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What we (don’t) know about ECT

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The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) often conjures up pictures from One Flew over the Cookoo’s Nest: being strapped down and electrocuted feeling all of the pain and terror one could imagine. Yet for years now ECT has been quietly used behind the scenes for patients with depression that has been unresponsive to “standard” treatment. The procedure itself, and the side-effects, are nothing like what our imaginations conjure up. In fact, for the most part it is considered relatively safe. So why is ECT still demonized in popular culture? Recently, the FDA classification of ECT devices has been looked at. … Continue reading →

More on Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

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In our last article on this topic, we looked at the reasons why ECT is used rather than conventional antidepressant medications only. Principally utilized as a last port of call when other medication and modalities have repeatedly failed, ECT is still mired in controversy. While it is and has been a definite lifesaver for many sufferers of deep depression, the technique does not enjoy a high popularity rating. One of the principal reasons for this is that, despite the length of time the method has been in use, coupled with numerous refinelments in techniques, there are several serious side effects. … Continue reading →

What is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?

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Most of us have heard of the term ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, via TV shows or perhaps through the classic movie one flew over the Cuckoo’s nest. However unless you or a family member have undergone ECT, it is likely that most people know very little about this dramatic and controversial treatment. The effects of electroconvulsive therapy were discovered by accident in the early 20th century. Unfortunately its history is mired by considerable abuse of this technique in its early years. It is now deemed as a safe and reasonably effective treatment for very severe depression by the American psychiatric … Continue reading →

Mental Health Week in Review July 12-18

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This week in Mental Health we looked at a range of issues including what happens to a mother when she is found by authorities to be suffering from Munchausen disorder by proxy and she has deliberately harmed her child. In Munchausen Mum Escapes Jail Term, we focused on the legal rather than the psychological ramifications of this disorder. We also looked at Dependent Personality Disorder and the effects that this condition has on its sufferers, including a desperate need for reassurance from others, marked difficulty in expressing disagreement with others due to a fear of being abandoned, extreme lack of … Continue reading →

The minefield of schizophrenia (1)

Having a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia is distressing enough, but having to deal with the terminology and language of schizophrenia can be a nightmare in its own right. Here is a short glossary of terms that are frequently used by mental health professionals to describe the common characteristics of this puzzling and disturbing illness. • Acute episode The period of the illness when severe symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions, are experienced. • Affect A synonym for “mood” and refers to the outward expression of emotion. Persons suffering from schizophrenia may be described as having “flat effect” meaning that little … Continue reading →