Posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2004, at 14:24:57
In reply to Re: MIND guide to Electroconvulsive therapy, posted by vwoolf on November 30, 2004, at 13:42:49
Hello vwoolf,
I am sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with ECT. I expect that being forced to have ECT would be very traumatic for almost everyone. Most psychiatrists still claim that ECT doesn't cause long-term memory loss. I think that they have clearly spent too much time listening to each other and not enough time listening to the views of their patients. At the moment, in England, people can be forced to have ECT if they have been 'sectioned' under the mental health act. It is not possible to force anyone to have psychosurgery. A few years ago I spoke to the psychiatrist in charge of ECT at my local hospital, I was shocked when he told me that ECT is no longer controversial. I sometimes wonder whether certain psychiatrists are more delusional than their patients!
What did you think of the MIND guide to ECT? In general, I have a high opinion of MIND because they concentrate on the beliefs of those who use the mental health system. They have a useful website.
Recently, the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) reviewed the use of ECT. NICE is an organisation which controls the availability of drugs and other treatments on the National Health Service. Here is an extract from the press release.....
Setting standards for ECT use in England and Wales
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued guidance on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In summary the guidance recommends that:
• ECT is used only to achieve rapid and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after other treatment options have failed and/or when the condition is considered to be potentially life-threatening, in individuals with:
• severe depressive illness
• catatonia
• a prolonged or severe manic episode.
• The decision to use ECT should be made jointly by the individual and the clinician(s) responsible for treatment, on the basis of an informed discussion.
• Valid consent should be obtained in all cases where the individual has the ability to grant or refuse consent. Consent should be obtained without pressure or coercion, and the individual should be reminded of their right to withdraw consent at any point.Apparantly, some psychiatrists were not happy with this advice because they felt that it would restrict the use of ECT.
Regarding psychosurgery, it is very rarely used in the UK at the moment. I wonder whether that will change?
Regards,
Ed.
poster:ed_uk
thread:422242
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041128/msgs/422436.html