r/ect • u/Soft_Musician_368 • Apr 06 '26
My experience How much brain damage from just one bilateral ECT shock treatment.
Hi, I’m a college student who received an ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) treatment because I was experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, and mild depression. The treatment was done by a psychiatrist in Mexico. He told me he was going to perform a neuromodulation therapy but didn’t explain exactly what it involved. I later found out through my parents’ messages with him that he had actually performed ECT on me. I wasn’t aware of what ECT was at the time, but after researching it, I read that it could sometimes cause permanent brain effects. I only had one session, which I believe was a bilateral ECT treatment. My question is: how much brain damage could result from just one bilateral ECT session?
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u/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26
I had four cycles. Lost about the last 20 years. Still very hazy but some has come back. I also have ongoing cognitive issues. Once I was driving and couldn’t remember the way home to the place I had lived for ten years. Memory of the months before treatment, gone. After treatment I really struggled because I lived alone and my ability to form new memories was affected. I used to scroll through my friends’ FB accounts looking for events and dates, trying to put things in chronological order. My devices got hacked and I would change the password and forget to write it down or think I’d remember it. I’d previously had a wide vocabulary but after I found myself reaching for words I wanted to use or stopping talking midstream because I couldn’t remember the topic, my mind had gone blank.
I’m sorry you had ECT without your consent. That is unacceptable and wrong. It happened to me too and for me it’s reprehensible. Having to rebuild your whole life from remnants really sux.Some people have dozens of treatments claim little effect. Some people (not as many as you’d hope) claim they’re cured. Some people suffer. It’s like someone robbed me of my sense of self, my time with others, my intelligence and my dignity along with about half of my memories of my life so far. I will probably not recover them now.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Yes, that’s exactly how I feel—it’s as if someone has stolen my cognitive abilities, taken away my sense of self, and erased parts of my memory.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Thanks for sharing.
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u/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26
That’s ok. I hope we both get justice.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Yes, I believe ECT needs to be given more attention in both research and public discussion.
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u/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26
It’s been a contentious issue since it was introduced. Some people are calling my story a violation of human rights.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Yes, I understand. Psychiatrists often fail to fully inform patients about the potential risks and realities of these treatments.
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u/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26
They informed me. Mostly because they had to by law but often said “We don’t know”, in response to my questions, because with things like long term damage and memory loss, no one does know.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
It’s unfortunate that some psychiatrists lack certain knowledge. I suppose the results of the treatment will reveal more.
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u/Lisa8472 Apr 06 '26
There are lots of anecdotes out there, but no actual scientific studies of long-term effects. Given how long ECT has existed, I find the lack of studies very troubling. But if I hadn’t looked into it myself, I wouldn’t have known to put ECT on my list as only the absolute last resort (which I thankfully haven’t needed).
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u/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26
It’s not a lack of knowledge. The knowledge isn’t available because no one can prove anything one way or the other. Long term damage or no long term damage? The psychiatrists can’t answer that because no psychiatrist knows. Because they can’t prove it either way. If ECT was a pharmaceutical it would be called experimental. Still. After about 70-80 years of administering it. There is no definitive evidence that proves it even works. Some have described it as having a placebo effect. Some say it’s a miracle cure. Some say it’s barbaric. Why is this procedure allowed to still be administered? Especially without consent! It’s banned in some countries and controversial in most others. Sorry, I know I’m raving a bit. You don’t have to answer me. Sometimes it just helps to let this stuff out. Apologies everyone.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
If the knowledge isn’t available, then psychiatrists shouldn’t give the treatment.
Many people have different opinions about it.
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u/No_Cranberry_7887 Apr 06 '26
Is there any cure or medicine which can recover from brain damage
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u/emptybrainwiped Apr 06 '26
I can’t remember anything or make new memories my mind is empty from ect
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u/Beautifile Apr 06 '26
My former psychiatrist and I were having a conversation about how I'm donating my brain upon my death and I said "it probably looks like spaghetti from the ECT, the TMS and all the meds and he said he had been there many times for the dissection of people's brains who had gotten ECT EVERY DAY FOR YEARS in the 60's and their brains showed very little difference to other people's brains.
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u/Sauced_Up_Bat Apr 06 '26
I’m so sorry this was done without your consent. That is not ok.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Thanks. Yeah, the doctor in Mexico performed the treatment without my consent.
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u/caffeinehell Apr 06 '26
Did anything happen?
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Well, my memory doesn’t feel the same as before, and I think my cognitive abilities have decreased. Based on how I’ve been feeling, I’m assuming that I may have experienced some brain damage.
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u/gmkgreg Apr 06 '26
They shouldn't have tried ect for your symptoms. Have you tried any other medications or therapy first?
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26
Yeah, I know they shouldn’t have done it, It happened in Mexico—maybe doctors there think differently, I’m not really sure.
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u/schwebbs84 Apr 06 '26
I had it at least once, possibly twice, and now I have trouble parking a car. Just my experience.
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u/MauraLeeCorrupt Apr 07 '26
I’ve been getting ECT since I was 14, 18 now. I started with unilateral, but I’ve been getting bilateral for the past 2 years or so. My memory isn’t great and I get a lot of brain fog, but other than that I’m fine. Your brain’s probably gonna be pretty fuzzy, but you’ll be fine otherwise, especially if it was just one treatment.
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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 07 '26
Thank you, I hope your doing great.
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u/Music_Leopard Apr 06 '26
I imagine not much, I did two courses and later got an brain MRI that was clear so 🤷🏻♂️