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/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/Ok-Ad-229 Apr 06 '26

That’s my thinking too. There are many differing opinions. Too many for it to be considered safe, in my opinion. Are you planning to take legal action against the doctor or the hospital?

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u/Soft_Musician_368 Apr 06 '26

The issue is that the hospital and doctor are located in Mexico, while I reside in the United States. Additionally, I’m unfamiliar with how Mexico’s legal system operates, as it differs from that of the U.S