What's It Like Having Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)? | My Experience
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Here I discuss my experiences with Electroconvulsive Therapy - a controversial, last-resort procedure, used as a treatment for various mental health conditions. Does it work? What’s it like? Does it hurt? Would I recommend it?
You are a lovely person. I was considering ect but had decided against it because of the availability of ketamine therapy. Have you considered ketamine therapy? The other thing was that I have had memory problems already and don't wish to exacerbate those problems.
I'm considering it now.
Hello my psychiatrist is wanting me to get ect and im scared because I’ve been told that it impairs your cognitive skills like reading and writing if you can please answer it will be greatly appreciated as im scared I’ve exhausted all other options did you forget things?
Hi @sueyildiz5351, I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling so scared. It is frightening when you feel like you've tried everything and nothing is helping.
I can't advise you whether or not to have ECT, I can only share my own experience.
It definitely helped lift my depression, although my depression has since come back, so I think it can be extremely helpful - even life-saving - when you're desperate.
Having said that, it absolutely affected my memory and continues to do so.
The year I had it done is a complete blur to me, and I feel like my memory is not as good as it was. However, I did manage to complete a Masters degree at university a few months after having the treatment, so my reading and writing were unaffected by it.
I don't know whereabouts you live in the world, but do you know if Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is available to you at all? Could you ask your psychiatrist about it? It's a much more gentle, less extreme treatment than ECT, which has similar effects. There's also the Flow headset
www.flowneuroscience.com/shop/
which has some pretty positive, though mixed, reviews. But it is more suitable for mild to moderate depression.
I would always recommend the least invasive approach - diet, exercise, meditation, blah blah blah, etc. when approaching your mental health. However, I know when you're in the grips of illness, all that stuff is practically impossible to do. I've recently had a mental breakdown and have been considering having more ECT because of feeling so depressed.
I'm sorry I can't give you a more definitive answer. All I can share with you is my own experience. And send you a virtual hug and tell you that I'm thinking of you and that I understand how you feel and that I'm sorry it's so hard. Please reach out again if there's anything else you want to ask. Or if you just want to rant! Thank you for your message and for sharing - it's really brave of you. Please take care 💜🙏
Thankyou so much for replying it means a lot to me 🌺 I pray ECT helps because im greatly struggling I’m from Australia and yes I’ve done tms but unfortunately nothing helped… I’m scared but I’m desperate and I know you would know how that feels I just pray I won’t come out of it with awful side effects… thankyou for responding.
Also how many treatments did they recommend? They want me to do 6 in total also was it bilateral or ulaterial that you had? They want me to have bilateral.
@sueyildiz5351 I have to be really careful what I say. I'm not a professional and unfortunately I can't advise you. It would be totally irresponsible of me to tell you that you should or shouldn't have the treatment. I can only tell you my about my experience.
I'm sorry, I know that's not very helpful.
And I feel your pain and your fear and your desperation.
I wish I could wave a magic wand. Or just hug you better.
It's so hard. You've got to make this major decision all by yourself when you're so vulnerable and you feel so alone. And only you can make that decision.
All I can say is that I could not have gone on the way I was feeling. I felt utterly and completely hopeless. And the ECT allowed me to go on. It certainly didn't solve all my problems. But it lifted my spirits enough that it allowed me to do other things to improve my mental health, which I couldn't possibly have done before.
I'm so torn. I regret it in as much as it definitely has affected my memory - memory loss was the only side effect I had - and my depression came back. But on the other hand, I was sooooo depressed I honestly don't think there was any other option at that time.
ECT is absolutely a last resort. If there is ANYTHING else you could try that you haven't yet, try that first.
In terms of the treatment itself, it's completely natural to be scared - it's such an unknown. Stereotypically, ECT is painted as being barbaric.
But it's really not. It makes a big difference who administers the treatment. The team I had was lovely; really kind.
Do you like your psychiatrist and trust him/her?
I actually can't remember exactly how many sessions I had. I think it was three sessions a week for four weeks - so twelve sessions in total - and it was bilateral.
Again, I am so sorry you're having to go through this, and I wish there was more I could do to help.
Take your time. Really think it through. Do as much research as you can. Also, listen to your gut instinct. And then try and make an informed decision based on all those things.
Sending you 🤗🤗🤗
Thankyou so much I appreciate your response I hope this will help me.
I'd seizures...so maybe not I was so embarrassed I didn't tell my doctor. I'd tonic clonics then passed out. I now want to give up my successful treatment... why was I conscious I slap myself if I'm sick now. I often can't talk and people ask why can't I talk..I throw my dinner in the bin. The fake seizure caused a huge tooth fracture and foaming at the mouth every day I'm sick I give myself a slap to the face.
Thank you for your comment. I really hope you feel better soon 🙏💙
ECT is Brain torture and barbaric….. The people who I personally know who underwent ECT….WISHED they never did.
Lol your intro song was hilarious
Hehe, thanks, Jeff. It's a very self-indulgent, way-too-long, cringeworthy video 😬 I should delete it really. Anyway, I hope you're well and happy 🙂