Electroconvulsive therapy

[Delusion]

I was meaning to ask about this the other week, a thread from another member has just reminded me.

I would like some information on it, i understand that they paralyse you then effectively electrocute you or something to that effect.. immense pain would not bother me if i knew it was going to help. What are the risks etc..

[LeftCoastChick]

ECT is only given as a last resort. I you have an addiction, they would not do it all until you are clean for quite awhile. I asked my pdoc about using it and that was pretty much the response I got, as well you have to be in a psych unit

[ILADVOCATE]

They give a minor muscle relexant then give a mild electrical current to the brain in ECT. The muscle relexant prevents convulsions that might otherwise occur. The person is under anesthesia as well. In that regard its perfectly safe. The side effects to expect are short term memory loss with a potential of long term memory loss. In the United States trans cranial magnetic stimulation is now FDA approved and so far that did not show that side effect and has proven effective. I'm not sure if its available yet in the U.K. officially though.