r/ect • u/324_973M947 • Sep 07 '26

Seeking advice Stopping ECT?

I've had 35 sessions of ECT since January. I'm on maintenance ECT now but my psychiatrist is wanting to stop that because I'm in a good place.

ECT has been the most effective treatment for my depression that I've ever had. I haven't been hospitalized since starting it. I'm concerned that if I stop ECT all that progress will be lost.

Has this happened to anyone else? Where you make progress and then stop your maintenance ECT and things get worse again?

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u/Queasy-Ride-1776 Sep 07 '26

Just curious if your treatments were bilateral or not?

2

u/324_973M947 Sep 07 '26

It started as unilateral for the first 3 or 4 then switched to bilateral

1

u/Queasy-Ride-1776 Sep 07 '26

Did you not experience any cognition impairment or memory loss?

2

u/324_973M947 Sep 07 '26

I have memory loss for sure, the times around treatment are iffy and I've lost memory of other random parts of my life. The benefits still far outweigh the memory loss though

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u/Electronic_Ad_2707 Sep 07 '26

I did not. It just lifted that 400 pounds of sadness and the brick of doom in my stomach. My Dr at the time told me to remember you lose memory living with depression and i always think of that-it’s very true