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ECT: Yay or Nay?

melindaclark
melindaclark
I have severe depression and Bipolar II. Medications and therapy have not helped, so I'm looking into ECT. I'm a bit afraid of it but almost desperate enough to try it. Any comments about your experiences with it?
jacob77
jacob77
Absolutely not! ECT burns out brain cells and you need ALL your brain cells when you get older. ECT is considered the 'last resort' for those of us who have refractory or resistant depression. Depression that is resistant to medications. Be sure to look into TMS and Deep Brain Stimulation.
melindaclark
melindaclark
Jacob,
Thank you for your input! I really appreciate it. I have an appt. with the doc that would be administering the ECT and I'll definitely ask him about this. Thanks again for sharing.
janem18
janem18
Melinda, I underwent 30 ECTs which is an exorbitant amount. My understanding is that they usually work after about 5-6. For me, personally, only 3 worked. After each of those 3 times, I felt amazing and the depression actually lifted for 3-4 days. However, they are meant to be cumulative and, if they work, you should feel a marked improvement within a few weeks.
If your meds are not working and you are continuously depressed, I think you should give ECTs a try. They are not to be taken lightly and it IS considered surgery but not trying absolutely everything in your power in the hopes of feeling better, in my opinion, is giving up. They may not work, but you won"t know until you try.
The ONLY side effect I noticed is that my memory has been affected. At first, it was much worse, but after a few weeks, I could see a stark improvement. In fact, my husband and I joke about how I saw the same movie for the first time TWICE!!!
Good luck and let me know what you decide.