And apologize to those of us still living for doing the crap they did. This is understandable: as a doctor, you want your patient to have the best treatment for their condition, and finding the words to describe ECT and its adverse effects is hard. Understanding the "bedrock theory of memory". Reclassification of Electroshock Therapy - Health Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. My long term and short term memory has been greatly impaired and I have great difficulty comprehending many things. I also witnessed my dad go from being grouchy and withdrawn to become angry full of rage and would have frequent outbursts of rage usually directed at me even if I hadnt done anything more than walk into the room. The ECT suite at Michigan Medicine. MIA Webinars and Other Educational Events, Lauren Tenney, PhD, is a psychiatric survivor and activist first involuntarily committed at age 15. al. Oddly, after all these years, childhood friends of mine who remember me well before I ever knew there was such thing as Mental Illness are coming out of the woodwork and finding me. Unfortunately, when published, the reporter presented our information accurately but combined it with misinformation provided by so-called experts and disproportionate negative examples of the treatment. Your email address will not be published. I had very impaired memory, emotional reasoning and cognition for many years afterward Like 14 years now. Can We Erase Painful Memories with Electroconvulsive Therapy? In 2011 there was about 2000 comments and I read through most of them. And this is what a lot of ECT victims find, because you then get labelled with other diagnoses and your family are told you are just mad. Specifically, I obtained a computer. It is unjust and dangerous!, My grandmother died after receiving ECT, which was given to her simply because she was grieving over husbands death. For what? Although ECT has been used for more than eight decades and many patients have claimed the treatment has changed their lives for the better, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) website says exactly how ECT works is still not fully understood. At least my Great-Aunt never had to take the neuroleptics that I did. have seen many articles about how many people say that ECT has ruined their life. I do not remember the geographic layout of Seattle my home town. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign-up to receive our weekly newsletter and other periodic updates. Why ECT Is Becoming a Preferred Depression Treatment I noticed one particular damaged patient asking for help, suggestions, and assistance during the NIMH It is also functioning in everyday life that is effected. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's And thats the key. 'It has ruined my life': Woman who underwent electro-shock therapy in Ive spoken to many hundreds of survivors of electroshock who say its torture, not safe and effective treatment. I had been told by expert shrinks that I was completely incapable of sitting in a room full of people due to my severe personality disorder. Wow, I found that this was entirely untrue! I just turned 43. It did break my depression, but the brain fog and long term memory loss wasnt worth it., Im signing because my husband, family and I was lied to; told the memory loss was temporary. Feeling . Not only did the treatment not work and I am still severely depressed but, now I have this ECT trauma and its ever-lasting effects. It has really affected her cognition and working memory. This induces a short (less than 60 second) seizure (but without the physical movement due to the paralytic) and the person wakes up from the short-acting anaesthetic a short time thereafter. As a psychiatrist, I know that ECT is a rapid and lifesaving treatment in severe depression, when the patient is suicidal, or no longer able to care for themselves. They look very high end. A LOT of uncomfortable loud stomach gurgling, a lot of reflux. I had left McLean October 1997. Weekly Newsletter This is a very dangerous treatment and in talking to hundreds of people now, Im convinced ect causes permanent disability and people can no longer go back to their former jobs. And LOL! They were acts of the utmost barbaric terror against my being then. I was working 40 hours a week while having treatments and as a result of the treatments had to stop working and go on disability. It should be banned entirely and it is shocking to me that ECT is still allowed., Electroshock has caused significant memory/cognitive impairments. Dr. Stephen Seiner, director of the psychiatric neurotherapeutics program at McLean Hospital . But there are people who have been treated. The idea still frightened me but I understand the state of desperation that depression puts us in. I made a few suicide attempts and then ended up in the shock jock hospital in town. Carrie Fisher was candid about her experiences with it, yet for many people ECT remains a mysterious,. Chris: Isn't mental illness a call to be otherworldly? He visited facilities and demanded to speak directly to patients, knowing that only patients would give him accurate information about the state of human rights at these places. Both must be clearly set out. As you've said, ECT involves electricity to the brain, it's an inexact science. Brains injury is not a treatment. I have lost memories. I have memory problems and suffered an aneurysm, I was lucky to survive., I was coerced into consenting to this barbaric experience, and have been irrevocably harmed by induced grand mal seizures, without the benefit of accurate risk and effect information., I do not believe in the use of electroshock. TMS Gains Attention as a Treatment for Depression - The Atlantic I just love to hear about the expertiseof Dave and Sarah, and Howard, and Max and Ned on this topic. ECT was not only ineffective at sustainably improving my mental health, but it did significantly damage my memory and brain function., My grandfather, a NASA engineer, was reduced to a vegetative state through treatment with ECT. Above them, only the devil. I finished in 2003, with a 3.95 grade-point average. One of the trusts did no electroshock at all. The Shocking Truth About ECT | Psychology Today I had lost quite a lot of my vocabulary. My father had suffered from a deep, intractable depression that wasn't responding to medication. ;..g hospital , I want to go home and not miss my friends bar mitzvah. It was a really weird feeling. As with any major medical procedure, patients must compare risks to benefits, then decide if the upside outweighs the risks. and our High school giddiness and shallowness at its best?? Also the extreme state formula herbal extract you can make yourself by mixing equal parts of fennel, alfalfa, elderberry, nettle, anise, dandelion, uva ursi , yarrow, and comfrey . ECT involves passing electric currents through a patient's brain to cause seizures or fits. I am sorry I haven't greeted you here. It can not be. My quality of life has been greatly diminished due to this inhumane treatment. | That terrible portrayal in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest has a lot to answer for, and it probably does pop into peoples minds, even though its far from the truth. Another fiction is the fear of brain damage. This needs to be eradicated! That psychiatric atrocities stopped, it is first necessary to recognize psychiatry crime. In fact, research has shown that ECT increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which stimulates brain cell growth. A former teacher diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression - along with OCD, bipolar disorder and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) - she was unable to work. Prayers to the victims who are unable to sign this petition because they lost themselves due to ECTs. ect ruined my life - mhart.systems She said: "It is a barbaric practice. ECT's bad reputation isn't justified - The Guardian Being upfront about the downsides builds trust. Alternatively your vet should be able to recommend a kennel. These NUMB and insensitive She has lost some of her most precious memories including the birth of her only daughter. As a patient, I feel the same. When nothing could cure my depression, shock therapy saved my life - CBC Try calling your local SPCA. The study's lead author, Dr Read, a professor of clinical psychology, describes previous research justifying the use of ECT in the UK and around the world as "the lowest quality of any I have seen in my 40-year career". Editors' Code of Practice. And treatment resistant blames the patient, not the treatment that has failed them., Am a victim of over 60 ECTs during a period of 3 years missing 4 years of my life, I dont appreciate that. I started out to try to reply to truth about what I tried to do to mitigate the effects of my brain damage . "I had so much going for me before I had the treatment and really loved doing the smaller things in life. The catalogue of personal testimonies of the horrors of ECT are horrible to read but really important to record and publish.. Psychiatry an absolute evil. And a list of those fine institutions like the Mayo Clinic that offers up ECT/TBI/ABI as treatment at a time that the evolving research about injuries and repetitive insults to the brain makes it obvious that this practice is stupidity and medical malpractice at its finest. Neuroleptic many times worse drugs! My holiday was ruined when we were eaten by BED BUGS at four-star hotel This treatment should not be down-classified; it is dangerous., The shrinks electroshocked my dad for sexually abusing me. Gotta make sure they are getting wise counsel from their peers cause they can ruin your life. 12 months subscription | 153.00 (The Hersh Foundation will be announcing an exciting partnership with University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in May; stay tuned.) There are no goods and bads with ECT, no rights or wrongs. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Theyve seen movies or testimonials about brain damage, electricity, and high relapse rates. And yes, there is no doubt the majority of people would recover or heal without being administered multiple traumatic electrical head injuries via shock. Her sexuality clashed with a staunch catholic home., This so called treatment is horrendous. My identity as amnesia says it all. But the other thing I find hard is that those who oppose ECT can be vituperative, accusing clinicians and others of deliberate attempts to harm. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. She is a person who has made great contributions to supporting the mental health systems change in our area. "On the basis of the clinical trial data, ECT should not be used for depressed individuals.". In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255. My new neurologist who's alot more knowledgable and caring asked if I'd try brivaracetam, he mentioned it was very similar to or basically like a new keppra just no Genaric name out where I'm from. In the weeks after her first course of electroconvulsive therapy, Dr Sue Cunliffe found she could no longer walk through a door without bashing into the door frame. I think the reason theyre a bit loath to give the figures anymore is that it kind of shows that electric shock isnt some scientific procedure. 6,7 This damage is more common in women and older individuals, 5 and these groups receive ECT disproportionately. I, 32 F & heavily pregnant, quit ECT after 5 sessions because I could not handle the side effects. Download and subscribe to the Street News app today, for unlimited access to stories that raise the voices of marginalised communities around the world. I was told it would simply make my brain reset itself and in a short time I would be fine It is just a lobotomy really. BTW, I sent the link to a number of people, including a few radio stations and any media I could think of.