Former patient still suffering
Category: News and Personal Accounts
USA Today Series
12-06-1995
Former patient still suffering
Delores McQueen of Lincoln, Calif., received shock treatment in 1993 at CPC Heritage Oaks Hospital in Sacramento. Her bill: $18,000.
“I wouldn’t have minded so much if it had done any good,” says McQueen, who still suffers from deep depression.
McQueen, who has fought depression much of her life, suffered a relapse after her sister died. She was hospitalized and even slashed her wrists in a suicide attempt.
Her psychiatrist recommended shock therapy. She received more than 20 shocks.
McQueen says shock destroyed large parts of her memory:
She couldn’t remember the names of her children.
She got lost driving once-familiar hometown streets.
She forgot how to ride horses, which she’d once trained and showed.
She couldn’t remember family hunting and fishing trips.
She didn’t know who her old friends were, even when they greeted her at the mall.
She couldn’t remember information she’d just read.
“I was assured the problem was short-term, but my memory hasn’t come back. I’m convinced now that it’s gone for good,” she says.
Doctors told her that depression was responsible for the memory loss. “But I’ve had depression for a long time and hadn’t had memory problems,” McQueen says.
After leaving the hospital, McQueen kept getting shock treatment. The treatment was leaving her confused. She also doubted it was helping her depression. But she was reluctant to go against her doctor’s recommendation.
With her church group, she prayed for God to tell her whether to keep getting shocks.
In November 1993, the hospital called to postpone a treatment.
“I took that as a sign from God,” she says. “When they called to reschedule, I said, `No more.’”
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Added: Jul 22, 2006 12:03 pm | Trackback URI | Email This Post | Print
I am 54 years old and had EST in 1969 as a teenager, involuntarily under the hand of Dr. Harvey Hammer at Morristown Memorial Hosp, N.J. It is sad to say it was in a wing filled with teenagers who all unvoluntarily were going through it as well.
To this day, I still have side effects. Strobes, put me in a migrane and seizure. I have to be careful where I sit in a restaurant if there is an overhead fan, making strobe effects on the table, or around the room. WHen I drive, I have to careful where the sunlight is in relation to fences, that will make a strobe like effect on the road.
I can not process forms well, and have friends help me. I still have memory loss.
Who says, these side effects will go away? Doctors? Certainly not, for they don’t. I do compensate fairly ok, but it is constant reminder of the barbaric treatment us teens received. I wonder if I have an legal recourse after all this time? Anyone know?