Debunking The Top 3 Myths About ECT
Hint: It’s Not As Scary As It Seems
I have suffered from depression, anxiety, and insomnia for the majority of my life. The past year, however, was by far the hardest. What was likely a gradual decline felt as though it happened in an instant. I went from having some issues but being okay to absolutely not okay in any way shape or form. My mental illness took on a new, unfamiliar feeling and worsened in severity, to a point that was untenable. Something had to give, but nothing was.
I felt that all hope had been lost, that there was nothing to live for. Overly negative, ruminative thoughts intruded my thinking 24/7. All that mattered was escaping, a thing which proved impossible to do given that sleep eluded me. These feelings were present not only when I felt down but when I was in a hypomanic state, too, which was often as I was experiencing rapid cycling.
Medications including but not limited to, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Lithium and Wellbutrin didn’t make a lick of difference. Intravenous Ketamine helped take the razor sharp edge off, but did not come anywhere near clearing the depression as a whole and cost $400 out-of-pocket per session. Given the treatment is required multiple times a week, it ends up costing a great deal.
It was at this point that my psychiatrist suggested trying electroconvulsive shock therapy, or ECT. I was terrified of it, but agreed to take the initial consult call with the head of the ECT Clinic. Luckily, that call sold me and I underwent one standard course of ECT. My depression was finally kicked to the curb and I felt like myself again, a thing I had not believed possible.
Because ECT brought me back to myself, because of all of the misinformation about it, because of the media’s portrayal of it, and because of the way individuals have responded to me when I tell them I had it, I’m on a mission to set the record straight.
ECT is not easy to go through, but what treatment for illness is? The important thing is that it works and the side effects are manageable. I believe that if more people knew that, more people would consider ECT, perhaps even before determining that suicide is the only solution. This article is my attempt to put a dent in that knowledge gap by debunking the top 3 myths I’ve heard about ECT.
Myth 1: ECT is for “crazy” people
Let’s begin with the word crazy, the definition of which is, according to Google, “mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way.” Now that we know what we mean by crazy, let’s see if it fits for patients undergoing electroshock therapy. According to the National Institute of Health, depression is the most common reason for receiving this treatment. Not mania, psychosis, or any of the ailments we would expect to see if the patients were ‘deranged’ and acting aggressively.
This isn’t to say that ECT isn’t helpful for some folks who suffer from psychotic* symptoms. Every individual is different, and it’s always worth asking your doctor about if you would like to learn more.
*A note on psychosis: In layman’s terms, if a person is experiencing psychotic symptoms they are seeing or hearing things that are not there. Psychotic is a scientific term, unlike the word crazy.
Myth 2: The treatment is painful or traumatizing to undergo.
This is untrue. The patient is under general anesthesia and is not awake for the treatment. Patients may experience some pain or stiffness in their muscles after treatment, but do not experience or remember any of the actual procedure. If you’d like to read an in-depth article on my experience of ECT, you can find that here.
Myth 3: ECT causes permanent memory loss.
This is partially true in that the patient will not form memories that last surrounding the treatment, due largely to the effects of going under anesthesia multiple times a week. Outside of that, the memory loss is temporary. Memories should return and be easy to form again a few weeks after treatment and long term memories should have remained intact.
ECT is not a cake-walk, but what treatment is? What ECT is is effective and if you or your loved ones are suffering from mental illness it may very well be worth talking to your doctor about. For more information on fact vs fiction surrounding ECT, check out this page by Aurora Behavioral Health System.
Olivia Woods is a new writer for Medium, having debuted her first post on February 1, 2024. Olivia has a background in Corporate Communications, Big Tech & Startups. She lives with her husband and her cat. Show a new writer some love and follow Olivia now!
