Posted by johnLA on February 26, 2014, at 22:37:23
In reply to ECT... whats the best/safest form of ECT, posted by poser938 on February 26, 2014, at 13:18:02
poser-
i know you have been suffering. for a long time. are you suicidal or just really really tired of 'it?' i ask, because what i am about to say really depends on where you are mentally...
i had right unilateral.
i did not suffer permanent brain damage. i did have some memory problems for a bit after each treatment. but, within days of my last treatment i was fine.
it did work. amazingly so. but, only lasted a few weeks. do i regret doing it? sometimes. mostly due to stigma. but, i also did it because i wanted to get better. i find some comfort in that fact. i was thinking about suicide for the first time in my life. this scared the hell out of me. the ect was scary, but nothing like thinking about checking-out.
i would highly suggest getting multiple opinions from several pdocs. doc's that have no interest in actually doing the ect to you. hoping they will have objective opinions. i also suggest NOT researching too much on the internet. most of what you will find will be negative and even anti-psychiatry.
i would also suggest finding a well-known university or hospital with top-rated psych programs/facilities. (i was at ucla. ranked very highly. was treated with kindness and respect.) these places are usually up-to-date on the latest ect procedures. hoping you have something like this nearby or that you can get to.
i am assuming you have tried all sorts of meds? from all sorts of classes? be honest with yourself about this. all of us want the pain to stop right now. personally, i look at ect as just another failed med attempt. i may have been very lucky to be able to say that. if i had bilateral or a different doc maybe i would have a different opinion now.
it seems most of what i had read in regards to negative experiences are either from a; bilateral b. too many trx c. ect done prior to the 1990's d. bad doctor/facilities
poser; it is not a 'magic bullet.' if it does work (and yes, you will find stories of it working for people) most will either have 'maintenance' ect or continue with medication. are you willing to do this? can you do this emotionally, financially, and so on?
what about tms? especially the new one called 'deep' tms? can you wait for this?
sometimes i think about trying ect again. there are well over 100,000 people a year in the states who have it done each year. by far the vast majority are not on forums complaining. some are actually very high functioning. you will read about them too in your search. but, they are a minority on the net. not sure if their numbers are greater in the real world. i think most people who it does work for get on with life and don't post 'success' stories. how many 'success' stories has dr bob have posted here for example? and this is mostly a med site.
finally, my rec is unless you are extremely suicidal, take some time on all this. it's big decision.
you are also welcome to babble mail me if you want more specific info about my experience. :)
take care poser.
john
poster:johnLA
thread:1061377
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140214/msgs/1061419.html