I’ve met many patients over the years in hospital who regularly keep coming back for maintenance ECT. After a few years of this they usually don’t function too well, because of severe memory problems.
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Well, I certainly don’t need my memory to be any worse than it already is…
Can you try Ketamine in your country? It’s supposed to be really good.
or tMS?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
They are doing trials of it in Depression here
I’ve also read that the release of Oxytocin, (The hugging chemical) can also help depression.
On a positive note, I’m hoping that getting off of Saphris will help me. I know that plays a major role in my lack of motivation. I have my fingers crossed that the Risperidone will be less of a depressant.
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Here you will find the papers against ECT.
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I found Abilify lifted my mood heaps. It really worked for me as an antidepressant as well as AP
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The article you posted cites papers from the 40’s… Some more modern, but many of them are older and from a time period when ECT was quite different.
True! That’s because it went out of fashion to question ECT. This one is from 2006
http://www.ectresources.org/ECTscience/Ross_2006___Sham_ECT_Literatures.pdf
But as you say it mainly reviews old literature.
This is the guy from that website writing to the FDA is 2010:
http://www.ectresources.org/ECTscience/Breggin_2010_ECT__AAA__Overview_written_to_FDA____Brain_Damage___Memory_Loss_.pdf
In it he sites some larger studies done in the late 2000’s
The only reason I put this here, is that it’s not controversy free and not completely harmless
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I certainly appreciate it, @unbe.
@Happy_h In the end it’s up to you. You need to do what you think is best and the risk your willing to take depends on your suffering. It’s supposed to work well in the short term (month or three).
After hearing from everyone and reading your articles, I think it’s best left alone. I’m sza bipolar type, so I should eventually swing around into mania, right? Just kidding. But on a serious note, maybe my mood will change given the bipolar aspect of sza… There is always a chance, right?
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You could also look into getting TMS treatments done.
It’s less invasive than ECT.
There is also Ketamine treatments.
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I may well be biased against ECT because:
I was forced to have it against my will
It did nothing for my symptoms - I was no different afterwards.
I’ve had severe memory problems ever since
But that is just my experience
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My pdoc is concerned that TMS will cause mania. She wants me to try ECT, but we are discussing it. I’ve allayed my fears to her, so we’ll see what she has to say.
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I had a short course of treatment when I was mid 20s (now mid 40s). The benefit was short term and I didn’t really think it helped me with my problems which were losing my job and newly diagnosed schizophrenia (first time in hospital). They discharged me soon after (not sure if this was because they saw some difference or because they didn’t know what else to do with me). It did shift my mind from ruminating on magical things so I saw the reality of my situation (which was more depressing since I had no magic to make me happy).
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I think I’ve answered your post before this one… pm me if you want. I’m happy to help.
I’d be dead from suicide if I hadn’t had 3 separate series of ECT.
The most important thing is to have the pdoc you see, outpatient, do the ECT. I thought these same things… my pdoc bluntly asked me if I thought I would continue being unsuccessful at suicide attempts… that rang true to me…
Also, my therapist commented on how much better I seemed, but… ultimately, it’s your decision. Do what YOU feel is best, for you… I’m just one example of it working.
I’m sending you hugs, and wishing you success in your recovery, regardless of what you decide. 