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ect treatment
| Sun, 04-02-2006 - 8:51pm |
Hi, i'm a 19 year old teenager, I'v ben struggling with ocd/depression for the past 3 years but lately it got so bad I had to withdraw from college, and come back home. I have been hopitalized 2 times for the past 2 months and the doctor reccomended ECT. I wnat to know has anyone here had thsi tretament. If so, how much memory prior teh treatment was lost, because I really really want that. I've been tormented by thoughts everyday. I don't want to live anymore if this ect tretament failed, i want to forget everything and start over.

Hi, Bebi...I'm so sorry you're going through this. My heart goes out to you, because I had a somewhat similar experience in college...I had to drop out for a semester (well, forced to drop out really) because I got so depressed. A few different doctors suggested ECT earlier on, but my mom was really freaked out by the idea...but last year, things got so bad that I did go ahead and have a set of treatments.
For me, they had to raise the charge I was given because the depression seemed to be so resistant...so that was when I really started to notice the memory loss. It was a big problem for me, unlike for you, because I was in med school at the time and didn't want any of my professors to know what I was going through...it was pretty significant memory loss, mostly short-term.
But it also wiped out my memory for the most part for at least a few months for the time surrounding the treatment. I don't know if that's the case for everyone who has ECT, but I think it's pretty common. I'm sorry you want to forget everything...that says a lot about how hard things must be for you.
I thought it was a bad thing, that I forgot everything about that time (I also failed a test and had to tell a professor what was going on with me and let the dean of my school know because I couldn't keep up appearances...I don't know how I thought I would have been able to!). But thinking about it, it may be a blessing in disguise that I don't remember that part of my life...I know that it was an awful time.
I hope this works out for you, and that things improve...there really can be life after such a horrible depression, and I'm proof of that. Post again if have any more questions...I have classes starting up again tomorrow, but I'll try to come back soon.
Hang in there,
Rose
Edited 4/2/2006 10:35 pm ET by rosa444
It's really hard for me to say, unfortunately...my memory was maybe kind of strange to begin with, in that I've never remembered each month of the year separately...it kind of all blends together in my mind (I'm not sure if most people are like this, or if they can remember each time in their lives well).
But that said, I think the treatments did make the entire year a whole lot blurrier in my mind...I honestly couldn't tell you what I was doing or what was going on in my life at any particular time back then. There are a few memories that stick out, but it's mostly very vague.
I wish I could give you a better answer...maybe the doctor you talk to will know more about what you can expect. Have you talked with him or her about your concerns with memory and not wanting to go on?
I hope you can find something that will ease your pain...I know life is so hard right now.
Hope this helps a little,
Rose
For the most part, no. Friends have often said things like, "remember that time when we did (this or that)?" and I have no memory of it...though I just smile and nod since I don't want to have to explain that I don't remember. Some of the things that I learned for school last year I still kind of remember, but almost all my "personal" memories are gone...I've heard that that's the kind of memory that usually goes with ECT.
Rose