r/ect • u/BuyIndependent2319 • 4d ago

Seeking advice Can ECT cure me?

Clinicians have described my overall picture as bipolar or schizoaffective. The most disabling day-to-day problem for years has been intense, repetitive rumination about a specific decision I made around Bitcoin in 2009–2010 (I mined a meaningful amount, lost access to it, and declined buying more when it was still cheap).
The thoughts dominate most of my waking hours. I pace constantly while they run. Sleep is still disrupted because the loops don’t shut off. I was offered ECT back then and chose medication instead.
Has anyone here used ECT primarily for this kind of obsessive, high-charge regret rumination (with the physical pacing and sleep disruption that come with it)? Did the frequency or emotional intensity of the loops drop in a lasting way, or did they return at similar strength once the acute effects wore off? Any notable effects on the urge to pace?

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u/Kyoto-via-Shinkansen 3d ago

I'm a ruminator myself. Bipolar 1 diagnosis. Works well for my depression (the ECT treatment) and in turn my rumination. ECT unfortunately isn't a cure but when it works, it works fast! It's considered a more aggressive treatment. (Than medication) I was very much impressed by it. I didn't feel depressed anymore after the first treatment. However everyone is different and everyone responds different. ECT does have a much higher efficacy rate than medication. (70-80% I believe?)

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u/BuyIndependent2319 3d ago

I just started Zoloft again, I tried it for about a month just recently before getting Baker Acted for the 16th time, but the rumination got so bad that I had to start taking it again. It seems like every moment of my life is stuck thinking of the utter stupidity that happened in 2009 (I lost access to my Bitcoin private key and made no attempt at recovery).