Linda Andre’s book is brilliant. She is the first person to step forward and share her own personal experience. Many people suffer the long term effects from ECT and suffer in silence because of the stigma attached.

As someone who has experience working on class action suits I am aware it only takes two people to start one.

I am an advocate of psychiatry and feel it is in the best interest of physicians to educate themselves on the facts now surfacing about ECT.

Linda Andre’s book is successful in bringing attention to a subject that many physicians turn deny.
Now that Linda Andre uncovered the long term effects associated with ECT hidden in court records, medical documentation and FDA archives physicians can no longer turn their backs on this subject. “Ignorantia juris non excusat” or “Ignorantia legis neminem excusat” (Latin for “ignorance of the law does not excuse” one. Simply put; physicians are now in a position where they can be held liable.

Thank you Linda for bringing this subject to light.

Nadia
nadiagw88@gmail.com

I just had eleven ECT treatments for bi polar. It was used to treat my compulsive nature with gambling and my depression. It seems to have worked as I don’t feel depressed. I am having trouble with short term and long term memory right now. I really do feel better. My longest seizure was only 34 seconds but they said the Dr was happy with the results. If anyone can give me more insight and feedback it would be welcomed. Today is Friday and my last treatment was this past Monday at St Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor Michigan. I was in the day program at Arbor Wood at St Joes. It was done by Dr A. Ramirez

It’s been about six weeks since I finished a month in a VA hospital where I had eleven treatments. They sent me home on a lot of psych meds and for the next three weeks I felt worse than I ever did before my suicide attempt that promted the hospitalization. Then I began weaning myself off the meds and started feeling better, slowly. I’m finally what I call all the way back to a better state of normal than in many years. My memory is better than before, and the weirdest thing is that I’d been sexually disfunctional for the previous ten years – but now I’m fine, and I’m 62. It kicked my ass, but now seems worth the grief.

Hi , I am a long term survivor of this ” therapy ” . It shattered my life . It was used to erase memory in my case as well as adolsecent behaviour modification . This was done in the mid sixties . Since this horrific period in my life I have tried to contact as many survivors as I could of this doctor that harmed my life in his chase of money . It has been hit and miss over the years but in talking to many people I have not found one that said this man helped them or their families . Not one . Maybe in the right hands this can have value . In the wrong hands it is ugly . I have seen it first hand . I have no doubts the things I have seen go on today in some places . You dont hear about those stories on 60 minutes . All you hear about is how wonderful it is

I was given electric shock treatments without my consent or knowledge in 1980.I actually went to the emergency ward with severe stomach pain.The Doctor put me in the psyche ward.I was 22 , the Doctor told my mother that I was suffering from depression and thet electric shock treatment might help.My mother signed the papers and she admits that what she did was illegal.My life has not been the same scince.There is a lot that I don’t remember.I also have isolated myself over the years.I was diagnosed as bipolar,I feel that even though this happened 30 years ago that I have the right to sue.I really don’t know what to do.I know that my life would have been totally different if I didn’t have this treatment. Any suggestions?

If you have MRI’s or Pet scans of your brain before the treatments and go to a neurologist educated in this area he will compare slides of your brain now with old scans to determine if the deterioration in the hippocampus stopped. If your memory remains a problem and he notices deterioration in this area your neurologist will consider putting you on a medication that will hinder the progression of deterioration to the area effected. Linda Andre’s book does not discusses the problems that arise from ECT but does not provide solutions, cite physicians who can help in this area.

Does anyone know of any sites or books that may provide information that will enable survivors of treatment to move forward with neurological care, and what steps to take to be proactive in preventing further deterioration?

This would be helpful to everyone and provide more hope to the survivors.

In response to Teresa . You cant sue the garbage that did this to you . They are protected by the statute of limitations . As far as I know the only thing I know that is not subject to this statute in america is murder . Other than that give it seven years and there is not a thing you can do .

I had ECT in late Febuary early March. I am still experinces severe disruption of memory. Almost all of the last year is lost. I can only figure out what happened in 2009 by reading my own emails from that time period. I am very disheartend. I feel alone and with no one to talk to about the memory loss as my physician sort of blows it off. It did not work at all for the depression and I actually got worse becasue I had to stop my lamictal. Then I had to titrate myself back up on lamicatal to a therapuetic dose. So not only was it a failure it has left me with a severly damaged memory. How am I supposed to go back to work like this.

I am ashamed to admit that I’ve had ECT. I am trying to get a question answered but to no avail. I had 3 Bilateral ECT sessions and was on 300mg of Lamictal while they were inducing the seizures. This makes no sense to me. I am more depressed since the procedure and feel I had cognitive difficulties (memory/vocabulary). Why didn’t they take me off Lamictal (was on prior for at least 4 years) to the ECT treatments? Thanks anyone?

Sharon, I’m currently on maintenance ECT. I too am on 300 mg of Lamictal daily. Because Lamictal can interfere with the seizure caused by ECT, thereby lessening its effectiveness, my doctor told me not to take it the day before treatment. I also have been told not to take another drug, Topamax, the day prior to ECT for the same reason.

My Wife had ect just over 2yrs ago now, she had 12 hits in total and not much has changed her moods have settled abit but the fatigue and memory loss is the most worring part.She sleeps avg 18 hrs/ day and forgets what she is doing and gets distracted very easily. After the ECT she went back to Mental Health and they just washed there hands of her saying nothing else we can do. When i brought up about memory loss they said not from ECT. They others who had ECT with her had the same response from doctors. I can understand all your frustration and i fell for your partners, they need to give more info before the treatment and more support afterwards. We are in Queensland Australia and there is no support from the doctors who do the treament. Hang in there every one.
thanks

I had ECT for 2 years, it started at once a week and then went to 3. I have no memory of my life at all. I lost all my work skills also. I know I would not have survived without it. It has been a year since my last treatment, and I am no longer depressed. It is hard not to have any memories of my life but it did save me.

I just wish I had someone to talk to about it, there is no support like Nathan said.

Stay strong xx

To Leah,

I am sorry that you are going through all of this alone.Have you ever thought of starting a support group? you might mention this to your Doctor and he could somehow help.
Although my life changed, I still managed to reach my life time goals and I wrote a book
called Walking on Eggshells, I was so ashamed of what happened to me I used the pen name Erin Quinn.In the book I discuss how I was given electric shock treatments without my consent or knowledge.If anyone wants a copy of this book they can google Walking on Eggshells By Erin Quinn and order it.I think it is a real eye opener about what happens in
hospitals.

My mother checked into the hospital severely depressed and delusional. The docs tried every med possible, but nothing worked. After a month of this, we finally convinced her to try ECT. It was the only thing that actually worked, that pulled her out of her incredibly deep hole so that the mess and talk therapy could begin to work. I don’t know where we’d be w/o ECT.

wow. what a diverse set of experiences with this tx. After a lifetime of mostly untreated depression coupled with chronic and acute back pain, at 53 I’m really burned out on low quality of life. The meds I have tried haven’t done much and most made me worse. I’m seriously considering ect and it obviously is a serious matter. Losing life/work skills and memory is a huge risk. I am deeply moved by the testimony of those who have had this forced on them and been damaged with dismissal at the end! Also hopeful at the responses which indicate improvement. At least I have a conscious choice about it.

Regarding ECT with depression, consider this;

* Neuropsych studies demonstrate that patients with depression exhibit reduced functioning within an array of cognitive domains, including attention, executive cognition, episodic memory, explicit verbal and visual memory, visuospatial learning, reduced response to positive/ joyful information and more
* Studies using SPECT, PET and functional MRI technology have reported reduced neurophysiological activity in brain regions known to support cognitive functioning in people with depression, in line with the cognitive reductions. E.g. studies of performance on challenging cognitive tasks and of the ”basic resting state” have documented a reduced blood flow in the anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in depression (two brain regions central to “executive” cognitive functions”
* ECT further reduces cognitive functioning in recipients
* ECT further deranges activity in executive cognitive networks of the dorsolateral prefrontal korteks, anterior cingulate and more
* The degree of behavioral changes following ECT correlates strongly with the degree of cognitive derangement and with the degree of neuropsychological derangement

It appears to me that ECT leads to a “functional lobotomy”, suggesting it cannot be a treatment for anything. Instead one might expect the exact opposite type of intervention to aid in depression, that aims at restoring cognitive and neuropsychological functioning.

My doctors are trying to push me into this “ect’ after years of depression. My depression and mostly anxiety have only been mild for most of my life and just more severe the last 6 months. I have not tried that many drugs. Any help or direction would be appreciated, PLEASE!
Thank You.

I have had only 5 treatments so far… my sixth is scheduled this a.m. I am scared to death trying to figure out what to do. I feel like I am constantly on the edge with no way out. I pray for the right decision…

My wife is hospitalised & the doctor has asked for the ECT treatment??? Reading on with the comments i am scarred should i go for it no not. Please help?????

I have had a bipolar epidode since April and the usual medications have not worked very well. My Doctor is pushing me to have ect and has sent me for a second opinion which I have no doubt will suggest the same. Over the years while hospitalised I have watched people go off for ect, come back wrecked and confused, get discharged and then 4-6 weeks later come back as depressed as they were before, for more ect. What a life! Iwill NEVER have ect and have made my daughter my power of attorney over medical decisions and she would never consent to it. I have heard from patients that have had ect that they can’t remeber their child’s wedding or graduation from uni etc. etc. and these events are after ect. My doctor tells me I may have some TEMPORARY loss of memory of the month pre and post ect and I just don’t believe her. I’ve seen enough to draw my own conclusions.

I aamagedm considering a lawsuit due to the negative affects of ect. does anyone know how to proceed? Any lawyers specializing, class action suits etc.

I have been horibly d

There is so much negative comments regarding ect. I just want people who are trying to decide If It is for them there are good outcomes. Yes there are side effects and they can differ person to person. I had a very large amount of ect for a extensive period. I lost my entire memory, however I no longer feel the extreme physical and emotional torment of depression and anxiety. I have been able to laugh, smile and enjoy things. I am no longer worrying the people I love. I am very thankful for the treatment. All other alternatives were tried and tried again with no positive results. I took the risk and thank god everyday for the freedom ect gave me. When deciding if ect is for you please know it can really help. Memory loss and other side effects are not as common as forums display. Do your research, talk to your proffesionals and do what is best for you……. I did.

I have a cousin who I am helping care for. She has been depressed for the past 6 years and severely depressed for the past 3 years. She has been on every kind of depression medicine you can name and all have proven to be ineffective. She was recently hospitalized and the docs have mentioned ECT as a last resort. I am researching and reading up on this procedure before I make a final decision. It seems as though there are mixed results about the therapy. Any advice would be well appreciated!

Thanks

Hi, My physician and psychologist believe I should have ECT therapy because for the last two years I have been dealing with PTSD and Major Depression. I have been on a variety of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications for two years now and have been told I am resistant to the medications. I have had this problem with other medications in the past so it doesn’t surprise me. A large majority of the posts that I have read are from treatments 20-30 years ago. I have the understanding that the procedure has changed a lot over the years. I have an appointment to speak with a specialist about the procedure and am looking for feedback from people who have had this procedure done more recently and for Major Depression. I don’t want to lose my entire memory and I can not live without cognative abilities. I do have a family to support and bills to pay and without these abilities I would not be able to do my job. Anyone with positive responses would be appreciated.
Thank you.

I’m currently having ECT at my own request for the worsening of my depression. I have had it many times in the past, and have recommended it. It is not a decision to take lightly, but it can be a life-saver for some people. I have what is called treatment-resistant depression, and Zoloft is the only medication that has ever worked for me, or anyone in my family. I take 200 mg a day. I also take a couple dozen other meds because I am allergic to the Zoloft. I sought and received a Vagal Nerve Stimulator, which has helped a lot. The reason I’m back in ECT now is we thought maybe I could finally stop the Zoloft. That backfired. Oh well. I’m glad it’s available, but definitely, go into any decision about it carefully informed and know there is always a risk. A friend of mine had it and lost her entire memory, as well as her sign language skills and became completely unable to work as a sign language interpreter for several years. She finally regained most of her memory, but it was a terrible experience. One thing that was a factor was that she hadn’t told her doctor everything that was going on, and she had an underlying mental disorder that made ECT a bad choice, which the doctor didn’t know about. So information is power, know the risk and consider them carefully.

I had ECT 12 yrs ago after several antidepressants not working. At the time I was suicidal and cried all the time. My Dr. Told me I may have a little memory loss from around the time of the tx but it should all come back. I agreed and had 14 txs. My depression improved, I became numb to it at the time. My memory…I have lost a lot of my childrens childhoods. My head still feels foggy and my memory now is suffering. I have a hard time staying focused. Things have to be repeated several times for it to stick with me. I have relapsed into depression and have been hospitalized at least 3 times since. I am fearful of totally losing my cognitive abilities as I get older.

I,ve had treatment resistant depression for 20 plus years. Now i,m researching ECT. I,ve gotten the rosy pictures and buffered statistics from the hospitals and other proponents. The statements i value more are from the patients and their caretakers, and those seem to be overwhelmingly negative. I don’t seem to be able to find any sites that show me how to talk to anyone in person, support groups, etc. I would appreciate direction to ANY site that has positive responses just so i can see if there really ARE any substantial pleasing results out there.

If you are considering ECT, don’t rely on what you read at this website since the website owner is offering medical advice without any qualifications whatsoever. Cutting and pasting selected articles and encouraging anecdotal comments which may or may not even be from people with actual ECT experiences is not the sort of action a loving or responsible individual would take.

The owner of this website, Juli Lawrence, has certainly contributed to a number of deaths by suicide, including that of my sister who referenced this site in her suicide note. I will tell you with all certainty, that ECT is an alternative to suicide and that this sort of fear-mongering works against making a rational choice, especially if you are on the ragged edge when you read these postings. I, personally, respect the right of an individual to decide to end his or her own life when the pain is unbearable and there is no hope. However, ECT works for some people, and it might have worked for my sister. Many suicidal individuals will visit a site like this one. Persuading a suicidal person that ECT offers no hope is like handing him or her a loaded gun. Juli Lawrence ought to consider that.

Wow. That is what one might consider an attempt on an authority expression from Rethief.

Please sir or madam, do consider reciting evidence, within an appropriate discipline understanding, we are talking about those with mental health problems and the best evidence based treament. Within this, ECT has provided a total failure, whether the victim is diagnosed with depression, suicidality, depressive psychosis, schizophrenia or others. There is no evidence in the scientific literature that ECT works. On the contrary, it is clear that ECT weakens cognitive functioning, seen very clearly in memory, but also in attention, ability to perceive and comprehent the scenario etc. When you look at the brain, it is clear why this is so, the intervention weakens basic neurophysiological functions supporting cognition, go read.

If a person suffers strongly in life, feels it as hopeless, and things about suicide, there are many options available to getting your brain fried by electricity. Big chance is that suicidal means wanting to escape from life, there is too much pain, maybe a cry for help, but maybe the hope for help has ended. A good relation to another person in this situation often helps, someone who can be there, trusted, who understands and provides safety. This is part of the basis of psychological or social medical approaches to all mental suffering my friend, a huge literature base would put you on track.

On the specific note of feeling like ending life; I think everyone feels better in one feels in control of ones life, feeling that this control is respected might be experienced as positive – in particular if it happens within a relation with a person one trusts. Maybe someone who wants to die would have a hope for a secure base in terms of a person or group of those, who could give the breathing room and support to allow one to stabilize, realize and integrate, and get strength to look for new ways to cope with reality.

I don’t believe for a moment that someone referenced this website in a suicide note. This guy is a fraud – he’s posted on other websites saying similar nonsense.

In two weeks I’ll be going in for my 82nd maintenance ECT treatment. Obviously I wouldn’t continue with my treatments if they weren’t working for me. Yes, I have had memory loss. I look on the light side though: I used to get bored when re-runs of TV programs came on, but now they’re all new to me. Ha-ha.

Judy

I love your humour

Patricia
I recently completed a treatment regime of 12 rounds of ECT after a suicide attempt. I have been on almost every kind of antidepressant medication w/cymbalta being the most recent. Now after the ECT i have severe memory loss, left side numbness (upper and lower being effected). They have added more medication than i have ever been on (abilify, remeron, cymbalta, trazadone, + 2 more i cant recall the names). Has anyone else experienced the left sided tingling and numbness? I need to find out if this is a side effect so i can plan how to treat it instead of stumbling around the internet trying to find the truth. The ECT was given to me supposedly with my consent but since my memory is gone i dont know if that is true or not. My next appointment isnt until 9/10 with my therapist so i am on my own until then. It amazes me how Psychiatry is permitted to police itself. If this were a medical condition i would not have to suffer alone for weeks on end.