Hi everyone,

I do realize that this thread is about TMS but feel that I would like to say a word about "shock therapy", or electro-convulsive therapy as it is known today or ECT.

Here in Phoenix, this form of treatment is very advanced and is quite commonly used for patients who are resistant to other forms of therapy or who are not candidates for more conventional forms of therapies. From an informal poll previously taken here on PC, we in the United States are far more advanced in our use of this form of therapy than in many other parts of the world and do have very good results from its use.

The term "shock" is a bit misleading because what actually happens is that a small electrical current is introduced under anesthesia and a muscle relaxant which causes a mild and controlled seizure. The patient is not continually shocked. The seizure does in some ways "reboot" the brain which does actually rearrange the chemical composition of the brain. It does cause temporary memory loss which usually returns after a short period of time but can, in some cases especially after repeated treatments, be permanent memory loss of certain periods of a person's life. But most (not all) patients attest to the fact that ECT has been very effective treatment for them when other methods have failed.

I do feel that in the 21st century, we need to give this form of treatment it's due credit and a clear picture of the progress that has been made in its use at least in the USA.