anyone had experience about electroshock therapy?

[yujiaog]

Dear friends,

My panic attack and depression started several months ago, it was cause by my eye problmes, I always see very dark floaters, like tiny ink dots, very bothersome, eventually it caused me to panick.

My reason of panic is inevitable, I had to face it everyday, so it is very hard to cure. I had suicidal thoughts sometimes.

And my fear became more and more hard to control. Anyone has experience of electroshock therapy?

thank you

[Robbed]

All I have to say about ECT is that it is considered to be an ABSOLUTE treatment of LAST RESORT. Seriously, this isn't something you want to consider unless EVERYTHING ELSE (and that includes all medication and therapy) has failed. Ask yourself what you have done to deal with your anxiety disorder. If you haven't tried anything yet, then don't even consider ECT.

[marsgirl]

Hi yujiaog,
Sorry to hear of your panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. Many of us here on this forum have been in that dark state. Let me tell you about my mother though - she suffered a nervous breakdown last year after years of depression. She was a total zombie towards the end - emotionless, speechless, faceless, just sat there and did and said NOTHING. I honestly thought I had lost her for-ever, a horrible thought as I really love her despite her not being a great role-model for me. Any-way she had ECT last year (for the first time) as her usual anti-depressants had failed to work and we were totally at a loss. It was there or institutionalise her (!?) -- and I have to say WOW!. It changed her! I really did not think it was possible, but she is back to her normal self (semi-depressed, but....we can talk to her, she can laugh, smile, talk, show compassion.) In other words, she is back to where she was BEFORE her breakdown.

So is it a cure? Well, not totally, but I can honestly say it cured her TOTAL BREAKDOWN and for that I say it is a good option to consider, yes, as a last resort. But I don't think ppl shld be so scared of it, it's not like in the dark ages where they electrocuted your brain!! It just gently sends impulses that for some inexplicable "re-set" the brain to get it going again. In that respect it definitely worked for my mum - otherwise she would now be "brain-dead" and unable to communicate with us. In fact, I would say she is slightly more happier than she was before, but certainly back to "her" normal self. So good luck if you must eventually go down that path.

[yujiaog]

HI Marsgirl,

Thank you for your reply. I am encouraged by your mom's good news. Can I ask how many times did your mom get the ECT treatment?

ECT works well for depression, do you know how about panic and anxiety?

thank you

[marsgirl]

Hi yujiaog, - I think she only had it once - but I see her this w/end so can check! My mum had all 3 conditions - depression, panic and anxiety? I didn't get to tell you that right after she was on a HIGH!! OH MY GOD, she just wanted to come and visit me all the time, stay up late, learn to drive the car (she never learnt),...my dad wanted her better, but he could harldy keep up. The docs told us it wld all settle down...it was a bit scary cos she was so HAPPY we thought she might get a heart-attack!! But it was great to see her smile again. She is definitely better. It has not cured her panic attacks, she is now on anti-depressants, but like i said, she is back to her normal self, she's just the way she was before...I believe she needs some CBT to truly work on getting better but she can't be bothered and thinks the meds will just "cure" her...as we all know, you can't just wish happy - you ahve to do the work yourself. Personally, I would not be afraid of ECT, when she was so happy I thought...geez, maybe I shdl book myself in!? even my dad said the same. You need to discuss it with a professional,...and really as Robbed said, only as a last resort if all else has failed. Best of Luck and feel free to ask me any other Q's! BEST, MARSGIRL

[yujiaog]

HI, Marsgirl,

thank you for answer. Currently I am on klonopin, but I find it seems not as effective as before, I took 0.5 X2 or 3 daily. I worried it will not work to me anymore.

If any medicine does not work for me, then I might try the electroshock. I am 40 years old now, just hope time will fly faster.

So your mom still have panic? How did she treat that? my experience panic is much more painful than depression. I really hope there is some medicine does not cause dependency and tolerance.

best regards.

[Robbed]

Another thing to remember about ECT is that it is not without side effects. Perhaps the most common side effect of ECT is some degree of memory loss. And besides that, there is just no knowing of what kinds of long-term effects it might have. As I said before, it is a treatment of last resort. If you have only been suffering with anxiety disorder for a few months, you need to look into other treatments first.

[marsgirl]

Hi yujiaog, -

Just saw my mum yesterday - she is heaps better and well on the road to recovery!
She is on anti-depressants (recently changed to CYMBALTA dor deep depressive and SEROQUEL XR (for bi-polar) and they realised her dose was too low (hence her still feeling depressed and anxious even though the ECT helped her to get out of that total breakdown, zombie state. Anways, it's incredible the changes in her, she looked great, showered, dressed well, had a haircut (things she hadnt done for a while!!) and was keen to look after my kids. Hubby and I thought an afternoon with the kids wld be ok for her as she seemed totally fine and my dad was there to help - and wow, she was back to her old happy self... on the up and up.

But may I stress that she had been depressed for many, many years. She hadn't really tried CBT, just anti-depressants and of course I think CBTR wld have helped enormously. So (for her) ECT was the last resort and forher it worked, bc look at where she is today. And in the last 2wks with her new meds increased, she is happy again. She smiled when I turned, hugged, me, told me she loved me and thanked me for organising all the help she got...what more could I ask for?

BEST of luck and as the other (wiser) members have pointed out, please try other less drastic steps first, MARSGIRL x