This is not something I’m proud of Billie but I’ve had several rounds of electroconvulsive shock treatments. I’m bipolar and I can’t take antidepressants because they make me manic. I was in such a deep state of depression. Further, I was suicidal and had a record of several attempts. I elected ECT as the treatment of last resort. Memory loss, particularly short-term, was significant. I am a professional whose mind is my primary tool. The treatments rendered me useless at work and diminished my ability to remember my own phone number for quite some time. I still have gaps in my memory for certain events, dates, etc., not only from that period during my treatments, but also for things that occurred prior to ECT, which might not be such a bad thing. The bilateral ones where the ones that were tough to handle and caused most of my memory loss. And I do get constant migraines which they told me might happen.

I believe it was necessary for me at the time and would not have second thoughts about more ECT. Short term memory loss is tolerable compared to constant MANIC DEPRESSION!!

I wish you all the best Billie whatever you and your pdoc decides

Debbie... as you can see you are not the first to ask about ECT. The member i'd been thinking of, who hasn't been able to be around for a time is BJ and she answered this thread so i'm bumping it for you... if you look at the dates of the posts above this one, you'll see the most recent post goes back to July of last year.

you could try PMing BJ and/or Billie. i don't know if Billie decided to go ahead with the treatments or not. BJ may not be able answer you - she was very, very very ill and i'm not sure how she is now.

~ waves ~