I have a friend who is battling severe depression, with it only seeming to become worse rather than better. She is under psychiatric care, and has had changes made to her depression meds to no avail. They are now recommending her go into the hospital for shock therapy. I was stunned to hear that this is still a method of "treatment". If anyone has ever dealt with this with a loved one or friend, please let me know your thoughts/experience. I am not well versed with depression as I have been fortunate to never have dealt with it personally or with a family member. I don't know much about it or how it is treated. This woman is in shape, eats well, exercises, so please don't recommend that she supplement her treatment with these things. Other than her depression, she is in perfect health. She's had thyroid testing, and a multitude of other tests and all so far is coming back normal. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. I am just at a loss of words. Thanks!
Thanks so much ladies. I was just taken by complete surprise when told about shock therapy. Didn't know it still existed. I have done a little research on the web, and it doesn't sound like the picture I had painted in my head thank goodness. My friend is the worst she's ever been, even having thoughts about suicide, which is probably the reason for the recommendation of shock therapy. It breaks my heart that I can't help her feel better. I want to be there for her, but don't want to overstep boundaries or ask too much. We live 600+ miles away, so it's not easy to be with her. I am wondering if there is more to her depression such as bipolar and/or personality disorders, but I'm no doctor and can't begin to diagnose. She has a really good knack at "pretending" everything is fine, she's happy, chatty, etc... Then loses it. I know she's trying really hard to keep it together for her kids. Thanks for listening and being a great source of compassion.
My coworkers dd had it done recently. It did not help. It made some aspects worse, such as memory. She has since been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. It is a somewhat recent finding, so not a lot out there on it. There are a few books. One that stands out is walking on eggshells. Group and behavioral therapy seem to be the best treatments. Best of luck. I know it has been really hard on my co-worker.
Shock therapy today is quite different than it was in the 50's, 60's and 70's. It works and it is usually one of the "last resorts". Quite honestly, if your friend's psychiatrist is suggesting this form of treatment, the depression is far worse than she is letting on.
It's not barbaric, but it is pretty significant on the "treatment spectrum". Candidly, she's at high risk for suicide and has likely expressed this to her treatment team, hence the recommendation.
Just be supportive and ask her if she needs help with anything before and after.
Yes shock therapy is still used for severe depression that is not responding to other treatment. Kind of like a brain re-boot. Patients are sedated so they don't feel anything. It is supposed to help. People with severe depression are also at a high risk of suicide - so I guess I think shock therapy is better than that. I hope your friend finds some relief from her depression.
I'd Google it for some facts before I'd judge it.
Here's a little about what I've found:
"The number of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, as it's formally called, has tripled to 100,000 a year, according to the National Mental Health Association.
During an ECT treatment, doctors jolt the unconscious patient's brain with an electrical charge, which triggers a grand mal seizure. It's considered by many psychiatrists to be the most effective way to treat depression especially in patients who haven't responded to antidepressants. One 2006 study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina found that ECT improved the quality of life for nearly 80 percent of patients.
"It's the definitive treatment for depression," says Dr. Kenneth Melman, a psychiatrist at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle who practices ECT. "There aren't any other treatments for depression that have been found to be superior to ECT." ".
Apparently anti depressive drugs do not work for %30 of depression patients.
Please know that ETC treatment now is *not* the ECT treatment of years past.
No one can say ETC treatment made someone suicidal. People who are recommended for this type of treatment are already dealing with severe mental health issues.
When my husband was getting his sedation certification during his residency, he sedated many patients for ETC treatment and worked closely with the docs and asked lots of questions. He said he was amazed by the results/change he saw in patients behavior and demeanor over the course of their treatment and his time with them.
The patients are sedated and comfortable during the procedure. They are not awake biting on a piece of leather and strapped down like the movies portrayed it years ago.
Shock therapy is alive and well! It is reserved for those who are tough to treat with traditional therapies. It's gentler than you might think. They are not strapped down and forced to endure pain (I think that is the mental picture many people have when they think of shock therapy). Patients receive sedation and are monitored closely throughout the procedure. ECT alters neurotransmitter levels in the brain (as do anti-depressants) so it truly does work for some people.
If she is going to receive shock therapy, which has now been modified as others have stated already, then I'm guessing that she's not dealing with depression as her only mental health issue. A friend of mine has had severe depression for many years and only recently was diagnosed Bipolar (I'm not sure if it's I or II). She had attempted to commit suicide and became violent toward others, and wasn't responding well to treatment so during a downswing she consented to ECT. It helped her immensely and she's considering another ECT treatment because it worked so well the first time. She's also now on a medication regimen that's working quite well now, whereas before nothing was working.
I'm not suggesting that your friend has Bipolar, but that there could be something additional to the depression that she already struggles with. I'm not a doctor and I don't pretend to be one on TV. :-) I'm just a mom who has clinical depression and anxiety and a lot of friends dealing with similar and worse issues.
Yes, I've heard of a number of people doing this.
my grandmother went through shock therapy when she was in her 30s and it really messed her up.
I would NOT do this. I know someone who had it in the 70's and he ended up suicidal. I can't believe it is allowed.
