[Icare dixit]

What have been your experiences with/after ECT treatment, if you have had it, obviously? Good, bad, net result.

I have had ECT for unipolar depression.
I don't know how many treatments I've had. They say I've had 51, but most of those were bogus - they pretended to give me the treatment while they were really just removing my memories (as ordered or even done by the thought police). The first few times, when they were still giving me treatments and not just faking them, it worked. Before ECT I'd completely quit eating and drinking, and spent most of my time staring into space. After around 6 treatments I started eating and drinking again.
It didn't do anything for my mood.
I have barely any recollection of my childhood or puberty left (when I got the ECT I was 17-18; I'm 19 now). I barely recall a lot of minor trauma I went through, (T says it's still affecting me even though I don't remember it though) but I do remember the really bad stuff. (I even tried wrapping an orange cloth around my head while thinking about the really bad stuff, but I still remember it)

[Ocean Swimmer]

Hated everything about ECT.
In my case,memories did not come back. A person who had been with me during some experience needs to prompt me over and over again. Sometimes some memories come back to me,other times it's a complete waste of time and I'm just blank.
Plus blood pressure rise.
Had 12-15 treatments. I call it brain fry.

[wildflowerchild25]

ECT Has been a life changer for me. I don't actually like having the treatments as I don't like anesthesia so I try not to do them very often but every time I've had them they've literally turned my life around. I did lose a lot of memory unfortunately. My capacity for memory had returned but memories from that time period are lost forever. Right now I'm trying to do everything to avoid another round of treatments because I just don't like having them. But I would do it again if I had to.

[1278]

I had ECT when I was misdiagnosed with clinical depression. I went for 6 rounds of treatments but unfortunately they did nothing for me. I honestly can't tell if it has affected my memory because I've been on so many meds since then (especially topamax 150mg which they call dop-a-max for a good reason, it really dumbs you down). I do regret going for it at such an early stage having only been diagnosed for 3 months and it made me more weary of doctors in the long term.

I've been through two rounds of ECT treatments, both very helpful -- life-saving actually. I had no long-term residual effects and was able to return to work with no problems. Definitely brought me out of very severe suicidal depression that wasn't responding to medication and kept me from having to be sent into long-term hospitalization. I pray I am never that ill again, but if I was, I would not hesitate to go through ECT again.