Your comment is dangerous and irresponsible. This is not the 40’s, ECT is not used lightly; it is the treatment of last resort for severe depression when lifestyle changes, medication and therapy have all failed. The side effects are well-understood and patients who choose ECT do so because the alternative is unbearable.
What you are saying cashes out to the claim that depression can be overcome with sheer positivity and willpower, which is a view I really thought society had gotten over. Please post more responsibly.
Thank you. I've seen the effects of severe depression first hand. It's not a matter of just needing to smile more, it's a serious medical condition that requires professional intervention.
To anyone reading this, if you think you're depressed, please seek out a qualified talk therapist (CBT has been shown to be effective in treating depression) and a qualified physiatrist for medication.
Sorry but there are dozens of studies and hundreds of reports of people basically losing memories of entire portions of their life and the ability to do simple things like tie their shoelaces or do simple math after just one round of ECT. How this is still not banned by the FDA is beyond me.
Not to mention the number of people who get heart complications from it or outright die during the procedure.
How can you say that "the alternative is unbearable"is beyond me, unless you're saying it's better to become mentally disabled than suffer from depression?
The argument that "this is not the same ECT" is also bogus. The difference is now they paralyze you so you don't convulse and break your bones while doing it. They also use a higher voltage (more damaging to brain cells) and higher frequencies with shorter, repeated bursts (also causes more brain damage and hemorrhaging). But it's "better" because the patient doesn't thrash around so much anymore. Give me a break.
Not particularly last resort. And apparently there is a large line-up in the system for people to get this therapy. They claim that there is a lot of efficacy... but apparently for many the symptoms return over time.
The author of the article concludes: "Despite the discomfort and the temporary memory loss it caused, I would have ECT again without hesitation."
Much of psychiatry to me seems like an infant mad science but some of the stuff does have efficacy and if it's going to marginally improve the lives of people who can no longer exist normally in the world, then that's possibly the lesser of two evils.
I've had (unipolar) ECT done, many times, and it didn't work even marginally for me.
It wasn't a forced option, either - I wasn't in an environment where anyone was compelling me, directly or indirectly, to do it, or threatening to do something if I didn't, it was just another option presented to me.
I still don't think it's just a placebo - there's pretty good evidence that it's effective for a number of people, both in the small population of others I know who have had it done and outside of that, even though it wasn't helpful for me.
It also wasn't obviously deeply destructive for me, either - I don't remember the particular days that this was done well (and didn't even a few days after the fact), but I and others haven't noticed any memory or activity issues outside of that.
Do you have specific documentation of why you have these strong opinions?
I have personally witnessed a psychotic manic patient, who by her own account was _not_ sick, undergo treatment, and be completely free of mania and psychosis in 3-4 hours.
It's certainly no placebo; it results in immediate (if somewhat temporary) mood changes in many cases. Most of the side effects are probably from the general anesthesia rather than the induced seizures.
One problem with ECT is that many psychiatric medicines (e.g. lamotrigine) are also anticonvulsants so it requires stopping or reducing doses of those medicines which can cause problems.
Analemma_|6 years ago
What you are saying cashes out to the claim that depression can be overcome with sheer positivity and willpower, which is a view I really thought society had gotten over. Please post more responsibly.
CoffeeInMyCup|6 years ago
To anyone reading this, if you think you're depressed, please seek out a qualified talk therapist (CBT has been shown to be effective in treating depression) and a qualified physiatrist for medication.
imperio59|6 years ago
Not to mention the number of people who get heart complications from it or outright die during the procedure.
How can you say that "the alternative is unbearable"is beyond me, unless you're saying it's better to become mentally disabled than suffer from depression?
The argument that "this is not the same ECT" is also bogus. The difference is now they paralyze you so you don't convulse and break your bones while doing it. They also use a higher voltage (more damaging to brain cells) and higher frequencies with shorter, repeated bursts (also causes more brain damage and hemorrhaging). But it's "better" because the patient doesn't thrash around so much anymore. Give me a break.
Summary of the issues with ECT and associated studies: https://truthaboutect.org/ect-causes-brain-damage-a-review-o...
http://emord.com/blawg/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1-ECT-Citi...
devoply|6 years ago
The author of the article concludes: "Despite the discomfort and the temporary memory loss it caused, I would have ECT again without hesitation."
Much of psychiatry to me seems like an infant mad science but some of the stuff does have efficacy and if it's going to marginally improve the lives of people who can no longer exist normally in the world, then that's possibly the lesser of two evils.
rincebrain|6 years ago
It wasn't a forced option, either - I wasn't in an environment where anyone was compelling me, directly or indirectly, to do it, or threatening to do something if I didn't, it was just another option presented to me.
I still don't think it's just a placebo - there's pretty good evidence that it's effective for a number of people, both in the small population of others I know who have had it done and outside of that, even though it wasn't helpful for me.
It also wasn't obviously deeply destructive for me, either - I don't remember the particular days that this was done well (and didn't even a few days after the fact), but I and others haven't noticed any memory or activity issues outside of that.
Do you have specific documentation of why you have these strong opinions?
8fingerlouie|6 years ago
I have personally witnessed a psychotic manic patient, who by her own account was _not_ sick, undergo treatment, and be completely free of mania and psychosis in 3-4 hours.
cozzyd|6 years ago
One problem with ECT is that many psychiatric medicines (e.g. lamotrigine) are also anticonvulsants so it requires stopping or reducing doses of those medicines which can cause problems.