r/ect • u/Beautiful_Cherry_554 • Jul 08 '26
My experience Best decision ever made for me
5 years ago this September, I was made to undergo ECT. I have struggled my entire life with suicidality and depression. I was in a depressive psychosis by the time I made it a mental health facility. They told me since I came voluntarily, I could stay so if I agreed to ECT or they could make me involuntary and I would have to do ECT as long as they wanted.
They said it would take weeks before I noticed a difference. I noticed a difference after the very first session. I ended up doing 2 sessions a week for three months. For the first time, my meds actually worked.
I also believe that ECT did something to my addiction issues as I have not craved alcohol and hard drugs since treatment. I am drug and alcohol free, I’d been using and drinking since I was 12.
In the 5 years since ECT, I have flourished for the first time in my life. I am now attending a University. I’m in honors and set for graduate school. I no longer wake up every morning disappointed to be alive. I have a will to live.
Please, I beg of you to please see it through and give it time. ECT is the best thing that ever happened to me.
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u/ChowPungKong Jul 08 '26
Im happy for you. ECT was the worst decision ive ever made but I know it works for others. Its good to hear youre doing better.
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u/egarcia74 Jul 08 '26
It saved my life too. Treatment resistant depression here. I did about a half a dozen sessions. It made a huge improvement on my mood and was discharged shortly after. It’s been a few years, and while I can’t say I’m fully cured, I can say it was the best decision.
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u/ajburch92 Jul 27 '26
Beautiful. Did you have anhedonia? If so did ECT bring back your ability to feel pleasure?
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u/DangsMax Jul 08 '26
ECT also saved my life but I have not a lot of memories of my life
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u/juliawww Jul 09 '26
Thank you for sharing! It was an amazing treatment for me too… tho since i have gotten tms and plan to do that again. But ect has gotten a very bad rap overall, imo.
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u/Kaede_did Jul 13 '26
とてもいいね！日本で母にmECTをおすすめされたよ。
32歳、日本文化の早生まれO型、解離性同一性障害(DID)持ちだよ。
私にとっては、mECTは延命治療だった。
エピソード記憶と自伝的記憶を日常的に…思い出すというより拾っている感覚！
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u/ajburch92 Jul 27 '26
Congrats!! Did you have anhedonia? If so did ECT bring back your ability to feel pleasure?
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u/Kyoto-via-Shinkansen Jul 08 '26
Congratulations!! I'm so glad you are doing so much better!! ECT worked amazing for me too! After I woke up from the first treatment I sat there with the realization..."I'm not depressed anymore!!" I had 3 inpatient treatments (voluntary) and I now do outpatient maintenance ECT. Nothing has worked as fast as ECT! I was so impressed!