ECT

ECT is electroconvulsive therapy, often called 'shock treatment'. This is a form of treatment where a small electrical current is delivered to the brain to cause a small seizure. Patients are asleep during the treatment procedure and are given a muscle relaxant. The seizure lasts approximately 30 seconds and after 10 to 15 minutes the patient wakes up. ECT has been shown to be effective for the manic and depressed phase of bipolar disorder. It is sometimes used for severe mania, psychotic depression, mixed states with high suicidal risk, rapid cycling, or bipolar episodes during pregnancy.

ECT has received a lot of negative press primarily because of how it was used in the early years after it was discovered. A lot of misinformation about ECT continues to be found in literature and on various websites.

ECT has a higher rate of success for severe depression than any other form of treatment. As a result, it can be an excellent choice of treatment in patients with severe major depression who have not responded to medication. In addition, it is sometimes used for patients in whom a rapid response is needed or in people wanting ECT because it has previously been a successful treatment for them. The American Psychiatric Association task force studying ECT considered it the treatment of choice for severe major depressive disorder when coupled with psychotic features, catatonic stupor, severe suicidal symptoms, or refusal to eat due to severe depression.

• Short-term memory loss. Memory usually begins to come back within a few weeks of having ECT and is usually complete between 6-9 months. Some patients report permanent memory loss for details of some events which have occurred a few months prior to, or during, ECT. Some people have difficulty acquiring new memory for a short period after having ECT, but for the majority of people this goes away within a few months
• confusion after waking from the anesthetic
• headache
• muscle aches
• increased heart rate and blood pressure

It is important, when considering ECT to talk with your healthcare provider so you can understand all the advantages and disadvantages of ECT compared to other treatment choices.