ECT Good bad does it work for some???

Has anyone had ECT treatment. Looking for all experiences good bad long term etc

Yes I had it three times in 8 years,each time twice a week for 6 weeks.I had severe suicidal depression,like I was in a deep dark black hole I couldn't get out of made me want to die.The ECT lifted my depression so it was less severe and no longer suicidal.I guess it stopped my suffering.It did affect my short term memory,I don't automatically remember what happens last week,month,I have to focus hard to recall it.Once it is longer ago that 6 months I remember it!I am glad I had ECT though even though I did not consent to it they forced it on me by threat of a court order.

I had ECT many years ago and it reversed the course of my depression. It helped long term, even though initially the doctors thought it did not help. Meds have helped me enormously as well. ECT reversed the course of a very serious depressive episode of mine. I don't remember certain things from when I had ECT, but they're minor, and because I would still be depressed if I hadn't had ECT, I will accept that I can't remember little things from then.

Hi

Thanks for taking time to share experiences. I still have no idea where to turn what to do. I just really want to never wake up and it to be all over

I have had ECT for the past 4 yrs. I am able to return to work right after having a treatment. I need these treatments for severe suicidal thoughts. The treatments help put a pause in the loop tape of suicidal thoughts that plays in my head. I know full well that I would be dead without them..

Yes due to the suicidal thoughts that were so severe I can honestly say without ECT treatment I'd be dead now.

But if have no life and no support come home alone with the reasons for it all still been alive and well and can't escape I just go back can't escape

I know my opinion wont be popular but I see it as midevil. They put you under but why take risks being put under anesthesia and having a very light induced seizure. Been there done that. No I wasnt awake but every time I was getting put under I thought well I could not wake up. No thanks! I realize its helpful for some but they have TMS now. Much safer, same thing.

Hi.

Have you had TMS treatment I would be interested in diffences in feeling mood etc
Was it similar to ECT after treatment?

They don't have TMS treatment in New Zealand last time I looked up. I. Much prefer try that first

I never had it. My ECT treatments were in 1995 before TMS came out. I think putting people under and making them have a seizure is crazy. Alot of the times when people die in surgery its because of anesthesia. Being put under every other day 8 times was terrifying for me. It was supposed to be more but I refused more. They make you watch a video before you do it and you sign a waiver saying you know there can be fatal complications. Not for me. I would never do it again. It shows me how little mental health treatments have come. It used to be done without anesthesia and they would put you in a full blown seizure. Now it is done with anesthia and they put you in a really light seizure. Still how midevil is that?

I can quite honestly say that without ECT I would be dead.

Those who say ECT is barbaric, medieval, etc, tend to be thinking of the ECT of the past, or the ECT depicted in the media.

I have received ECT in the past and it was the only thing that worked when medication didn't. It saved my life. Of course, it came with negative side effects such as memory loss (most of it temporary). But if I have to choose between negative side effects and death, I'll choose the former.

It is a safe procedure where they put you to sleep and induce a small seizure. I think of it like rebooting the computer, but rebooting the brain instead. I have no idea why it works but it does.

I found it helped me a lot!

I had ECT. (uni lateral,ultra brief pulse) I had a good reaction to it. Later they added Ketamine, which I didn't like. If the ultra brief pulse isn't working, they change to brief pulse or go for bilateral. I haven't had many memory issues. Where I go, they test your memory every few treatments, so I feel confident they won't let my brain turn to mush.

I went through ECT treatments on two different occasions. 9 the first round, and then a few years later a set of 8. I insisted on unilateral rather than bilateral, and my pdoc was very careful to respect my requests and help me experience as little memory loss as possible. Both times I lost memory, short-term, surrounding the time of treatment, but I experienced no long-term memory loss or cognitive issues. I returned to work quickly with no problems. ECT pulled me out of depressions that were not responding to medication, allowing me to get back home to my family rather than ending up in the hospital for an extended period of time. ECT saved my life; that is not hyperbole.

My husband had ECT. His was bilateral and he had to undergo more treatments than I did before he finally started finding relief. He was much more disoriented during the treatment period than I was, and I do think he has had some long-term issues with short-term memory since ECT. He has other serious health issues that may have compounded his response. It's hard to know. But ECT did help him with his depression, and he also was able to return to work with no problems. His memory issues may or may not be ECT-related; it's hard to tell what is what with him. But the memory issues are something that has not affected his ability to work.

I'm glad to hear that ECT has worked for many of you... I perform ECT at work and see people come out of really dark places - including psychosis and catatonia. May you be well, SPL

No one wants to have ECT. People with serious, unrelenting depression not only need something like ECT sometimes, but they often don't have another choice. And while it may conjure up barbaric scenes from the past in which people have induced seizures, why does that matter? I think it's more important that it is effective in treating severe depressive states. I understand your experience may have been negative, but that's no reason to denounce ECT.

This TED Talk says it all:
Sherwin Nuland: How electroshock therapy changed me | TED Talk

TMS is nothing Like ECT.

I had It three times a week for total of 15. Bilateral with caffeine given. The memory loss was devastating