Posted by Geezer on October 24, 2002, at 9:06:06
In reply to Re: modern day ECT » Geezer, posted by Pfinstegg on October 23, 2002, at 20:20:20
Thank you all very much for your kind wishes and support.
IsoM.....I always follow your posts, even in my confused state over the past year & 1/2 I have been able to recognize your posts as the truth and have taken direction from them on more than one occasion. You are correct about seeing the "light at last", I am not all the way there but it sure feels good to have a start. Do we know how Chole is doing?
Babak.....I don't think there is anything I can say to totally eliminate your fears, about ECT, but I can promise they are totally painless. At least on the subjective level I can feel an improvement in anhedonia. I have also noticed a release of anger that I had stored up (I am completely nonviolent). I had an experience like yours when I first took Prozac - nothing worked after that. I believe I will end up on Parnate after ECT. - will have to keep you informed. I honestly doen't think you have anything to loose by trying ECT.
Marginal......How well I know the drill!!! ECT should be used much more often and much earlier. My mother had many treatments in the 50s, she had 15 years total remission (no drugs, no maintainence ECT), her next set of treatments gave her relief for 10 years - same circumstances, she is now 85 and in good health, pretty hard to find those results in the lit. I do have some short term memory loss but seem to remember the important things - I had a lot of memory loss with the depression - things I have forgotten recently I am glad to be rid of. Yes, I noticed immediate improvement and it seems to grow better with each treatment. Took my first 3 treatments in hospital, now alternate days as out-patient (3 first week), 2 the following week, 1 per week, then one per month/maintainence.
Pfinstegg......Thanks for the kind words. Don't feel I am qualified to become the "poster boy" for ECT yet but it is the only thing that has made a difference in the past 14 mos. Given the risk/benefit ratio, I believe it is under utilized.
Thanks pbabblers
Geezer
poster:Geezer
thread:124873
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124993.html