ECT

Post Reply New Topic

At 11 years old, in 1967, I had a battery of about 8 ECTs for my alleged "childhood schizophrenia" (the most common diagnosis of aspies in the 1960s). I lost much of my long-term memory for about 6 months. However, the treatments had no effect that I could determine, either positive or negative.

Actually, ECT is quite effective in treating severe depression, and new advances have eliminated the pain and potential harm that existed with it previously. However, it is generally limited to those with very sever depression.

Well, I had no pain at all in 1967. However, they sedated me first.

Right, ECTs are still used for severe depression. However, I was not particularly depressed. My psychiatrist was attempting to rehabilitate my so-called "childhood schizophrenia."

000-x28 Schizophrenic reaction, childhood type
Here will be classified those schizophrenic reactions occurring before puberty. The clinical picture may differ from schizophrenic reactions occurring in other age periods because of the immaturity and plasticity of the patient at the time of onset of the reaction. Psychotic reactions in children, manifesting primarily autism, will be classified here. Special symptomatology may be added to the diagnosis as manifestations.

--- From the DSM-I, page 28

And ECT is useless for schizophrenia and other mental disorders. (though, from what I've read from you, the schizophrenia was a misdiagnosis anyways) ECT is sometimes good for severe depression, but it's not going to help an autistic. I'm sorry to hear of all the suffering you've been put through in our mental health system.

Yes, and my child psychiatrist from the 1960s, who is still alive (though retired), admits his mistake. We still chat on the phone every few years, and he has, in a sense, rediagnosed me with Asperger's, i.e., he agrees with my current psychiatrist. However, his mistake was nearly a universal one. Children diagnosed with schizophrenia back then were commonly given ECTs.



Thank you. Fortunately, I have benefited from it.

I've had ECT twice, most recently a year ago. Would I do it again? Don't think so. I was severely depressed at the time, and the first time I had it I suppose it did what it was supposed to. I was so out of it I didn't notice my depression. Seriously. That was about 6 years ago. My memory was so screwed up I had to relearn the roads in the town I'd lived in for 12 years. Was like moving to a new place, couldn't find my house or anything. Second go round I stopped after just one treatment. Don't think I'd do it again. They had misdiagnosed me as bipolar for many years and it's no wonder I was so depressed given all the stuff they had me on......

Never.

Same deal here. One of my good friends from undergrad was forced by her parents to go through it.

I was talking to her the other day online (she's in NC and I'm in TX) and she couldn't even remember what my major had been in undergrad. She can't remember what her own email address is!

And she told me that she never sleeps anymore, not really. She just lays in bed awake for hours while other people sleep.

ECT pisses the hell out of me.

So no. I wouldn't.

No, I saw it on Smallville and it freaked me out.

No way in hell you had better kill me before strapping me down and doing that to me because when I get up you will be dead either right away or when you least expect it.

why am I so against this? Ive talked to several people who used to be normal that were forced to go through this treatment.
and now they are not even half there anymore they walk around with tremors and their mental function is impaired.

It's amazing the crap that people are allowed to do to other human beings just because they think they need to force us to be a certain way. This particular guy was given ECT because he was really violent. and although he's not anymore they made him a shell of his former self. there has got to be a better way.

About one year ago I got ECT because of a severe depression.

It helped me a lot. (It was ordering the brain, rather than frying it! )

The psychiatrists at the hospital where I was, recommended it to me. At first I got scared, but they told me that it was more effective and fast-working than medicine. And it really was. You are under full anaesthesia (sp?) during the treatment, so it doesn't hurt.

I'm glad that I got that treatment.

I agree with what you say Orwell -

Mark - it must be hard to come to terms with what happened in your childhood.
People can be such idiots - I guess they were trying to help - but how awful it must have been for you. Makes me feel sad to think about it. So much misunderstanding for child to have to go through.

A relative of mine was treated with ECT several years ago at a "progressive" and well-reputed psych hospital. The doctors had tried everything else without success. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how effective the ECT was.

I've been depressed badly enough to do some research on ECT. I had mentioned it to my psychiatrist and he was opposed to the idea. For all of you who say it's for other's benefit, you're wrong, at least in the US. It is considered a treatment of last resort. Anyway, the research I did showed that for some it saved their lives, and for others it was devastating. My depression isn't THAT bad, so I wouldn't get it unless I was suicidal and had exhausted all antidepressants.

Hi, Lucy:

Thank you. It was very unpleasant at the time. I talk about it here:

http://narrative.neurelitism.com

However, I actually profited from the experiences. They drove me into myself, which has been an advantage for me as an academic.

I think I would say it a tossup. I've had a battery of treatments 12 over a period of 8 weeks. I finished a little over a month ago, and for the first week I felt better than I can ever recall. (I've had depression since I was 10 or so and now am 25.) Then week two I didn't feel quite as good and have gotten progressively worse since. I now am only slightly better than I was before I had ECT granted I do have a sense of emotion which I did not have previously. So 8 weeks of being fairly useless and having very little memory retention don't for me make up for a few weeks of feeling decent. I would only recommend ECT to someone who is in a very bad place. But I'm not sure I would do it again even if I get to a very bad place with my depression.