RE: Electro Convulsive Shock Therapy (ECT)

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RE: Electro Convulsive Shock Therapy (ECT) - 8/2/2012 9:04:13 AM

Aswad

Posts: 9374
Joined: 4/4/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: sheisreeds

Both times I was inpatient it was on units that did ECT, I found the ECT terrifying. People would come back from a treatment and sometimes barely know their name. However, it can be really beneficial in certain cases of severe depression.

One patient around these parts was pretty much catatonic, essentially not doing anything whatsoever but not resisting whatever the nurses did, either. Kind of like a doll, except if you set him to walking, he would walk to wherever you pointed him and sit down. Occasionally, he would speak, usually a short sentence like "this just isn't working" or "we're all just circling the drain" or the like, but he never actually replied to anything you said, nor did he even really seem to register that there were people around. Nurses would take care of changing his diapers and things like that, because he didn't get out of bed to void or defecate anymore, nor did he sleep unless medicated.

Then he had his first ECT treatment.

Walked into the mess area afterwards, made himself some lunch, sat down with the others and had a lively conversation, smiling, laughing and making jokes. Nothing about it to indicate he had any sort of depression at all. A few weeks later, he was released into outpatient care. Apparently, he's still in remission, although I would assume he's on maintenance medications to prevent any relapse. The wife and kids were thrilled to have him back. I've no idea if he had any memory loss, but if he did, I'm not sure that anyone minded, given the alternative.

Most people would prefer to live with the side effects, rather than being a zombie.

IWYW,
— Aswad.

_____________________________

"If God saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind.
From then on I knew: God doesn't make the world this way.
We do." -- Rorschack, Watchmen.

(in reply to sheisreeds)