[Turtlet0es]

I've had around 30 shock treatments on an outpatient basis since late 2012, and I feel like it saved my life, has anyone else had any success stories? It seems that I only ever see bad reactions. I feel even more abnormal that it worked because within the community of depression it seems to be hit or miss.

[mgb46]

That's great that it worked for you. I'm still contemplating.

[TheOriginalMe]

It saved my life 24 years ago, I've never been so deeply depressed that I needed it since.

My thinking is that with careful screening of patients to identify those who will most likely benefit, ECT is a good and safe treatment. Instead ECT has become the treatment of last resort, used on the most refractive patients when everything else has failed. I guess the people it works for just get on with the rest of their lives and don't feel compelled to make known that it worked. It is the same with meds and other treatments too. Just look at the number of horror stories counted against the number of success stories. Also compensation lawyers don't get rich on success stories do they? So there is an inbuilt bias towards hearing all the bad stuff.

Please don't feel abnormal, there are enough bad things in life, you don't deserve to be stigmatised by something good.

[Polibeth]

It works for me. I still get it from time to time. It did take away a lot of memories though so there was a price to pay. You shouldn't feel abnormal!

[shabur]

It worked for me, but it is a short term fix. It got me out of my deep depression and being suicidal. I did have memory loss, but in the end it is well worth it.

[NowhereUSA]

i've been thinking about it. right now the issue is cost. i'm going to chat with my pdoc about it in a couple weeks. for me, it's one of the very few things left on the list to try

It worked well for me to get me through a very severe depression (twice actually). But it is a short-term fix, not a long-term cure.