I start ECT this week. Im as okay as i can be with the whole thing. Is there anything i can do to make the time after my session easier?
Im going to prep some food, clean my apartment, get some easy media queued up. I'll have a blanket, water, and a snack for the drive home. Am I missing anything? I just want the rest of the day to suck as little as possible.
What did the rest of your ECT days look like?
I was admitted to a mental hospital two times within a couple months. Both times, it was mandatory for me to take several ECT sessions unless I didn't want to leave. This wasn't new though, a very similar thing happened to me when I was 15. Now I'm 19.
To say that the effects are devastating would be an understatement. I'm not receiving any monitoring or outside help, and I suspect that the sessions themselves weren't done safely or were only done because my family paid for it. I didn't choose or even know what ECT was. A huge portion of my memories are gone, my memories of the past few years are so vague and far between. Because this also happened when I was 15, it feels like my teenage years didn't fucking happen. Not to mention how my personality has changed drastically to the worse. When I looked at my older messages from before all of it, I couldn't believe that they were sent by me. It's like I'm an entirely different person now.
My learning ability has been absolutely ruined too. It's extremely hard for me to form new memories or even just pay attention. It's hard to study or go to lectures anymore. I keep feeling overwhelmed to the point of crying whenever I can't focus when I have to, because I know I was never like this.
I know that ECT in general is safe, and that it can definitely help some people. My case is just different. It wasn't voluntary and was carelessly done. I'm writing this here because I need to get it off my chest. No one would understand in other subreddits.
Hello everyone! I'm going to have this procedure soon. I have only questions:
How does it go at all?;
This is done under anesthesia, right? Does it actually hurt? Will my head hurt?
After many videos, it became scary. Am I going to be vaccinated too? And they put something like a mouth guard in their mouth. Why is this, and is this done in reality?
How do you prepare for it? Is it true that you need to undress? Can I stay completely in my personal clothes? Is it possible to eat before the procedure? How long does it last? How do the doctors treat you? What if I changed my mind at the last moment?
Thank you.
Mine are more intrusive and scare the living crap out of me. I am 6 months post partum and they are worse than ever and I’m truly reaching my breaking point. I’m scared and I’m desperate.
I just had my third ECT session and I can really feel the difference already. I’m having unilateral ECT on a low setting for treatment resistant Bipolar 2 and psychosis.
I was terrified before getting ECT about the memory loss problems that typically come with it, but I actually haven’t experienced any memory loss yet. I do experience difficulty concentrating more than I used to, but I think it’s been worth it.
My therapist commented that she can notice my energy levels have improved, same with the people closest to be, and I feel overall much happier. I can actually do stuff that I used to enjoy doing and feel joy from them.
I do get tired quicker and crash by mid afternoon, but my meds will be tweaked a bit to help with that soon. Despite the exhaustion, I actually feel more alive for once in my life.
I’m seeing my psychiatrist later today, and we’ll determine if I need another session of ECT on Monday. We’ve been going through the sessions one at a time to see how it affects me, so if I feel like I don’t need another session, I just have to say the word and we’ll stop. At the hospital I get ECT at, they don’t do maintenance sessions, so once we’re done I won’t be getting ECT again until it’s needed.
I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner, it’s helped so much so far. The correct treatment really does wonders. If you’re reading this and considering going through with getting ECT, I recommend going to a doctor with good patient experiences to minimise the chances of complications and side effects.
I wish the best for anyone getting or about to get ECT and I hope you get the best results and recovery!
Has anyone ever experienced terrible body aches upon waking from an ECT session? For me, it was the worst part—waking up from the general anesthesia. I felt pain in every muscle in my body. Was that normal?
I (20F) have struggled with depression for the last ten years. Prior to starting ECT, I had tried more than 15 medications, with different doses and combinations. I did 9 sessions of right unilateral ECT before switching to bitemporal. Now, I have completed four sessions with bitemporal placement, and I’m still not feeling any better. How much longer should I keep trying ECT before switching to something else (like TMS or ketamine)? At what point did others know if ECT wouldn’t work for them? Hearing about the experiences of others would be great—did it take anyone longer before having success with ECT?
So im going on my 9th ECT having 4 left. I see everyone talking about memory loss but i dont see anyone talking about the physical side effects. My whole body feels like I ran a marathon and ive had a blinding migraine since i started ECT a month ago. Has anyone else had physical side effects and did they go away after finishing ECT?
I recently did 8 sessions of ECT and ended up with no will to live, no energy to do anything not even what I used to like before ECT, loss of appetite, jaw tension and constipation problems, am i the only one in this situation? How to comeback to normal and get out of this state of all i want to do is sleep all day and not do anything anymore
I keep having dreams about it even tho I stopped a few months ago. I think it may be a subconscious dig at my memory loss post-ECT. I think all the weight of the stigma against it is finally hitting me. Like I was so not into it but like confident in it bc you kinda have to be in this world - loud and strong about mental health or quiet about it and I chose the verbal advocate position a long time ago but what if ECT fucked me up? I’m worried about cognitive decline. I’ve done things I feel a sound self would not do.
I read that MST is in development still, but a part of me wonders if anywhere in the world is doing it privately already.
Thank you.
i dont fully understand myself or ECT's entire effect on my brain both emotionally and the way i function. for a bit of backstory ive dealt with suicidal thoughts since i was 8, i was diagnosed with mdd at 12 and in and out of hospitalizations for attempts and SI, medication doesnt do me much. i started ECT at 15. im 18 now but it wasnt continuously. i had about a year break before restarting. at home and with friends im fine i guess, like im normal and i can laugh and joke, i play phone games but yeah when im alone i just kinda sulk too with depressing media, but its mostly me just reflecting on my past and making myself upset. my main issue is just nonstop SI in the background, it gets so loud at times but i never had the genuine will to continue living, i just feel so forced and miserable deep down, i feel so lonely and a deep feeling of just nobody knowing me and feeling like im keeping the biggest secret, i dont even know what it is but i feel so closed up despite trying to explain these feelings occasionally. if i do get them out it never goes through anyones ears.
Firstly, The emotional effect ECT has on me is odd, Going into the before prep being asked questions about myself and being confronted about how im doing sets me off internally. The situation will start to feel real and serious, a lot of the time i find myself freezing, i hear my heart speed up in the heart monitor, i feel my breathing get shallow and im about to break. my throat locks and i can almost never get out any words and end up just staring at the wall or floor holding back tears but eventually i get it under control and swallow it down and then i am calm again and able to speak but not always answer their questions. maybe this is like a panic attack, but is it if it happens so often? its always during ECT or appointments about my mental health and i always get caught in my throat. I feel like its impossible to speak, like ill break, sometimes i do cry a bit in front of the staff but its just shedding a couple tears and then pulling myself together.
Secondly, I find myself starting to panic before going under anesthesia, not because of fear but because i start to think "this isn't working" "something is wrong with me" again my breathing will speed up or get shallow and tears just pour, im pretty decent at holding back any noises, i never make a sound while crying but in actuality im honestly such a crybaby, i feel bad, sometimes the staff will hold my hand as i go under anesthesia or i find myself crying and someone will be stroking my hair.
Thirdly, I get Ketamine for anesthesia and this has happened about 4 times where I feel so raw down to my soul. I know this is not uncommon but its so strange, interesting, feels so real but it can partly also be upsetting. It happens after i fall asleep but am not fully awake, what i see is stange light which im assuming is the bright light through my closed eyes. i have heard mumbling, i heard my name before and thought "oh, thats me, i need to respond to that" i feel so separate from my body, it feels like my TRUE self, like how we are our brains rather than our bodies. It was strange, I felt like i was only some atoms rather than human, it felt like i needed to hold my inner self together, it reminded me of how life is so odd, i see the weird lights, hear the nurses mumbling, smell the IV, and think it's so odd how far technology has come and how they are trying to cure me. it gets upsetting because i usually question everything i think and try to understand myself. but feeling so raw i heard my thoughts DIRECTLY, no questioning. I started to just think "I hate myself so much"
"this is stupid, why am i doing this to just get better and work my whole life"
"this isn't worth the trouble"
or it makes me think about and understand people who commit crimes or hurt others just to cause distress so people can feel hurt too
it will just keep going on more and i will think
"I wouldn't mind if i were to die, then i wouldn't have to deal with anything, if i did i wouldn't even feel the worry of what would happen after since there is just the complete end of your thoughts and brain."
but then i start to think im so embarrassed of myself and my existence, it turns into "i wish i could erase myself from everyone's memory, then i could die peacefully"
"i should fix myself but it's not worth it, id rather stay this way"
i know this is what i think but when i wake up i forget the feeling until i remember, it sometimes feels like i lost the real me since it makes my thoughts so clear, depressing or not
maybe this is just the way i am though
I'm 18, and have been struggling for years with my mental health, and I know ECT is typically a last resort. But I've been on I don't know how many medications. I've been through multiple therapies, therapists, etc. Severe occasions, I'd be sent to a psychiatric ward. Should I bring this up to my therapist and psychiatrist? Or should I wait longer before deciding to bring it up?
How long did it take for you to notice positive changes after ECT?
My partner has been depressed for a long time and is finally seeking help. He was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and prescribed 15mg of Mirtazapine about a month ago. Yesterday they upped his dose to 30mg and suggested ECT.
We did a bit of our own research after the doctor explained it all, and it seems to be a last resort treatment option usually when other treatments have failed. Has anyone been offered ECT so early on? Do you feel like you benefited from it being done early into treatment?
I'm sorry if this is not the correct place to post this but I'm feeling very confused by what was said to me on my last psychiatry session.
I've been smoking for a long time as a way to be able to get out of bed or have a little bit of stressfree times in life, as a coping mechanism. The doctor finally prescribed ECT but at the same time said if I don't totally quit weed I'll never get better of my depression.
For people that had ECT or are contemplating having it:
Did you have to quit weed in order to do it/do you plan to quit weed to do it? Do you feel like if I keep smoking weed I'll never be able to get happy thus shouldn't get ECT (I know its kinda personal but any opinion might help me) before I can manage (god knows how) my weed use?
Has your psychiatrist ever told u the same or a similar thing? I am very aware that weed use is NOT IDEAL in most psychiatric cases but I'm so depressed and without motivation in life I really cannot think of battling a drug addiction rn.
Sorry again for the questions, and any insight is welcome I am really just lost at the moment as to what should I do and how valid are the psychiatrists words (can i never get better from depression if i use weed?)
I am young,but have major deppresive disorder which is honeysly disruptiving my life and causing me worse things. I did therapy for years, TMS didn’t work, ketamine made me go nuts snd hallucinate and it was horrible for me.
i am terrified of being inpatient after seeing things and I think ECT may be my best chance at a new life.
i already have chronic pain and hypermobility and so much more and iy puts me down even more.
i lie to my doctors as im scared of inpatient as I’ve seen what they do at the one closes to me.
plus in my state we have all the worst inpatients I would say.
i want to be productive especially since I am getting a service dog in 2 years or so for medical,mobility and psychiatric needs.
Thanks to whoever gives advise.
Well friends, I'm off for my first maintenance ECT and really just needing to rant a bit and maybe get some well wishes from the community. I waited until I started going downhill to even schedule this one so I've been in bad shape for a few days. I've had a tough time waking up and have been on the edge of bawling since my mind seems to start thinking about the recent death of my mother as well as my wife. I tell myself it's best if I'm able to get into a better mindframe but I just can't seem to muster up any good. I hope the community off I go!
Hi everyone. Im going through a very rough time. It's impossible to live life this way . In feb 2026 I went into thr psychiatrist dept. I was having suicidal idealations back then due same symptoms I have now. They put me on antidepressants and it's been 4 months and absolutely nothing has changed. I've been holding on by a string. My most difficult symptom is I can't get through days meaning that they are small difficult segments that do not have any flow. My mind is constantly say do this or do something you can sit and chill. My days feel like 80 pajnful hours long. Im not able to enjoy anything. Small tasks are difficult like going along to a grocery store . The time part js the toughest next to the constant crying and sadness. Now I have to wait a month until ect. But I have no idea how I am going to be able to get through so many days....pls help
I did a full course (6) of bilateral ECT treatment October of 2025. They deemed it ineffective although I disagree. I asked to try again and they said the inpatient team wasn’t in agreement because I’d have to be inpatient to do another course. That was 3 months ago. Is it worth trying again??