anyone ever have ect treatments?

since my meds don't work, it's possible i would have to do ect treatments. but, i really don't feel comfortable with it. i had a stroke a year and a half ago and am not convinced that it would be safe. i did my research, and found plenty of people who ended up with permanent memory loss. i already have memory issues and don't want to make it worse. i know it's been made safer over the years. but, i already feel like a retard. i honesty am out of options, in terms of treatments for my chronic major depression. i've been battling the issue with ect for months already. there are times when i feel so bad that i entertain the thought of having ect treatments. it's scary. if i do chose it, i'd feel like i've given up because of what it can do to memories. and, besides, it may not even work on me. trying to decide on it has made my head into a jumbled mess. i know there's time, but i've been badly depressed for way too long. one thing though, if it's going to affect my skills, forget it. i mean, i can't lose my ability to lip-read because i depend on it to survive in this world, since i've been deaf since birth. i researched on it with honest information, but i just can't bring myself to try it to see if it can help me. it's my choice, but i'm trying to do anything to help myself with my depression. it's hopeless when i'm out of treatment options. i do have one option available, but my insurance won't cover it, and it's vns therapy (vagus nerve stimulation). i feel that vns is a lot safer than ect. i can't even fight my insurance company over this.

I did. Like most treatments I've tried, they seemed to help at first, but then they stopped helping. It was also my last option. They gave me memory loss, I'm missing chunks, but I'm not sure how much, because I'm not sure how much I remembered beforehand - I may have already had poor memory just from being depressed, but since I can't remember, I have no idea. I am, however, getting back little glimpses every now and then. But the only skills I lost were those I had learned very recently - like in college subjects. I don't think I lost anything from high school.

Since they were my last option and stopped working, I attempted suicide. In the next month I spent in the psych hospital a fresh-out-of-med-school doctor filled in a week for my normal one, and tried something little-known, but with good effects on depression patients who've tried everything else - Ritalin. It's my miracle drug, the depression disappeared and the last 1 1/2 years has been incredible on it, I've never felt so good - so free and healthy. I would recommend asking your doctor about this option since you've tried everything else, it might work for you, too.

If you do decide to try ECT, I really doubt you'd lose your lip-reading skills unless you only learned it in the last few years. And for other important things, write them down, take pictures, put up post-it notes around. I've really come to appreciate my journals and pictures, I just wish I had been journalling more regularly. If you don't journal, it's definately something you should start doing.

My results with ECT weren't great, but I know it works for some people. It's worth trying if you've run out of options.

Good luck.

Hi wickedwings,

I have had ect treatments both in and outpatient. My depression was so very severe that I (and my doctor) considered it to be the only viable option. A very temporary side effect after the treatment was an excruciating headache and sweating. These only lasted for several hours.

The memory loss has been both long and short term. These treatments were about 1.5 years ago, and I am not experiencing any current memory loss. I'm not happy about the memory loss. But, I am quite satisfied that the treatments were able to bring me out of a very severe depression.

Hugs,
Dee

I under went 6 months of ect treatments 2004-2005. Treatments started out 3 times a week then dropped to 2. Ended up with long and short term memory loss. Lost my youngest son's entire life time, 23 years. I have heard that the memory loss if it happens is not as extensive as mine.
Another fun fact.....it is not uncommon to have a relapse, which I did.
Now I've started the process for VNS. During my interview with a rep from the manufacturer they asked if I had gone through the ect treatments. I don't know why they asked but having the treatments maybe a requirement. It's going to take several weeks before I find out if I can start fighting with my insurance company.
There are thousands maybe millions of people that have under gone ect treatments with few ill effects. I'm one of the exceptions. It is also hard when you have other factors which could influence your decision.

Good Luck what ever you decide.

I underwent 6 treatments in a two week period (2005) after almost dying by my own hand. I don't remember signing consent but I don't think my doctor at the time gave me much of an option.

I experienced moderate memory loss from a couple of months before my treatment, during treatment and for at least 2 months after. I do however, still remember snatches of things - right up to refusing to undergo the ECT unless my husband was there when I was anesthetized.

When I came home from hospital I found that I had lost some basic skills such as counting ... I couldn't even add 2 + 2 without becoming confused. This only lasted a month or two. I do remember feeling very stupid!

Basic cooking (and I love cooking) skills flew out the window for a while. I had to re-learn certain things in the kitchen. Thankfully, all normal now too.

One of the worst issues for me was that I couldn't remember eating and I was apparantly eating 6 huge meals a day, as well as hording food. I gained an enormous amount of weight during and just after my ECT that I am still struggling to lose it to this day. I developed a very disordered way of eating after ECT and all good sense and logic flew out the window. And I still struggle with this.

For the most part, ECT didn't lift my depression at all. Many months after my treatment something snapped in me and I refused further meds or therapy. It has been an up and down struggle but I have been in what I call "remission" since then.

Given a choice, I very much doubt I would go for ECT if the need ever arose again.

On the other hand, as Tanouviel said, it certainly does work for some people.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience with you.

Good luck on what you decide.