You can do a word search and find out what you need to know. There are several people here who have tried it.

I would love to answer your questions but the only thing that it seemed to effect was memory.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Bipolar_Disorder/forum/13034743-i-start-ect-weds

I had it done back in about 1986 and now they do it so less side effects occur. I was not allowed to drive for quite a while. I had several treatments. When I finally was allowed to drive, I got lost here and there on familiar roads for a bit.

I forgot who people were who were calling me. There are som aspects of a year or so I don't remember but it's not really important now. I was a bit dazed for a while and I could not have worked during these treatments.

I have a friend who has had them done - many this past year and she says they helped her a lot. she can clean her house now and she's back to working. She said she was able to drive but not right after a treatment, of course.

I know they now do briefer pulses than before and can do only one side o the brain, which reduces the memory loss, though it may not be as effective for the depression.

I have found that the only thing that has helped me, as I am treatment resistant as well, is yoga at least four to five days a week. However, I am still feeling like the specter of severe depression and mixed episodes come for a visit anyway in between. But yoga is my path for now and I take some supplements that think work better for me than some of the meds ever did. But still, I have horrible time in winter.

I am hoping to never have those treatments but if I have to, I will if the yoga doesn't keep making enough progress for me. I would not mind losing some of my memories. I obsess too much and honestly, the ECT treatments I had made me nice and comfortably numb and I was able to focus on just one thing at a time.

I think I mostly forgot I was depressed.

I was just reading that about 20% of folks having ECT will relapse within six months, but otherwise it is very effective.

Good luck! It can be a real life saver for many and is not as harsh as it used to be.

The problem I am having now with chronic depression is that I am finally suffering from memory and cognitive problems. So people who think ECT gives you brain damage might do well to consider that chronic unrelenting depression can cause damage and cognitive decline in parts of the brain.

Though I had so many ECT treatments, I did get through college and grad school and did well. The depression and emotional issues were my main problems all my life.

I must remember to play the games on lumosity.com I signed up for. They lift my mood a bit and build neural pathways if kept up.

I have had several courses of ECT usually 8-10 treatments in a series. Then I went for 5 years without needing one. This past year I had a series of 8, then my pdoc decided that every time I get in a "funk" of depression and my meds usually don't help, we will do what he calls maintenance treatments. I will go to the hospital as an outpatient and usually I can do 1-3 treatments and I feel much better. You are not allowed to drive the day of the treatment because they put you out, but the next day I drive all over the place. Sometimes I will be sort of forgetful for a couple of weeks but then it tends to wear off and things get back to being good. If you have any specific questions email me anytime. I just had two treatments last month and to me, when the meds aren't' doing the trick, ECT always has worked in the long run. Even if there were horrible side effeects, which there really aren't, I would do it because it makes the depression better. Good luck!!!!

Had ect several yrs ago. Had about 3 or 4 treatments, then got amnesia, and went back in time, was asking where my grandma was, who had past away. Anyway had to stop, because of bad side effect. Pdoc said they had not heard of anyone having this experience. Guess it was just a rarity. Had memory problems for awhile, short term, and couldn't drive, because of sedation.
On the other hand, I've talked to people who've had great success with ect, I was desparate, so I tried it. So its hard to say if it'll help u or not, guess its worth a try. good luck! hugs, tedi

Several years ago, after a bad mania, I sunk into a catatonic depression for almost 2 years, and I had 10 rounds of ECT and it did nothing. My NP finally put a stop to it, and he tried a few combos of medications, and within months I started to become alive again, after being in a almost non-verbal, vegetative state.

I pretty much lost my short-term memory for a year, and slowly recovered it, thereafter, even though it is still far from good.

It is hard, because it is a period of my life, I am reluctant to talk about.

One of the only things that saved me, was when I started coming on DS and able to connect with people who had similar experiences.

I had ECT in 2002/2003...the pdoc convinced my husband it was the miracle cure...i have to write notes for everything now, have for many many years, I had to stay in the hospital when I had it done..I don't remember how many they did, I know more than 6, had one every other day. Hurt bad, exhausted me. I have heard of people it worked for and others that were worse than me. I am sure the new technology since then has made more progress. I also know that the pdoc that did mine had privileges taken away because he used to much voltage or whatever when he did it to his patience. So maybe I am not the best to say.
Good luck with your decision.

Just wanted to add that my friend who has had a bunch of treatments is no longer taking meds. She just does ECT now.

Does medication not work well for you?

in my view ECT shouldn't be taken lightly. There are valid horror stories of terrible lasting side effects to counter every positive anecdote I assure you. Informed consent= know what the risks are.

I have read a lot about it and have seen some of the horror stories. I have tried a TON of different meds, and none work, I am at my wits end of trying to find something that works.

My main worry is memory loss, I have to little kids and my job (computer programmer) would be effected if I lost memory, short term temporary I could live with (especially if it helped me feel better).

I just dont know what else I could try or do, I have been working through this for about 15 years, different meds, different doctors, etc and nothing has been effective.

The memory loss is a major concern. I just know for me, like I said, I keep a supply of sticky notes and have them everywhere, take a notebook and a date book with me everywhere, and then sometimes forget what the note is for that I wrote down. Have to think on it at times. Now that is the short term memory. I can remember things from my past, and I can remember things that were from a month ago, but like within the last 2 wks, some I can right off the top of my head but most I have to refer to my notes. But ya I know the horror stories as well and I won't ever forget the pain that each treatment caused me.