Comments for ect.org http://www.ect.org Information, statistics, support and discussion: electroconvulsive therapy, aka ECT, electroshock, shock treatment, shock therapy, EST Sat, 17 May 2008 20:44:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 Comment on Fears for dozens of patients given electric shock therapy against their will by janet http://www.ect.org/fears-for-dozens-of-patients-given-electric-shock-therapy-against-their-will/#comment-78056 janet Thu, 15 May 2008 22:56:55 +0000 http://www.ect.org/fears-for-dozens-of-patients-given-electric-shock-therapy-against-their-will/#comment-78056 my fiance is having ect he has only had 5 up to now he is having 2 a week but he is still saying the same thing over and over again he has given up how long will it be before he picks up again he is in hospital but i would like to know more my fiance is having ect he has only had 5 up to now he is having 2 a week but he is still saying the same thing over and over again he has given up how long will it be before he picks up again he is in hospital but i would like to know more

]]> Comment on The Top Three Questions by C.M. http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78050 C.M. Thu, 15 May 2008 18:46:16 +0000 http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78050 Dear Cindy, I just read your last posts, and you are in my thoughts. Treatment of non-psychotic, non-suicidal, non-dangerous people should be voluntary. Considering that you have had strokes, I think it is reasonable for you to wish to try to go off of ECT. I think explaining that you feel coerced and that you think that although ECT has been helpful for you in the past, ECT may have played a role in your strokes, and also agreeing that if you become suicidal you are willing to resume treatments, should be adequate. If not, then it may be a good time to transition to another doctor. I am very sorry that you are having a rough time. You are a thoughtful and kind person-- it shows in your posts-- and I wish I had a magic wand to make things better. Sincerely, C.M. Dear Cindy,

I just read your last posts, and you are in my thoughts.

Treatment of non-psychotic, non-suicidal, non-dangerous people should be voluntary. Considering that you have had strokes, I think it is reasonable for you to wish to try to go off of ECT. I think explaining that you feel coerced and that you think that although ECT has been helpful for you in the past, ECT may have played a role in your strokes, and also agreeing that if you become suicidal you are willing to resume treatments, should be adequate. If not, then it may be a good time to transition to another doctor.

I am very sorry that you are having a rough time.
You are a thoughtful and kind person– it shows in your posts– and I wish I had a magic wand to make things better.

Sincerely,
C.M.

]]> Comment on The Top Three Questions by Angela http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78028 Angela Thu, 15 May 2008 06:07:06 +0000 http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78028 Cindy I feel so bad for you I know one thing for sure that a doctor can not drop you for stoping ECT He can however if you refuse ECT and then medication or whatever else he has suggested as an alternative, but not for just the ECT. I'm not sure where your from, or how you go about getting a psyc doc, but I had kind of the same problem, my doctor has a different approach he wants to take with me and hs told me he will drop me if I don't take it, Where I'm at they are in extremly short demand and if you even have one your considered lucky i guess Some how I found out, from people who I'm in DBT class with that there is a procedure you have to go through I called my doctor, my GP and told her my problem and she has decided to re-refer me to a new one, luckly the new psych doc agreed to take me on. but of course there is a 3 month wait with her What i was suppose to do before my doctor was to, legally?? I'm not sure if thats the right term but anyways was, i was suppose to fire my doctor, claiming, differences of opinions before ohip would cover a new doctor for me she did it anyways for me cause she knew that he would then refuse to see me if he found out that i was gonna leave him, so she's letting me wait till I get in to see the new doctor. Best of luck to you and remember that a doctor can't pressure you into ECT and can't drop you cause you changed your mind about it and no longer wish to receive that form of treatment Cindy
I feel so bad for you
I know one thing for sure that a doctor can not drop you for stoping ECT
He can however if you refuse ECT and then medication or whatever else he has suggested as an alternative, but not for just the ECT.
I’m not sure where your from, or how you go about getting a psyc doc, but I had kind of the same problem, my doctor has a different approach he wants to take with me and hs told me he will drop me if I don’t take it,
Where I’m at they are in extremly short demand and if you even have one your considered lucky i guess
Some how I found out, from people who I’m in DBT class with that there is a procedure you have to go through
I called my doctor, my GP and told her my problem and she has decided to re-refer me to a new one, luckly the new psych doc agreed to take me on.
but of course there is a 3 month wait with her
What i was suppose to do before my doctor was to, legally?? I’m not sure if thats the right term
but anyways was, i was suppose to fire my doctor, claiming, differences of opinions before ohip would cover a new doctor for me
she did it anyways for me cause she knew that he would then refuse to see me if he found out that i was gonna leave him, so she’s letting me wait till I get in to see the new doctor.
Best of luck to you and remember that a doctor can’t pressure you into ECT and can’t drop you cause you changed your mind about it and no longer wish to receive that form of treatment

]]> Comment on The Top Three Questions by Cindy http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78008 Cindy Wed, 14 May 2008 21:11:18 +0000 http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-78008 I have written to this website before and now I need some advice. I have maintenance treatments every three weeks and I have asked my doctor over and over to stop them but he thinks I still need them and said for at least until I am stable for 6 months. My last episode was in February which leaves me until August. I trust my doctor but want to stop ect. He'll probably drop me as his patient if I go against what he has said. At this point, I would like to stop them to see if I could live without them. Any advice? I have written to this website before and now I need some advice.

I have maintenance treatments every three weeks and I have asked my doctor over and over to stop them but he thinks I still need them and said for at least until I am stable for 6 months. My last episode was in February which leaves me until August. I trust my doctor but want to stop ect. He’ll probably drop me as his patient if I go against what he has said. At this point, I would like to stop them to see if I could live without them. Any advice?

]]> Comment on Electroconvulsive Therapy Causes Permanent Amnesia And Cognitive Deficits, Prominent Researcher Admits by L. Brown http://www.ect.org/electroconvulsive-therapy-causes-permanent-amnesia-and-cognitive-deficits-prominent-researcher-admits/#comment-77962 L. Brown Tue, 13 May 2008 20:47:22 +0000 http://www.ect.org/electroconvulsive-therapy-causes-permanent-amnesia-and-cognitive-deficits-prominent-researcher-admits/#comment-77962 My husband had ect treatments for his depression. It didn't help his depression but it also left him with short term memory loss. We were told that the chances of that happpening were slim ...WRONG!! He has lost all of his memory during the time he had them. Many important events occured during that time,birth of our first granchild(he was there and remembers nothing.)We thought that was going to be it then he started losing his short term memory. Needless to say,things only got worse after ect. I think they should be banned!!! My husband had ect treatments for his depression. It didn’t help his depression but it also left him with short term memory loss. We were told that the chances of that happpening were slim …WRONG!! He has lost all of his memory during the time he had them. Many important events occured during that time,birth of our first granchild(he was there and remembers nothing.)We thought that was going to be it then he started losing his short term memory. Needless to say,things only got worse after ect. I think they should be banned!!!

]]> Comment on Hormone link to ECT side effects by David Sturdy http://www.ect.org/hormone-link-to-ect-side-effects/#comment-77896 David Sturdy Mon, 12 May 2008 08:21:00 +0000 http://www.ect.org/hormone-link-to-ect-side-effects/#comment-77896 All my life I have had a mother with severe mental problems in the form of depression and wild mood swings. The effects have been devastating on our family and friends leading to problems such as rifts, depression of others and alcoholism to name but a few. Up until recently I had always accepted the reality of living with a 'Jekyll and Hyde' mother who can literally jump from being sweet and kind to pure evil in a heartbeat. However after recently finding out she suffered from post natal depression after the birth of my elder brother and was given ECT therapy without consent or proper teaching about possible long term side effects, I want some answers. I've read that having such therapy when a hormonal balance is present can increase the risk of mood swings so would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction to talk to someone about this. Thanks for your time D Sturdy UK All my life I have had a mother with severe mental problems in the form of depression and wild mood swings.
The effects have been devastating on our family and friends leading to problems such as rifts, depression of others and alcoholism to name but a few.
Up until recently I had always accepted the reality of living with a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ mother who can literally jump from being sweet and kind to pure evil in a heartbeat. However after recently finding out she suffered from post natal depression after the birth of my elder brother and was given ECT therapy without consent or proper teaching about possible long term side effects, I want some answers.

I’ve read that having such therapy when a hormonal balance is present can increase the risk of mood swings so would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction to talk to someone about this.

Thanks for your time
D Sturdy
UK

]]> Comment on About ect.org by Sue http://www.ect.org/about-ect-org/#comment-77854 Sue Sun, 11 May 2008 13:36:38 +0000 http://www.ect.org/about-ect-org/#comment-77854 I was forced to have insulin shock therapy at age 20 because of a suicide attempt. In Texas it is illegal to try to commit suicide and I was locked up in the State Psychopathic Ward, and had Insulin Shock administered against my will. I am now 60,and have a lot of physical problems, and I have huge patches of time involving years that I have no memory of. Is there any treatment or anyone that can help me? I was forced to have insulin shock therapy at age 20 because of a suicide attempt. In Texas it is illegal to try to commit suicide and I was locked up in the State Psychopathic Ward, and had Insulin Shock administered against my will.

I am now 60,and have a lot of physical problems, and I have huge patches of time involving years that I have no memory of.

Is there any treatment or anyone that can help me?

]]> Comment on The Top Three Questions by Stacy http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-77810 Stacy Fri, 09 May 2008 22:19:52 +0000 http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-77810 I have spent 10 years trying every type of antidepressant made to no avail. My doctor has been urging me to get ECT for a couple years now. I have voiced my concerns over the memory loss and possible brain injury, but she feels like today's ECT is much safer than it use to be. In reading the posts it is difficult to tell who has received bilateral ECT and who has received unilateral ECT. I was interested in knowing if those who have received unilateral ECT recently are still experiencing the same memory loss and brain damage. I would really like to enjoy my life again, but I don't think I would be happy with permanent brain difficulties either. Thanks in advance. I have spent 10 years trying every type of antidepressant made to no avail. My doctor has been urging me to get ECT for a couple years now. I have voiced my concerns over the memory loss and possible brain injury, but she feels like today’s ECT is much safer than it use to be. In reading the posts it is difficult to tell who has received bilateral ECT and who has received unilateral ECT. I was interested in knowing if those who have received unilateral ECT recently are still experiencing the same memory loss and brain damage. I would really like to enjoy my life again, but I don’t think I would be happy with permanent brain difficulties either. Thanks in advance.

]]> Comment on The Top Three Questions by Angela http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-77756 Angela Fri, 09 May 2008 03:25:51 +0000 http://www.ect.org/the-top-three-questions/#comment-77756 ECT in 1967 was a bit diffrent then it is now in 2008, I do agree on Talking about your problems but when you are so depressed that you don't have a light at the end of your tunnel you really don't care about talking, all you want is your problems over. I really didn't want to do the ECT, but I had no will to my life left, ECT did end up giving it back to me. Now that I'm stabablized i'm in therapy that i could never of even attempeted befor the ECT But even though it worked it's not just shocking your brain, your getting put under, and that's a major risk, and complications happen all the time ECT really, really should be a last resort, but never not there for the ones who want it. ECT in 1967 was a bit diffrent then it is now in 2008, I do agree on Talking about your problems but when you are so depressed that you don’t have a light at the end of your tunnel you really don’t care about talking, all you want is your problems over.

I really didn’t want to do the ECT, but I had no will to my life left, ECT did end up giving it back to me.
Now that I’m stabablized i’m in therapy that i could never of even attempeted befor the ECT
But even though it worked it’s not just shocking your brain, your getting put under, and that’s a major risk, and complications happen all the time
ECT really, really should be a last resort, but never not there for the ones who want it.

]]> Comment on ect.org Position Statement by karen http://www.ect.org/position-statement/#comment-77730 karen Thu, 08 May 2008 19:04:30 +0000 http://www.ect.org/position-statement/#comment-77730 Update from January 4, 2008: I previously wrote about my mom's severe mental illness and if ect would help her. My brother and I were so afraid to subject her to the treatment, but when she hit 72 pounds and no sign of improvement, we thought it best. By the 4th treatment, I walked into her room and saw the face of my mom that i knew. She was so happy and asking me so many questions. I cried I was so overwhelmed. It worked. They continued to do up to 6. The sixth was the most terrifying day of my life. I walked into her hospital room and there was a fowl odor. She was unable to control her bowel movements. I brought her into the bathroom and she did not know how to use the restroom or take a shower. She had forgotten everything. Within a week, her memory had come back. She was better than she had been in close to a year. She has since had "maintenance treatments" which continue to work for her. The problem is the results don't work for long. She is due for another treatment soon, as she is refusing to eat again. I do wish drug treatment could work for her though. Update from January 4, 2008:

I previously wrote about my mom’s severe mental illness and if ect would help her. My brother and I were so afraid to subject her to the treatment, but when she hit 72 pounds and no sign of improvement, we thought it best.

By the 4th treatment, I walked into her room and saw the face of my mom that i knew. She was so happy and asking me so many questions. I cried I was so overwhelmed. It worked.

They continued to do up to 6. The sixth was the most terrifying day of my life. I walked into her hospital room and there was a fowl odor. She was unable to control her bowel movements. I brought her into the bathroom and she did not know how to use the restroom or take a shower. She had forgotten everything.

Within a week, her memory had come back. She was better than she had been in close to a year.

She has since had “maintenance treatments” which continue to work for her. The problem is the results don’t work for long. She is due for another treatment soon, as she is refusing to eat again. I do wish drug treatment could work for her though.

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