Should i try ect

TMS is a procedure that creates magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. The doctor performing the treatment will determine the amount of magnetic energy needed during the first treatment session.

TMS treatments will last about 40 minutes. Several sessions generally are required over a period of weeks. TMS should not be used to treat anyone experiencing depression with psychosis or bipolar disorder or having a high risk of suicide.

It also cannot be used if a person has a pacemaker or any metal objects in their head. ECT and TMS are the most widely used brain stimulation therapies, but there are two other options available. However, they have not been widely studied and their effectiveness remains unclear.

VNS uses a pulse generator, about the size of a stopwatch, placed in the upper left side of the chest to stimulate the vagus nerve, which carries messages to parts of the brain that control mood and sleep, with electrical impulses. VNS can be used to treat depression, as well as other medical conditions including epilepsy. However, VNS is controversial and rarely used. The use of DBS for mental health, however, is largely experimental and its safety and effectiveness are unknown. There are possible side effects from either the surgery or stimulation.

Over several months, adjustments to the electrodes may help. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness. About Mental Illness Treatments. About Mental Illness Research. Perhaps you might write a piece about MST? Harry Ok there is data. I dont trust data at all when it comes to my brain. Especially the great data with the toxic chemicals that have put my kidneys in jeopardy and my liver.

I have the data my Pdoc whose associate has been doing ECT and researching the effects for about 35 years has told me. Stay away. Not worth the risk. No argument here. I choose not to take the risk based on the multitude of cocktails that were supposed to help me, the physical toll these drugs have taken on my body and I no longer have any faith whatsoever in the mental hell industry. Apparently its not working for many of us becuase Natasha had to devote a blog post regarding suicide.

Be well. Being well would be nice but right now I am unstable. Not yet! I think a bout of flu has pushed me off balance, not that I was amazingly stable beforehand. Actually, my inexpert reading of some of the ECT data is that not all the scientists agree about the effectiveness of ECT. But not all seem to agree here, and not all agree with the long-term effects on the brain. Well, I know from personal experience as I gather do you also that the drug treatments can affect us badly. In my case, it was the prescription of the wrong type of anti-depressant that kicked me into the mother of all dysphoric manias.

Of course, the pDocs never explain about the possible side-effects — I had to find out those for myself. If longer-term damage arises and it has at least the treatment allows me some measure of a quality life, whereas there was no quality of life at all, not one bit, without the treatment.

But if it makes Life worth living, at least for a little longer, where life would otherwise not be, then it has to be a treatment worth considering. Harry, We have much in common.. I wish you peace. I cycle at least 3 times per DAY and am becoming drug resistant. I live in purgatory…. The data is not hidden. In addition to calming the patient down, the patient will be more original in their meme-making; using memes other then the same old pepe the frog, or it is Wednesday my dude memes.

I hope my contributions to ECT will be recognized. There is no conspiracy. The data on ECT has been released on medical websites and in textbooks. Also two of your comments make no sense and conflict — supposedly ECT is cheaper for insurance companies and yet hospitals and doctors make a lot of money off it. See the conflict? It makes no sense.

Cost vary from hospital to hospital. How does this save the insurance company money? Again, there is NO conspiracy. The data is also in for hospital stays..

How many times do people with our brain disease go to the hospital a year? Many go numerous times Typical stay is at least a week.

Average cost for a hospital stay is over 2, dollars per day. Do the math. I will make it very short.. Many years from now doctors will look at we did with ECT as we look at what doctors did back in the day. I am not sure if they call it barbaric or not. I am not saying it is right or wrong, effective or not.

In my support group 3 individuals took it. Personally , as I told my doctor who said I should have it who also makes a major portion of his income doing ECT is that I will do it after he does it.

Enough said. Thanks Natasha. Granted I was having a mixed mood psychosis at the time so somewhat paranoid.

But all of our paranoias have some basis in our usual fears. Anyway, the impartial information was appreciated. Did you read the full text article about ECT during pregnancy and was there any information about potential harm to the fetus or miscarriage?

I did not access the full text due to the paid subscription, but a quick google revealed plenty of info about complications arising from ECT during pregnancy, including contractions, fetal arrhythmia, miscarriage, and stillbirth. I am a proponent for any therapy option having the potential to safely and efficaciously yield a favorable response for severe depression, being FDA approved of which ECT has never been formally studied or approved while also exhibiting the least potential for serious side-effects.

I would also like to bring to your attention and that of your readers that there is also a third ECT treatment option. They do exist and one should be as informed as reasonably as possible. After many years Dr. Harold Sackeim finally recognized the fact that these issues exist.

I would also like to bring to the attention of your readers the website and more particularly the message forum of Juli Lawrence ect. This site contains commentary from patients who I opine think differently than Natasha and me:. I have strongly disagreed with folks like David W. Peter Breggin and Linda Andre who early on along with others had advocated for the banning of ECT although some have more recently modified their positions. I am not an alarmist but ECT in my opinion is a viable treatment option to consider if one accepts and understands the potential for memory and cognitive issues.

Knowing that which I do, I would first consider the newer neuro-modulations therapies one of which was previously cited in the comment by Ms. Laura P. Most all psychotropic therapies come with potential side-effects, may or may not be covered by health insurance and may be costly out-of-pocket but no stone should be left unturned. Lastly, one should not make any medical decision while being coerced in any manner. During one of my hospitalizations, a fellow patient underwent ETC.

The poor man, who was already very ill with depression, now had severe PTSD from that experience, and was much worse off than before. I went with rTMS and got the same benefit without the risk.

Thanks for the post, Natasha. I contacted you about a year ago asking about your experience with ECT. At the time, I was considering having unilateral treatments. I started treatments in June, You must be logged in to post a comment.

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