Posted by OldSchool on January 27, 2002, at 21:07:49
In reply to Re: ECT and anxiety » OldSchool, posted by bob on January 27, 2002, at 1:24:43
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> > But again, mood and anxiety disorders frequently coexist and overlap and if thats the case then ECT would probably work.
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> I would second that. I've read material recently that says that anxiety and depression go hand-in-hand. If I have gotten relief from a med in the past, the anxiety has abated. I really couldn't tell you what my primary problem is, anxiety, or depression. I can tell you that when I get seriously depressed, I experience anxiety about the future: "How am I going to make it through the day, or the rest of my life?" It seems like I can never understand my response to meds. Sometimes I will be full of anxiety, and I'll drink a cup of coffee, and get stimulated. It won't add to my anxiety, but takes it away. I don't understand it.Im the same way. Coffee nowadays makes me focus better and it actually makes me feel less depressed in a mild way. I do not get anxious or nervous in the least when I drink coffee...more the opposite. More like more focused and stuff.
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> > Oh another thing I recently read was that ECT increases GABA a lot. As GABA increases, so does your seizure threshhold (harder to have seizures). Increasing GABA is good for anxiety disorders. So I guess maybe ECT would be OK for some types of anxiety disorders.>
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> I thought an increase in GABA is anxiolytic. Maybe when they say ECT isn't good for anxiety disorders, they are speaking more of situation, and phobic problems - anxiety problems with more specific environmental triggers? The literature I read said it wasn't very effective for "anxiety disorders", but did not specifically say GAD.
>Yep, I was reading this thing about ECT the other day and it said specifically ECT increases GABA which creates an anticonvulsant effect. Good for anxiety probs.
But still, I dont think ECT is used much if at all specifically for anxiety. More for mood disorders and psychosis. But if the anxiety gets knocked out in the process...
poster:OldSchool
thread:91705
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91823.html