I refused ECT. Would you?

A few weeks ago, after failing Caplyta and struggling to improve on the Thorazine, my pdoc recommended I do ECT at the local teaching hospital. I flat out, in no uncertain terms told him, “I will not now, nor ever, have ECT. Ever.” It zapped by father’s memory and he ended up blowing his head into something resembling an opened banana with a shotgun. My wife has an aunt that underwent ECT, and it totally borked her. I’m having a fair bit of success now with Stelazine, and it makes me even more righteous in refusing ECT.

So my question to y’all is, would you ever do ECT? If not, why?

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Never.

I can’t even stay on APs because I’m afraid of what it’s doing to my mind and body,

I’m definitely not doing something permanent.

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They didn’t recommend it, and I was sort of hesitant anyways, and my mom is against it, so noo. I don’t think I would do it now that I have bad memories. I was hoping it would help me because early on I had or thought I had psychotic depression. I think rtms is better though and safer. I would do that.

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Yes, this right here. Totally agree. MRI scans show no loss in grey matter for me since my first MRI at 14 and when I was really getting going on APs. I think the “loss of grey matter” is at least a non-issue for me.

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The memory loss thing scares me. I would never do ECT, I think it’s kind of barbaric.

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I actually asked my pdoc to do ECT for negative symptoms on me when I was so desperate, he said its only used for depression, its not for sz. Now I feel a bit better and dont think about changing my treatment anymore as I am stable. I just want one last attempt by trying Strattera and Rexulti.

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My father’s short term memory was zapped (no pun intended) and he never recovered it. Another reason not to duck around with ECT.

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I did it and would not recommend it. Horrible memory problems. Just made everything worse. :hatched_chick::hatched_chick::hatched_chick:

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I had no choice about having ect - it was a court ordered treatment. My memory of the whole of 2020 is pretty much gone and I really struggle remembering things now.

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I’m so sorry @Schwann. That’s a crime in my opinion. I am so, so very sorry.

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Yeah it’s pretty awful and was so upsetting at the time - I had 16 rounds too which is a lot. I’m pretty convinced the whole thing contributed significantly to my current memory problems.

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Without a doubt it’s affected your memory. My god, I thought we’d come further as a society. That should not have been allowed to happen. What is this? 1940? Yeah, 16 is a lot. My father had 12 bilateral treatments. It helped his depression a lot, but two years later it had “worn off” and they wanted to repeat. He chose suicide instead. Internet hug…ECT is an issue that hits close to home, and knowing you were ordered to it makes me both very sad, and very angry.

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I dont know why they use ECT in this age, might as well do a lobotomy as well

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I’d consider it if my other options were limited.

No way. I saw disturbing things in state ward.

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I refused it too

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No. Never. ECT is torture.

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I think it has its uses but my memory is pretty messed up as it is lol.

Within hours of being hospitalised for the first time this testosterone oozing psychiatrist kept pushing me to accept ECT to treat my depression. When I flatly refused he practically got angry and kept listing its advantages while failing to disclose the risks. Everything I’ve read on the topic since then made me certain I made the right decision ECT should only be considered in fairly extreme cases.

If there was only an emoji for how I’d respond to a pdoc when posed with this dilemma

:thinking:

:fu: