Posted by Reggie BoStar on November 22, 2006, at 3:56:12
In reply to ECT, posted by tensor on November 12, 2006, at 14:18:56
I completed 7 out of 8 ECT treatments in July 2005. It was unilateral, that is, applied to only one side of my brain. The results:
1. No memory loss at all.
2. No change in depression at all.
3. A gradual increase in anxiety levels, until I became so stressed that I could not make it to the last treatment. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) for the first time in my life and put on Buspar.
4. Talked with the two other people in my group and learned that they suffered short-term memory loss and no change in depression.
5. Was informed by my psychiatrist that full benefit of treatment would take time to realize.
6. No benefit ever realized. No change in depression at first, marked increase in anxiety.
7. In long run, depression was made worse when I realized that yet another form of treatment had failed. In addition, I was now saddled with such a bad case of GAD that I had to be sedated.
8. This year, met one of the other people in my treatment group in another therapy group. He reported no change at all in depression after ECT and is still in therapy and on meds.
9. None of my requirements for Anti-Depressants and other drugs decreased as predicted. I am now on higher doses of everything.
10. I have since also developed symptoms of bipolar II and am on medication for that, too.ECT was a miserable failure for me. I know that the GAD is a direct result. Possibly the bipolar is too, but I can't prove it.
My opinion is that it's overrated. The pros who swear by it don't even know how it works when it does.
You may get different results. "Everbody is different," they commonly say when giving the usual disclaimer.
Good luck.
poster:Reggie BoStar
thread:702869
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061117/msgs/706066.html