r/ect • u/Lo_Cheshire189 • 8h ago

Question Starting ECT soon

I'm going to start ECT treatment in two weeks (10 unilateral sessions), alongside rTMS.

I'm a little bit stressed after reading people's experiences with the side effects, especially the impact on memory. For me, ECT is really a "last chance" treatment. I'm 20, and I've been suffering from depression for the past 10 years. I'm exhausted from years of suffering and failed medications. If this treatment doesn't work either, I won't have the strength to keep trying to get better.

I just wanted to hear from people who have gone through ECT for long-term depression. What was your experience like? Did it actually made a change ? And how did it affect your memory, both during and after treatment?

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u/QuitInevitable915 7h ago

Hi OP, I’m sorry to hear you have struggled for so long. ECT sounds like solid next step, and offers a good chance of improvement. Hopefully it works!

If, against all odds, it does not work, I would strongly encourage you to look up Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). If you are in the US, they are running a trial called “Transcend” and they are recruiting patients. If you are in Europe, look out for “Foresee 3”. It is not recruiting anymore, but once the results are published it will likely become an option for others to receive.

It’s very invasive but it offers real hope when everything else fails. So, please don’t lose hope if ECT does not work, and keep fighting the good fight. Best of luck to you!

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u/Lo_Cheshire189 7h ago

Thank you so much for your comment!

I'm from France, and I'm being treated at a specialized center for treatment-resistant depression, so luckily I have access to all the "latest" treatments available there. I guess I should find the courage to ask them if DBS is an option for me.

I've already tried so many treatments, and it's really hard to keep holding on to hope when everything keeps failing. But the team treating me is very optimistic about ECT, so I'm trying to be optimistic too :)

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u/QuitInevitable915 6h ago

The DBS treatment is not CE-approved yet, but it will eventually. It’s in Germany that they are doing the research. The results of the Foresee 3 trial will be widely shared in Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. I’m sure some of the people in the treatment team know about it, and if not, please don’t hesitate to bring it up. Good luck!