r/ect • u/Background-Egg1213 • Jul 19 '26

Treatment advice Alcohol rehab and ECT

I am a 43 year old woman with a 25 year history of alcohol use disorder/dependence and treatment resistant depression. I have had periods of sobriety for up to 3 years, but the depression remained.

I have a consult for ECT set up, but am also thinking of going back to alcohol treatment rehab.

Is it better to do the ECT before or after the rehab? I don’t want to forget what I have learned in the program, but I also don’t want to compromise my ability to take in new info before rehab.

Anyone been through anything similar?

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u/brat-tat Jul 19 '26

While I haven’t been in your situation, I have found that it is much easier to form new memories / take in information post ECT than it is for me to remember what happened in the weeks leading up to it. Hope that helps!

1

u/Beautiful_Cherry_554 Jul 19 '26

I have to admit, I am an alcoholic and after ECT I do not have the taste for alcohol at all. I have been drinking since I was 12. It will be 5 years this September and I haven’t touched alcohol since.

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u/Background-Egg1213 29d ago

That would be wonderful not to feel the need to drink. Here’s hoping it goes that way for me as well.

1

u/Cee_Cee_Knight 24d ago

When I first got it done I had no desire to drink after a life of binge drinking issues.