ECT anyone?

My doc wrote a consult to the ECT doc.... Mixed feelings.
Anyone have a positive treatment outcome with ECT?
Freaking out a bit over here!.....

It is still your choice right? I would say just make sure you are clear on the potential side effects and dangers and possible benefits and make your decision based on that information. I will leave it to others to provide positive experiences as I haven't had ECT and honestly don't think I'd want to even if it was recommended.

I am also been "approved" to do ECT - but I can not seem to give the go ahead. I guess I am hung up on the fact that if they can not explain exactly HOW it helps you (which they can not) - then why should I trust this?

ECT scares the living dog-snot out of me.

Totally with you.

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I had six weeks of TMS which is supposed to be similar. Trans cranial magnetic stimulation. They put a high powered magnet positioned in an exact position and shoot pulses in your brain at intervals. Each treatment lasted an hour. It didn't do anything for me but they are doing alot of research and clinical trials on it and some docs are using it in their practice.

My Psychiatrist has urged me to consider ECT a couple of times now. I also am concerned about some of the negative aspects, like not knowing why it works, memory loss, etc). But I have to admit, I have been wondering if it did work for me, how would my life change? I don't remember a time when I wasn't depressed, but what if the depression lifted? What would my life look like then? What could I accomplish? Would it even work for me?

I've done some research, and as a health care provider, I have even been in attendance at a couple of ECT treatments of others. I've read positive experiences and I've certainly read about the negative. And I have yet to make a decision. I really don't know if the hope of relief will outweigh my concerns, but it's something to think about.

It's such a personal decision. What works for one, won't work for another.

I'm afraid I haven't been of much assistance to your question--sorry.

Good luck with whatever your decision is.

It is still presented as an option vs being forced...
It's rather terrifying to think about.
I got the call and I don't see the ECT doc til mid march & that's not to say yeah or neah to it.. I don't know..... I've tried countless antidepressants, and adjunct meds, cbt, self help books, learning to verbalized my feelings instead of bottling them up.... Part of me of course fears something going horribly wrong during the procedure, or it not helping me at all after all the treatments thus I'll be stamped with the label of treatment resistant depression/ chronic... All I know is I can't be like this forever. And to list another worry, I'm getting married next January and am terrified I won't be able to enjoy any of the process leading up or the actual day itself.... On my worst days I basically tell him to run for the hills as this illness has such a grip on me!arghhhhh I don't know what to do. But thanks for listening.

The "how" it helps/works freaks me out too. Then again some meds like lithium or antipsychotics it says the mechanism of action is unknown....

Your comment made me giggle so thank you. And I hear u.

I have undergone numerous rounds of ECT and will never do it again.

I was originally going to post something like this:

I've had quite a lot of ECT because of my TBI. Often I really enjoy the interesting places that ECT sends me.

But I've been told that it makes a lot of difference depending on which meds you've taken and for how long.

If you decide to go for it, be sure your docs are clear about your condition, and that they have a lot of experience. If you can, talk to other patients of theirs that have been through the process.

Hope things go well for you.