapy
[edited]
Moderator: I appreciate you have a lot to say on this topic but this isn’t the forum for pages and pages of essay. If you wish to share that information, feel free to link to it. Thanks.
Natasha,
Medscape has a recent update to the subject of ECT you might be interested in sharing with your readership:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1525957-overview
Warmly,
Herb
vnsdepression@gmail.com
http://www.vnstherapy-herb.blogspot.com/
I don’t know that they updated the information, just the format. Which, quite frankly, I seriously don’t like. (And if I had to guess I’d say they actually _removed_ content. Damnit.)
– Natasha Tracy
Steven,
Thanks for sharing your story here in spite of the pre-publishing flurry. It takes strength to stand up. Good job.
We’ll do it again some time.
– Natasha
I wanted to thank you for giving my story a voice on your blog, to help dispel myths and stigma surrounding ECT
I applaud you for sharing and your bravery in disclosing and fighting your illness!
Is ECT in addition to meds or does it substitute meds? I admit most of my knowledge of ECT is not reliable and I don’t tend to believe all that I read. I take it with a grain of salt and move on. I have never had ECT and don’t really know how it works and don’t really know how the brain of someone with bipolar differs from a ‘normal’ brain, but it would seem to me that obviously something in the brain isn’t connecting appropriately. Just like you would use jumper cables to start a car, ECT seems to do the same in the brain. Unless I am not understanding something. Thank you for sharing this. This has really got me thinking.
Hi Maasiyat,
Thanks for the comment and the questions. I think you’re in the same boat as a lot of people.
ECT can be used with meds or without. Typically it’s used with meds as the people who use it are already on meds when they do it and there’s no need to cease the drugs at that time.
If ECT works, people are often able to reduce their drug use or the drugs they are on are more effective. That’s one of the benefits, sometimes you can get rid of some of your meds!
ECT is a short-term solution in general though. It has a very good success rate short-term but long-term people do revert, which is why people take meds after ECT, to prevent that from happening.
ECT maintenance is also available to be used with (or without I suppose) meds. In maintenance ECT you get ECT about once a month to keep up the antidepressant effect. I don’t know anyone who does this (although some people do) because the more ECT treatments you get, the more you risk cognitive impairment.
(I believe, however, Carrie Fisher does maintenance ECT and considers it a life-saver. Could be wrong about that though.)
No one really knows how ECT works. For the longest time everyone just said it “rebooted” the brain. Hardly scientific. What we now know is that ECT creates neurogenesis, in other words, neuron growth. And this is needed because long term depression kills brain cells and shrinks the brain. (Antidepressants also induce neurogenesis, FYI.) So ECT is able to make connections in the brain that weren’t previously there, and it makes them very, very quickly compared to any other method.
That said, there may be other mechanisms at work, that is just what we know at the moment. Science is kind of a moving target and the brain’s a complicated place.
(By the way, none of this is suggesting there aren’t risks. There absolutely are, they’re just beyond the scope of this comment.)
– Natasha
insightful & honest. Its reassuring to know i have other options should my meds fail
Thanks for the comment and support for a person’s own story.
And I agree, it’s nice to know options exist, even if we choose never to exercise them.
(Sorry your comment got stuck in spam for a day. Aggressive spam filter I have there.)
– Natasha
living with bi-polar disorder is a heavy cross the bear. Thanks for the candid admissions & info. Its comforting to know that if the medicine suddenly stops working there are other options