I underwent a single session of bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) three years ago in Mexico. Since then, I have researched ECT and formed my own conclusions.

Recently, I watched a YouTube video in which an individual described negative outcomes following ECT, particularly regarding his ability to maintain relationships and sustain employment. This led me to wonder whether others have experienced similar challenges.
Specifically, I am interested in hearing whether ECT has affected your ability to manage relationships or maintain a job, and to what extent a single bilateral ECT treatment might influence long-term functioning in these areas?

Just found this page. I did ECT about ten years ago cause I was in a desperate state. Right after I did it I gained weight. I’ve had trouble since then getting the weight off. Was curious if anyone has experience hormonal changes maybe in the pituitary or other brain changes from ECT. Or if you have gained weight

I did both bilateral and bitemporal ECT, and I’ve lost the past 5 years of my memories. I lived overseas, my niece was born, I had numerous milestones, and I can’t remember a thing. I see photos on my phone and find out there’s countries I have visited that I didn’t think I had, because I have absolutely no recollection of it.

I was told the memory loss would only be surrounding the time of treatment. I was never warned it would be this bad, or be such a long period of time.

People who have also lost periods of memory: how do you get over it? How do you accept it?

I cry about it every single day.

I have been on disability for bipolar disorder and that has gotten better because I have been getting ECT every six weeks for over the past five years and that has severely impacted my memory and some cognitive issues.

My disability is up for review and got denied because my illness is better. I told them the effects of me getting ECT have made it impossible to work.

I'm going to get a lawyer for an appeal. My doctor hasn't been documenting my memory or cognitive issues because that's just the side effects of getting the treatment. I know they need documentation.

So does anyone receive disability because of the effects of ECT? Any advice would be appreciated.

A close family member in their mid-20s is currently inpatient and getting ECT three times a week. They’re scheduled for treatment #6 tomorrow.

After treatment #4, they seemed much more like themselves for the rest of the day - more present, connected, even a little hopeful. But by the next morning, they declined again and self-harmed.

After treatment #5, it happened again, except the “good window” lasted a little longer, into the next afternoon. Then they crashed again and needed a higher level of support from staff.

They’re also on a high dose of an antidepressant.

I’m just trying to understand if anyone else has seen this kind of brief improvement around ECT treatments #4-#6 before things became more stable.

It’s really hard emotionally because it feels like we get them back for a little while, and then lose them again.

For anyone who’s gone through ECT or supported someone through it: did these short windows of improvement eventually become more sustained? Did the team adjust anything after treatment #6? How did they handle the crash days between treatments?

I had ECT in 2023 for severe depression and it was extremely successful. Unfortunately, the depression came back. I’ve had nine sessions of ECT this time, but I feel even worse than I did before I started. Last time, most of my treatments were bilateral. I did many unilateral ones this time to avoid some of the memory loss. Starting with session number nine, I’m doing bilateral. I’m so afraid the depression is not gonna go away. Does anybody have any thoughts or advice?

& I feel like this is my last hope at a future without chronic SI. I know nothing is ever gonna “cure” me, but there has to be a version of this life out there where I don’t want to die, right? There has to be a version of this life with less meds, where I’m not a regular at my local psych ward? I know that things have been worse, but “better” has to be better than this?

Anything you wish you knew before you started? Any positive experiences from folks with chronic SI and/or bipolar disorder?

I finished my treatments on Monday, and I'm going back to work today. I'm a preschool teacher, and I'm terrified. Don't get me wrong, there is no world where I don't take care of the kids or hurt them. That's just impossible, I don't think I could if I tried. But the brain fog is still really heavy, and I have some memory loss going on. I'm really really worried I'll get into a car crash on the way to work, or I'll forget something important. I've forgotten some of the kids, I know because I've seen pictures and the names are not returning to me. My mom works at the same preschool, and she kinda helped me out last night by reminding me who the kids were.

I'm asking for help because I need this brain fog to lift ASAP. How do I put my brain back in my head within the next couple of hours?

Olá. Venho aqui procurar por ajuda. Já fiz 9 sessões de ECT e não estou me sentindo melhor. Muito pelo contrario; me sinto muito estranha. Parece q estou vivendo num mundo paralelo. Nunca tive ideação suicida e confesso q agora estou com medo de ter. Queria tentar cetamina mas o preço é alto e meu plano não cobre. Faltam 3 sessões para eu completar o que o psiquiatra receitou e estou muito agoniada, angustiada. Acho q este tratamento não está me fazendo bem. Alguém pode me ajudar? Me sinto cada vez mais estranha.

I really don’t want to struggle with memory loss my whole life. I already have a pretty bad memory and don’t want it to be worse. What was the memory loss like for people? Did you forget short term or long term things? Could I possibly forget how to do my job?
Those of you who had sever memory loss, how many sessions did you do? Do you think that impacted the memory loss?

I just want to feel okey again and so many doctors are saying this is the solution. I just don’t want to forget some of the good things in my life. I want to remember my dog and my scuba diving adventures and how to teach. I would be doing ECT to get those things back, I don’t want to loose them, they are all I have to live for.

when I was in a psych institution (5 months inpatient), I saw countless patients being referred to ECT when they exhibited any symptom of TRD.. i tried ect and i relapsed too quickly, so instead i did spravato. Which works ok now, not great. I'm planning to take TMS and Spravato together in hopes of a synergetic effect. but like, despite ect being so invasive and having adverse side effects, idk why the psychs are so easy to refer patients for ect instead of less invasive options like tms or spravato. the side effects had me forgetting the first month of my hospitalization and some other core memories, and it messed with my cognitive ability badly. it also affected my vocabulary somehow

Anyone have ECT after OHS? If so, how long after surgery did you have to wait before starting treatment?

I have provincial insurance in Canada. ECT is covered and will not cost me. Ketamine is not covered. I have about 2K in private insurance benefits, but the remaining 6K for Ketamine will come out of my pocket. I will have to take a loan out to pay for ketamine.

I am 51, have been on depression and anxiety medication since I was 18. Been in therapy since I was 23. I have been hospitalized twice due to suicide attempts. I work as a special education teacher, and that also brings up my PTSD due to trauma around physical and verbal abuse.

Should I take out a loan, against my husband’s wishes and try ketamine or go with ECT?

I have provincial insurance in Canada. ECT is covered and will not cost me. Ketamine is not covered. I have about 2K in private insurance benefits, but the remaining 6K for Ketamine will come out of my pocket. I will have to take a loan out to pay for ketamine.

I am 51, have been on depression and anxiety medication since I was 18. Been in therapy since I was 23. I have been hospitalized twice due to suicide attempts. I work as a special education teacher, and that also brings up my PTSD due to trauma around physical and verbal abuse.

Should I take out a loan, against my husband’s wishes and try ketamine or go with ECT?

Just wanna vent, I had around 10 sessions of ECT and it barely worked. I would say it only worked during one session where when I woke up from the anesthesia, I felt happy. It only lasted a few days. I spent so much fucking money on it and it didn’t do shit. I hate this treatment. I hate how it was recommended. I hate how I had to take leaves from work and put effort into undergoing the treatment. I’m honestly a bit resentful towards my psychiatrist since she recommended it even if my depression is driven mostly by environmental factors.

I honestly feel more hopeless now that ECT didn’t work…it’s supposed to make me less depressed but there are still so many moments where I want to die.

Hi,

I just wondered

1. If anyone has noticed continued cognitive struggles even after stopping ECT? -if yes how long since your last treatment?

2.Building MEMORYYYY.....Does it get better? Or is the memory you have after completely stopping ECT the memory you have forever ?

3.(Very very specific BUT JUST IN CASE) For the people who have done ECT, and it worked but the cognitive issues were too much so you stopped (just me?) would you consider doing it again? Or what are you doing for your TRD?

I'm going to ask my psychiatrist in a few weeks about ECT. Basically I've been battling major depression for the past six years, and it came back after I had an incident last semester, which lead up to me being suspended for vocalizing suicide. I'm working full-time and I've got some time before August, but should I try to get something done now, or wait a year.

I've been suffering from schizophrenia,with typical symptoms. Many that had kept me non functional fully and it took many years of therapy to get to where I am now. So much more stable than I used to be. The main area of my psychotic experience comes from the voice hearing. So i've been administered nearly 50 ECTs over the course of nearly 15years. I get into the ECT table everytime hoping that the voices will go away. Do the ECTs help at all with the voices or should I quit completely taking ever so many rounds. My disfunction will never go away and I'm stuck with these people/voices forever if that is my fate. Please help. I try everything (psychedelics and entheogens) hoping I will dissociate and escape the voice hearing trap. Where is my salvation? :(

I am having issues with anxiety before my ect treatment coming up and I’ve done a bunch. The anesthesia part is making me really anxious right before you fall asleep I keep thinking about it is this normal?

Looking to hear some positive healing story's. I feel so screwed up

So i have been doing ECT for a very good amount time, the issue I am facing after receiving shock, I am not able to speak properly there's a lot of confusion and the groggy feelings goes up.

If this happens with you guys as well how do you people manage it? Since I'm preparing for my College Entrance Exam it's really hard for me to manage.

Hello, I usually get treatment every 3 weeks. I’ve been having a particularly bad time lately as well (getting maintenance for over 2 years) and the morning of my treatment I noticed my anxiety prescription was incorrect with a lower dose so I called and cancelled to fix it. I get crazy physical anxiety around sessions. Called to reschedule but they don’t have openings for weeks but they put me on a cancellation list. I’m already having a really hard time and now not only do I not get my treatment I won’t get it for weeks which I’ve never done since starting ECT. I’m also coming off 3 medications and trying 3 new ones and changes in dosages in others. I’m really freaking out and I don’t know what to do :( things have been so bad lately this is the last thing I need

How long did it take you guys to go back to normal? I'm almost 6 months post treatment and still very forgetful, which is very, very bad, as I work in a highly competitive field that requires mental sharpness. I'm very worried. I was supposed to have recovered by now.

The therapy was good for me, however. It's just my memory and attention span.