Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
He was in for more treatments and I have never met anyone who was as monotone as that fellow.
I too reached the "last choice" stage and was offered this treatment. I was ready to die so said yes but after research I decided it was experimental and too risky for me. The doctors will not cover you for this treatment in the event of problems, you have to sign a release exonerating them on such.
If that doesn't tell you there's a problem I don't know what will. The docs will admit to memory loss after treatment but they cannot predict it and cannot say if it's short term, long term, permanent of no loss at all. Pot luck.
Don't know about you but my memory IS me. I want it all regardless.
You will also note that you are only offered this treatment when you are so desperate you would agree to a firing squad also.
Legally I find that reprehensible as you are in no condition to make a rational judgement at all. They offer it when they know we will do anything.
If it's suicide or ECT then do ECT but I can tell you that I was told I had the worst case seen in one hospital for many years but I did not need ECT to recover at all. The docs told me I did but meds and time and support did it instead.
So don't believe them when they say you have no other options. This is experimental medicine. They don't know why it works, when it does. And they don't tell you most need regular maintenance treatments which is a course of 6 - 12 shocks in a short time span.
If you can avoid it, please do so. I don't want you to be like the lady I met at a pain clinic about 4 years ago. We got talking at lunch on day 2 as I had mentioned depression in the session. She asked me about mine and told me she had it bad. She'd also had ECT and said since that she had constant migraines and no relief at all from depression.
It's a gamble and if you do it I can only hope you are lucky.