@Daonnachd: Thank you very much, it's extremely valuable to hear from someone who's undergone both procedures. I'm glad to hear another confirmation that ECT seems to be the most reliable technique. It makes me more confident that I'm walking the right path.

I think I can deal with temporary retrograde and anterograde amnesia. I could even deal with permanent amnesia for the weeks/months prior to the procedure. Most of those memories I'm not particularly fond of anyway. And the depression has already compromised my cognitive abilities and my memory. I'm actually hoping the ECT will restore that.

Longer term memory loss would be more disconcerting. As you mentioned the risk is smaller, but as your case demonstrates it is a real possibility. I would consider it worth the risk, but I'm really hoping it won't happen.

What I really could not deal with is permanent cognitive issues and permanent anterograde amnesia. That would make it really hard for me in terms of work and my goals in life. Again, I believe the risk of this is very small from what I've read, but it's the part that scares me the most. I'm also really afraid to lose acquired skills.

Thank you for the heads up on the different electrode placements, I will definitely be on the lookout for that. I will also ask them about the different waveforms they use and the strength of the current. I'm trying to figure out which of the hospitals in my area are the most reputable when it comes to ECT. I'm currently looking mostly at academic hospitals as it seems to me that they'll be the most up-to-date.

I do have a few questions if you don't mind answering them:

• Do you think it's at all reasonable to hope to be able to get some work done in between treatments? I have no idea about the level of confusion to expect.
• What sort of recovery period should I expect after the ECT ends? I.e., when should I expect to be able to go back to work?

For maintenance treatment I'm planning on lamotrigine, which will hopefully have comparatively few side effects.