Electro Shock Therapy?

Question

Has anyone out there ever had electro shock therapy for depression? If so, can you tell me if it helped at all and how it is performed. I am allergic to so many medications that they can't find anything to help me and have suggested this but I am terrified of it as I do not really understand it or if it will help or not.

Answer 1

"In the United States, a report from the Surgeon General (the chief health educator from the US Department of Health and Human Sciences) endorses ECT as a treatment that may be considered for depression, mania and catatonia, usually as a second-line treatment if medication fails but in rare circumstances as a first-line treatment. ECT is usually given three times a week in courses of 6-12 treatments (occasionally more or less); maintenance ECT is also sometimes used with patients being given individual treatments at weekly, fortnightly or monthly intervals to prevent recurrence of depression. Treatment is usually given on an inpatient basis, less commonly as outpatient treatment. A survey of psychiatric practice in the late 1980s found that only a small minority (fewer than one in twelve) of psychiatrists performed ECT. It was not used in one-third of metropolitan statistical areas and its use varied greatly in the remaining areas. An estimated 100,000 people were receiving ECT annually in the United States.[52] Accurate statistics about the frequency, context and circumstances of ECT in the United States are difficult to obtain because only a few states have reporting laws that require the treating facility to supply state authorities with this information.[53] One such state is Texas, where in the mid-1990s ECT was used in about one third of psychiatric facilities and given to about 1,650 people annually. Seven out of ten patients were women.[54] More recent statistics from Texas show a small decline in use; in 2000-01 ECT was given to about 1,500 people aged from 16 to 97 (in Texas it is illegal to give ECT to anyone under sixteen). ECT is more commonly used in private psychiatric hospitals than in public hospitals in the USA; and minority patients are underrepresented in ECT statistics.[55]

In the United Kingdom the use of ECT has been declining steadily over the past three decades (from an estimated 50,000 patients annually[56] to about 12,000) although it is still used in nearly all psychiatric hospitals. A survey of ECT use in England in 2002[57] found that 70 per cent of patients were women and 46 per cent were over 65 years of age. Eighty-one per cent had a diagnosis of mood disorder; schizophrenia was the next most common diagnosis. ECT is usually given twice a week in courses of 6-12 treatments, although some people have more and some have fewer treatments. About 20 per cent of treatments are given on an outpatient basis. Maintenance ECT is occasionally used, though not as much as in the United States. In 2003 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, a government body which was set up to standardize treatment throughout the National Health Service, issued guidance on the use of ECT. Its use was recommended "only to achieve rapid and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after an adequate trial of treatment options has proven ineffective and/or when the condition is considered to be potentially life-threatening in individuals with severe depressive illness, catatonia or a prolonged manic episode".[1] The guidance got a mixed reception. It was welcomed by an editorial in the British Medical Journal[58] but the Royal College of Psychiatrists launched an appeal, arguing that the recommendation to restrict ECT to the treatment of severe depression was perverse as the evidence base included patients with moderate as well as severe depression. The appeal was not upheld. NICE accepted the point about the evidence base, but argued that ECT could not be recommended as a treatment for moderate depression as there remained uncertainties about both the benefits and adverse effects of treatment.[2] The NICE guidance, as the British Medical Journal editorial points out, is only a policy statement and psychiatrists may deviate from it if they see fit. The latest guidelines on electroconvulsive therapy from the Royal College of Psychiatrists explain how to go about getting round the guidelines.[59] A survey of ECT use in Great Britain in 1980 found that the administration of ECT was often associated with low standards of care. Over one half of ECT clinics failed to meet minimum standards set by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The following twenty years saw improvements in practice, but an audit in 1996 found that two-thirds of clinics still fell short of current guidelines, particularly in the training and supervision of the junior doctors who administer ECT. [60] The latest initiative by the Royal College is a voluntary accreditation scheme, ECTAS.[3] The scheme was set up in 2004 but, two years on, only a minority of ECT clinics in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic have signed up."

Answer 2

I have had ECT twice and I swear by it....

Let me tell you what happens.
First, you goto the hospital (if you are doing it outpatient) in the morning. The doctors put you to sleep. They then give you a muscle relaxant so that your body does not jerk and shake when you are shocked.

In most cases they take the probe and put it on the right side of your head. If you are experiencing depression that does not get better, they may use two probes and put them on both sides of your head. Then the doctor administers the shock. It takes like 2-3 seconds.

It takes longer to wake up then the shock itself. When you wake up you might have: a headache, nausea, memory loss, or feel tired.

In the United States, people go Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They usually have 8-12 sessions.

When I had it done for depression, I had 10 sessions and experienced no memory loss. Mostly I had a bad headache and was sick in my stomach. I took a nap and felt better.

You can't drive because you have been asleep and forget about doing anything for the rest of the day, because I think everyone feels really tired.

It really help me when nothing else would...

Answer 3

I want to challenge your assumption that you are "allergic" to these medications? By allergic, do you mean you have trouble breathing and get hives and stuff? Or do you mean a bad reaction? You might have metabolism issues. Most mental illness drugs are metabolized by one enzyme in the liver that 10% of people don't have. So those people have to metabolize the drugs by a far less efficient method, so they actually get way overdosed on the meds. I was totally overdosed on prozac, went way manic, and now I safely take 5 to 10 mg a day. I got a rash from lamictal, so I dosed it up wayyyyy slower than the drug company recommended, and ended up tolerating it (that drug is metabolized differently than most of these other pills) Look up cytochrome p450 enzymes to read up on this topic if it sounds like you.

Also, you could try a light box. Look up about seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Light boxes work very well for depression, as well as pills, and there is no drug involved. That's a lot less drastic than ECT which is really a treatment reserved for severe depression or for emergencies. One person I know said it saved him from catatonia, another person was sorry she did it because it didn't last, and the memory problems were too severe.

I'm not kidding abuot the light box. My bipolar disorder has never responded very well to medications, and the light box saves me. I use it a lot more than the minimum amount of time.

Answer 4

In talking with people who have had it done (I co-run an email support group for bipolar people) there have been mixed reviews. The most common complaint is memory loss, which can be pretty intense. For those whose depression was relieved, however, they said it was worth it. I think the one other fairly common complaint was having a headache afterwards. There are different ways they can do it...something to do with unilateral vs bilateral...that seems to reduce the side effects. I'm sorry I can't be more specific, I'm really tired at the moment and I don't have their emails in front of me for reference. If you try doing an internet search "unilateral ECT" you may be able to find a clearer description of what I'm trying to say. Here's one site I just found on the subject...http://www.ect.org/effects/squire/squire.html

I know the whole idea of ECT is intimidating and actually downright scary, but the more you understand the procedure, the less fearful you will feel. I think it's important to always get as much info as you can on any sort of treatment you are having done or any meds you are going to be on. Knowledge is power. I'm betting that there are message boards out there where you can talk to people who have had it done (on here your likely to get limited results in that area), which also might help you to feel more comfortable with the idea.

Answer 5

Electo Shock therapy is known to be one of the most effective ways to help depression.

That being said, its misuse in the 50s and 60s make many associate it with barbarism.

Risks include memory loss, vertigo, and nausea.

Some times a change in personality may occur.

A friend of mine had this done after years of suicide attempts and taking antidepressants.

It worked well for her--no longer depressed, just some minor memory problems (remembering dates,etcetera)

Good luck.

Oh, how it is performed--you are given an IV to make you fall asleep, conductive is applied to your lobes, and electricity is directed at your head to make you have a seizure. The seizure is thought to help give balance to the chemicals in your brain.

Good luck again. The best to you.

Answer 6

Electroshock therapy can be very beneficial for people who have depression that hasn't responded to medications. There are few side effects, but you may lose a small amount of your memory from immediately before the treatment.

You would be sedated during the procedure and given muscle relaxants to prevent them from contracting from the treatment.

Answer 7

I have not have EST but I know that: you are almost unconscious during the treatment so you don't feel much, the strenght of the electricity?? is not very strong so it won't stop your heart or cause injury and for some people it has positive results and lightens their depression. I don't believe there are side effects but if they are they are not permenent. Search for it on the internet.

Answer 8

My nephew did a couple of years ago when he was in the state mental hospital for an evaluation for legal proceedings. He volunteered to have it done as part of a therapy program and he said it seemed to help. But then he shot himself last July so I guess it wasn't a permanent fix. 38 cal shock therapy seems to have cured him for sure.

Answer 9

I have not had it done myself but know people that have had it done and they highly recomend NOT GETTING IT DONE. They say they are so much worse after having it done. It was suggested to me too but welbutrin xl and remron seem to be helping me. I still have alot of pain inside that I do not know how to deal with and let go. I hope that I have been of some help to you.

Answer 10

Try sticking a 9 volt battery on your tongue.