SleepingDog, I do not have anyone close to me who has had ECT, but when I was at the psych ward, my roommate received ECT treatments twice a week. She was a middle-aged woman, and she always remembered every one of us at the ward, patients and staff. The only thing she did NOT remember was some things she had been told, for example, she would flip through her calendar and wonder why she had marked a meeting on a certain day. But eventually she found out by asking. She never told me exactly what was ailing her, but to me it seemed like major depression.

Sorry I couldn't sequence that in a more readable way.

Anyway... This was only one experience among others. If you have any questions you can ask me, I have more information but this was all I felt like telling. I hope you find out what is best for you. I heard ECT is the most effective treatment in major depression and bipolar disorder.