Electrical Conductive Therapy (ECT) "shock therapy" anyone?

[90_hour_sleep]

hello,

 

wondering if anyone has any first-hand experience with this procedure. perhaps a close personal friend or family member who has been through the process? or personal experience maybe?

 

not interested in speculative opinions. but if anyone has some experiential information to share...it would be much appreciated. for instance...your state of mind before vs. after. perhaps some history of your past...and why you elected to go through with this. effectiveness...or lack thereof? just looking to gain some insight into the overall experience.

 

 

 

thanks!

[Capricorn3]

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have first hand experience and I don't know anyone who has had this done, but I recently saw a 2 hour documentary on this topic and it was horrendous! It was so "dark ages". It should be outlawed (imo).

[90_hour_sleep]

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I don't have first hand experience and I don't know anyone who has had this done, but I recently saw a 2 hour documentary on this topic and it was horrendous! It was so "dark ages". It should be outlawed (imo).

 

yah...that's why i'm looking for firsthand experiences. i think there's an abundance of misinformation out there...much of it outdated and entirely speculative. the fact is...it's made a bit of a resurgence from it's archaic past...and it's actually something that holds merit in some circles.

 

thanks for your reply, capricorn.

[Capricorn3]

Personally, (after seeing that documentary), I would never ever recommend this kind of "therapy" to anyone. I'm surprised there's a resurgence. ~scary stuff~

[90_hour_sleep]

Personally, (after seeing that documentary), I would never ever recommend this kind of "therapy" to anyone. I'm surprised there's a resurgence. ~scary stuff~

 

no...i probably wouldn't recommend it either...but only because i'm almost entirely ignorant as to what it involves. i know the basic premise...and much of the decades-old rhetoric that shrouds it in controversy. but beyond that...i've never met a person who had any sort of direct link to it. and perhaps that in itself is saying something. i'm not sure criticisms are always warranted though. it only takes one or two jaded individuals to put out a biased documentary. and often...these documentaries only really investigate part of the topic. you know? there's a lot left to the imagination. but...i didn't see this documentary...and i can definitely see where you're coming from. i just know that there are informed professionals who act as mediators to people who seek to have this done.

 

i think the biggest change is that it's no longer a 'treatment' that is imposed on people against their wills. it's more of a choice. and...in many ways...it's alot like medication. what works for some...will not always work for others. perhaps as a last resort...it's a viable alternative to living a life in the shadow of mental disorder. i think the choice ultimately comes at a time when the overwhelming feeling is one of hopeless defeat. hmmm...

[PhilliesFan001]

I don't have personal experience of it, but I worked for 2 years in a psychiatric facility and many patients there underwent the procedure. Not all of them were success stories, and it's not like a "do it a few times and you're cured" deal, but plenty of patients reported being glad they did it, and said it was the only thing that worked for them. It's a lot less barbaric than people imagine - you're given muscle relaxers, it's not like you're dragged there against your will and strapped to a table for hours of torture. It can actually be incredibly helpful in cases that don't respond to traditional therapies or medication.

[90_hour_sleep]

I don't have personal experience of it, but I worked for 2 years in a psychiatric facility and many patients there underwent the procedure. Not all of them were success stories, and it's not like a "do it a few times and you're cured" deal, but plenty of patients reported being glad they did it, and said it was the only thing that worked for them. It's a lot less barbaric than people imagine - you're given muscle relaxers, it's not like you're dragged there against your will and strapped to a table for hours of torture. It can actually be incredibly helpful in cases that don't respond to traditional therapies or medication.

 

thanks, philli!

 

i've heard similar. i think there's a pretty barbaric brand that this kind of therapy is working to overcome. things change...but it takes time for people to accept that change.

 

thanks for your insight. it's encouraging

[PhilliesFan001]

No problem Just do your research, talk to doctors and I hope you find a treatment that works for you!

[FathomFear]

I have an aunt who suffers from schizophrenia. She's undergone ECT numerous times and generally has good things to say about it.

 

There's a lot of misunderstanding around the procedure, as people instantly associate it with the form of shock therapy that wasn't consensual. It's actually an established medical procedure which is still used to this day and has been proven to be safe/effective for a handful of conditions.

[Marah]

My aunt suffered from depression and had ECT when she was institutionalized after a suicide threat, but I don't think it did much...she was depressed all her life and died very young. Not sure how it is for others though.

[90_hour_sleep]

No problem Just do your research, talk to doctors and I hope you find a treatment that works for you!

 

well...it's not for me. a friend of mine is having it done in the coming weeks. hoping it works out for him...because nothing else has seemed to.

 

I have an aunt who suffers from schizophrenia. She's undergone ECT numerous times and generally has good things to say about it.

 

There's a lot of misunderstanding around the procedure, as people instantly associate it with the form of shock therapy that wasn't consensual. It's actually an established medical procedure which is still used to this day and has been proven to be safe/effective for a handful of conditions.

 

i've heard similar things, fathom. thanks for sharing about your aunt.

 

My aunt suffered from depression and had ECT when she was institutionalized after a suicide threat, but I don't think it did much...she was depressed all her life and died very young. Not sure how it is for others though.

 

sounds alot like my friend. he's been living in the shadow of mental illness for the last 20 years of his life.

 

i guess...i'm wondering what happens after the fact. if things go well...is this considered a permanent solution? do things really change? i guess it'd be different for everyone. mental illness is such a grey area in the medical world. noone really understands what's going on with any sort of certainty. are physiological changes responsible for certain patterns of thought...or are certain patterns of thought responsible for physiological changes? and if that's the case...does ECT change the pattern of thoughts?

 

time to do some research i think.

 

thanks for the replies everyone.