1)Interestingly, not everyone suffers memory loss. I know that getting unilateral ECT tends to result in less memory loss than bilateral ECT. Other than that I don't know that there's a way to determine or mitigate the amount of memory that will be lost. I've just taken a philosophical approach: It's a small price to pay for the new quality of life.

2)Anaesthesia also scared me at first, but the staff are so very professional they immediately put me at ease. I also trusted to statistical odds, knowing that they don't often have serious problems. Often the nurse in the OR would be standing next to me and put her hand on my shoulder or even hold my hand while I was waiting to drift off to sleep. It's all very reassuring.


3)There certainly is stigma attached to ECT. It's not the shock treatment portrayed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest though. As much as there is stigma and misinformation out there, you can also find good facts on the WebMD site and the Mayo Clinic site. I think the Mayo page on ECT cites a study which found 80% efficacy whereas meds typically run around 30% efficacy.


I hope this helps. I'll watch for other questions.