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Originally Posted by AllyIsHopeful
Thank you for all the information and advice! It is really helpful and gives me a new understanding of the diagnosis. I wasn't aware of hypomania showing in the form of irritability and tearfulness. I have had issues with both, but I am still up in the air as to whether they are symptoms of MDD or actually Bipolar II.
Were you nervous to try ECT? I have considered looking into it but after reading about it the whole procedure sounds terrifying and confusing to me. How did the procedure feel? You only had it done once, or is it ongoing for a period of time?
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I was completely terrified!! But after the year I had it was either that or I'd be sent to the state hospital at 19 years old. And since I'd already been in the state hospital for adolescents when I was fifteen I knew how horrible thy were, and I knew that the adult one would be triple terrible because I'd have to deal with adults much older than I. So I figured whatever.
They put you to sleep for the actual procedure so you don't feel it, but the anasthetic made me sick. I was basically non functional on the days I had ECT (mon, wed, fri). I would have it at 7am and be passed out until five PM. Also got a massive headache. But I am very sensitive to sedating medication. I know other people who were fine after a couple of hours.
I had three sessions a week. I had fifteen treatments. Some people have more, some have less. Some people have maintenance treatments but I wouldn't do that because of how sick the medicine makes me.
The worst part was the memory loss. I remember VERY little from my seven weeks in the hospital. I forgot a lot about high school (I was only a year out when I had ECT). I went on a very important overnight trip and I remember absolutely nothing about it. I forgot a lot of people's names, people I talked to every day. I forgot how to get around my home town - I'd never lived anywhere else - and had to relearn even how to get to my volunteer job that I had done for three years. My husband and I started dating as soon as I got out of the hospital and I don't remember a whole lot from our first year dating. I met a lot of people who remember me but I have no clue who thy are. It's embarrassing.
But the memory loss wore off after a year.
So when someone asks me I tell them that ECT did work - at a pretty steep price. I would only recommend it if all else has failed. I would only do it myself if nothing is touching my crushing depression. I've already been throug most meds so if I get into a deep depression that refuses to lift I'll probably do it again. I would try unilateral instead of bilateral though. Less memory loss.
Good luck! I hope you find the right treatment for you. If you can , gt a new pdoc. Yours sounds like a pompous jerk. Depakote isn't the only drug and he shouldn't ignore your suffering!