Other treatment besides medication

Hello all...I have suffered from depression since i was a young child...I am bipolar, have PTSD and panic attacks. Four years ago I had a really big break down...Tried to kill my self over 6 times...hospitalized probably around 20 or more times...However during this time my medication was change almost every two weeks...(everything i read stated that how long it can take to work) after realizing that medication wasn't going to work I decided to do Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. Most don't know that this is still being offered as a treatment for depression. I think most think of the movie one who flew over the cuckcoo's nest. It's not like that anymore...you are put to sleep for maybe 10 minutes while they shock the brain. Has anyone tried ECT? I know this helped me...I did the treatment for 3 weeks everyday and then did every other friday for a month. Only side affects were headaches, memory loss. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask...I am an open book.

[CrzyBeautiful1]

Interesting. So how long do u have to do the treatment? I mean, do u have to for the rest of ur life? I know that's a stupid question, but I'm not even sure what it's suppodlse to do.

[mags22]

I have seen lots of people use this form of treatment while I was in the hospital several times with episodes.  Luckily I respond well to medication and once I got the proper diagnosis and meds I've been stable and out of the hospital for over a year.  

ECT did seem to do wonders for the people who I saw going for the treatments. It just works so much faster, you could see there moods change, and they became different--happy--people within a few treatments.  My dad also had ECT several years ago for depression and swears it saved him.

[msmarlowe]

i did it for a few months...now I am not on anything except something to help me sleep and xanax. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/MY00129

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Sometimes meds don't work out for people with depression and it's treatment resistant and they have to turn to ECT as a last resort.  My uncle had to have it done I think he said 20 times when he really lost it when my dad died but he has schizoaffective disorder.

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes ECT works but trans cranial magnetic stimulation is a new option that is apparently safer and its FDA approved:
http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/Transcranial_Magnetic_Stimulation_(rTMS).htm
Also in addition to medication besides talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful for some people.

[CrzyBeautiful1]

Thank u so much for the links. I'm going to start reading up on these treatments.