Did ECT Cause Memory Loss For Me? 

Memory loss for me through my ECT therapy has been extreme. After my first two week barrage of treatment it had left me unable to remember how to get to my own home. I had to use GPS just to get around my own neighbourhood! I have been a licensed auto service technician for 15 years prior to treatment, and have lost my ability to work as I have forgotten large portions of my education and technical training. Remembering friends has been a large challenge and have had to start several friendships from scratch! All in all I have lost the majority of my lifes memories prior to treatment, and daily living since is a constant challenge:(. It’s awful to not be able to recall any memories of your wife and young child such as my own wedding and the birth of my only son. Be advised that this is a very possible outcome from treatment. God Bless, and I hope you may find healing from whatever treatment you choose.

I have recently had 11 ECT treatments. Yes I struggled with some memory loss but it is getting better everyday. The biggest surprise for me is how much better my ADD has improved. How much more calm and focused I am. I am going to be having one maintenance treatment a month. I have hopes that it will not affect my memory. ECT does work. I do only recommend it as a last resort though. I am extremely sensitive to many medications. Of all the medications out there I can only tolerate Seroquel and Welbutrin SR. I have no idea why this is. I tried TMS and the first 20 treatments helped but the improvement started to decline and stop helping after that. Depression is no joke in my family as I lost 3 brothers to suicide and a sister who had bi polar and died of other health complications. I was desperate to get better and this was for sure a last resort for me. I don't feel perfect everyday all the time but I do feel better. I did agree to go with the bilateral method right from the first treatment.

Thank you Jenny for posting your experience. I understand people's hesitation, but the alternative is worse. Just had my 4th treatment today and only a little memory loss. One thing I noticed is that colors seem brighter, sky bluer, grass greener. So excited to think I might actually beat this battle. Thanks again. 😃

You look great I'm so happy for you, I'm very depressed and for me medication has failed so far. I talked to my doctor about ECT and he just wants me to give the medication a bit longer and if not I guess I'm ready for trying it out. I've been depressed for 10 years now I lost my job because of it and I rarely go socializing ever I often go no further than the kitchen and bathroom most days but I'm still hopeful.

Jenny Tnks for sharing your experience. Its 3 yrs. later. How are you doing did it hold you in the same place regarding mood or did you need maintenance?

Jenny, how many treatments have u had overall? Thanks for the videos!

Hi jenny, apparently I messaged you after my 7th session of ect but I've not memory of it just proof that I did lol. My memory loss has been pretty bad. I'm 7 weeks out from my last session and I'm continuing to loose memories. I've having to write things down on a daily basis. It's pretty scary. I don't know my way around my home village, I can't rembere the insides of people's houses ugh the list goes on. In the end I had 11 session (12 is the max in this country as a "course" but you can have a few rounds of 12 if really needed) it worked for me but the good feelings did not last. I'm not as bad as I started out which is why my dr won't recommend anymore. At least now I have some motivation to do things, but I have to admit that the memory loss gets in the way a lot! Anyways I'm sorry to see in your most recent video that things aren't as good as they were- hopefully it's just a bump in the road!

Thank you, Jenny for generously sharing your experiences! So glad you're continuing to do well.

I had been diagnosed with Bipolar for 16 years. Throughout my illness I had been exposed to haloparadol, serzone, xyprexa, seroquel, resperdone and lately pelipheridone. Though these meds subsided my mania, prolong usage made me dull and over weight. Recently I gained 9 Kg (19.8 lbs) in 4 months while on pelipheridone. Worse, I cannot sleep at night and had to take sleeping pills. I am as a fact showing a sign of depression. I am so desperate now to move away from depending on drugs. My life becomes meaningless. I use to run marathons and yet now I do not have the drive to run more than 10 minutes. I am thinking of opting for periodic ECT treatment instead of medication. Can anybody advice me on this option?

Pls I have problem remembering new thing. How long would it take to be norma again

I'm always glad to get such clear and detailed information from you. And I'm happy to see you doing better. I started to watch your videos when one of my very close friends mentioned she may need to do ECT after running out of all other options. It put my mind at ease exactly how it works and that it doesn't look all that scary. She was especially concerned about the memory loss after having such bad experiences on a medication for her headaches that made her just start to forget things. It was actually far more drastic of memory loss than this (although not as forgetful as my generally poor memory). Her main worry now is she doesn't handle sedation well (as in she's sick afterwards and takes days to get a clear head). And of course after I decided to look into everything for her, it turns out the NHS rarely does ECT. I'm still hoping they'll consider it for her because she's on one of the last ditch type medications and nothing seems to help.

I had it done a few times as an inpatient. At that time I don’t remember leaving my room to get my treatment done. I already have epilepsy so I don’t believe the doctors should of been doing ECT’s. Anything is I don’t remember signing any papers.

I've had treatments since Nov '15. Once a week, every other week. I have Bipolar 2 and PTSD. ECT has worked phenomenally. Better than imagined. Only side effects are difficulty finding specific words for a few days afterwards. Reading helps with that a lot. I highly, highly recommend ECT to anyone with debilitating depression. Life is too short to suffer.

hi sister.. im dilu from sri lanka.. last week i had a ect treatment for three days.. now im having headache pain in my forehead either side of my head.. and sleeping problems? is it ok.. pls reply someone

Hello, I'm Brazilian, unfortunately I don't speak English, but from what I understand from the video, you did ect and lost your memory, right? If possible could you explain this memory loss to me? Retrograde? anterograde? days, months, years? Total or partial loss? did your memory come back?

Thank you so much for the share. The Veterans Administration is about to start treatment on me bilaterally three times a week for nine sessions to start. I'm not sure what to expect but am hopeful that I'll get better. I have friends that are scared about the possible memory loss. Your video helped me mentally prepare for this process. Thank You...

I've had about 20 treatments and the memory loss so bad I can't remember what I did yesterday or even this morning. I end up telling people the same thing multiple times like I never told them. I forget where I am, how to get places. I don't remember childhood memories. It's so bad my walls are filled with post it notes reminding me to do things

Hello Jenny! (question at end) I had ECT in 2013 to 2014. I did Bi-Lateral from the beginning (Bilateral causes much more memory loss) What happened was, I literally woke up one day in Feb 2013 in a catatonic depression! (I have suffered from other depressions my whole life) My Great Grandma had to have ECT many times, back when it was barbaric. anyway, 10 months after being in a catatonic depression I gave in and did ECT. ECT helped my depression, it did NOT cure it, of course. I still have to take several antidepressants. I had a total of 20 treatments. My memory was affected and continues to get worse and worse. (THAT is what is scaring me) As of now, I am diagnosed with Major Depression Disorder and Borderline Personality! Yea, Im a mess! Jenny, have you noticed if your memory has gotten worse over time?

how many times did u have the treatment?I'm thinking to have ECT if doctors accept my words.

For me memory loss was frustrating, but the spatial navigation was shot. I still have lots of trouble finding my way around cities I've known for decades. Of course, I'm still doing maintenance treatments, too.

Please help If there any Medications you are recomended for managment of memory loss after ect

Thank you so so much for sharing. I know it's a difficult topic to discuss and invites a barrage of opinions, most uneducated and also mostly negative. I will begin ECT in 3 days and while I'm terrified (who wouldn't be) your courage in sharing your experience offers me hope.

Thank you for posting your experience, its nice seeing other people with similar experiences. I am currently in ect treatment and am seeing such amazing results with little memory loss.

Im doing etc soon please please tel me everything should i do it??

I had 12 sessions of ECT while hospitalized last summer. While it saved my life, it also wiped away a lot of memory and impaired my cognitive functioning. When I woke from my first episode I couldn’t even remember who I was or where I was for a couple hours. Slowly some of the memories trickled back. But unfortunately, so did the depression a couple months after my sessions ended. To save my life I’d do it again but it would take a lot to get me to do it.

got ect nr1 before 1 day unmodified long story why so far i dont have a real loss i just miss maybe 1 min before the shock i lose a front teeth what is the only problem so far light head und muscle pain for the day but all fine now again teeth need 2 be fix :/ iam dont see any problem for the next ones...

should I do it help me as I am suffering from pure-o ocd and sexual intrusive thoughts and groinal movement Please guide me😖😖😖

What medication worked for you?

I’m happy for you. Unfortunately many of us are not that fortunate. We have profound memory loss with retrograde and anterograde amnesia. Unable to function due to severe loss of cognitive function. Life destroying. I’m interested to hear that your doctor stated that if you didn’t experience memory loss that the ECT wasn’t working and he moved to bilateral and higher doses. Amazing that they accept memory loss as a gauge to see any effect. You are very lucky. Perhaps some USA psychiatrists give light infrequent, low dose ECT to try to avoid severe memory loss and accept that more sessions are required. It’s also good for their fees that way. In the UK it’s the NHS with heavier unregulated ECT. The memory loss I noted from day 1, increasing in severity each time. You consented to your treatment and took a risk. I was forced to have it and did not know how severe the ‘brain damage’ could be. I know now which is why we must stop coercive treatment and insist on proper statements of risk before consent. Up to 30% if those having repeated ECT suffer very severe incapacitating memory loss that no one would consent to.

Thanks for your post Jenny. Your experience of side effects is the most common. The comments here are very polarised. Some people have probably had negative outcomes from ECT. Practitioners see this very rarely and wish to avoid it entirely. We don't want to see anyone suffer. There are advances in use of cognitive testing to predict those vulnerable to retrograde memory loss. Longitudinal studies, neuro imaging and new cognitive testing techniques are trying to better understand long term side effects. It is also likely that some people are blaming ECT for changes due to reasons such as degenerative pathology, ageing, drug use or other variables. It is well established that psychosis causes brain damage. I met a person who smokes weed daily since her teens who blames ECT for poor memory. Personality change from ECT is not real.That is why ECT is not used for treating personality disorders. I normally see the return of personality due to ECT. The personality that has been absent due to illness.

I experienced a more severe memory loss, even though I had only one course of ECT (but bilateral and pretty strong). Initially, I did actually forget people, but nobody very close to me or whom I'd known for a long time. I learned pretty quickly how to save face when the forgotten people would walk up to me and start talking. Anyway, I was wondering if you've had any déjà vu experiences, and if you've figured out how you tell them apart from "returning" memories or just déjà vu. Obviously, asking people involved helps, but it becomes embarrassing after awhile...

Love your videos and stories. Thanks for documenting this part of your life. You've helped me tremendously be brave and educated enough to believe that ECT's do in fact work. Thank You.

My mum had melancolic depression and if she did not have ECT she would have died ,it is wonderful for severe depression..people don't eat don't even move sometimes ,it dépends on the sevrity of the ilness..

Jenny - again, Thank you so much for your insight you're an inspiration. I start my ect next Friday, wish me good luck T

I may be getting this treatment and you reassure me. Hoping Olanzapine will help me, giving it time first x

Jenny, thank you so much for sharing this. I am so glad ECT has worked so well for you. I have a quick question. Did you ask your Dr for it or did they suggest it to you? I have a Dr appt tomorrow and I want to ask her about getting ECT. I just turned 23 and I have been struggling with major depressive disorder for years and years. I have tried so many medication combos I couldn't even begin to name them all. Nothing worked. I was told I'm medication resistant and that's when I stopped meds altogether. That was a year ago. I'm still struggling very much and can feel myself slipping lower again. I'm terrified. Terrified of being in this place mentally. Terrified I'll be turned down for ECT. (I was turned down a year ago. . told I'm too young for the risks. I say I'm too young to be living this way for so long!) Terrified if it doesn't work. I am about out of options for recovery here. Sorry this is getting a little long. I have lost all my friends between depression and anxiety. I don't have anyone to talk to and I guess I needed a little release. Haha.. Thanks for taking the time to read through this!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm having my first ECT this Friday. I will have 3 ECT's a week for 4 weeks. I had ECT 3 years ago and did well with depression, so hopefully it will go well this time too.

"Bilateral" is actually perfectly acceptable :) love your videos, my best friend is going through ECT treatments so this is really inspiring to watch!

A couple of months after I had ECT I had a brain bleed. I hadn't had a fall or hit my head . The only thing concerning my head was the ECT! I also had a lot of memory loss short and long term. Even big events in my past I had no memory of!

Thanks for posting, Jenny! Can you explain a little on what it was like to get put to sleep? Like how did they do it, what do you remember, what did it feel like, could you have fought it if you would have tried, etc. This is the part that freaks me out the most. Thanks!

We're you able to get off your meds?

Thank you for describing your experience with ECT Jenny! I'm sharing your video with my clinical nursing students. They will witness ECT tomorrow. You gave them a great heads up bc as you know, there are alot if misconceptions about treatment out there!

I've heard horrible memory loss and extreme depression residing Ect. I did TMS therapy last year and have had a big improvement in depression after. Be careful with ECT, I do think my voltage was pumped extra high because of my resistance to the treatment. By the way, my memory loss is almost completely short term. Like I forget the words as I know I'm typing them. 😆 Many years later about 4-5, my short term memory had gotten better.

Is there a way to do it for memory loss? Maybe target specific memories? I want to forget a girl and my father

ECT is certainly a last ditch effort treatment & very necessary for some people Thanx for sharing your experience because it can be very reassuring for some of us who are trying to figure out treatment directions

I notice that I no longer am sharp on times or dates. I feel that my memory loss has been significantly reduced.Now in my 60’s I fear that I have dementia. I had 12 sessions of ECT in my early 50’s. I wouldn’t recommend it.

I have suffered with PTSD for many years now. My psychiatrist is recommending this treatment for me, since I have not responded very well to medication and other therapies. I'm really scared about having this procedure, this video has helped ease my mind some, although I have some serious concerns still though.

Suffering from sexual intrusive thoughts from 2 years 😖😖😖 My life is getting spoiled day by day that is Ocd Should I opt for ect I am feeling quite depressed

How does one know they've lost certain memories if they can't remember them to start with?

Do they give ECT to unemployed or low income for free in Texas?

I’m considering ECT treatment as meds aren’t working anymore and I’ve tried so many. I’m honestly terrified, but your video helped calm me down a little. What’s frustrating to me is that just like with antidepressants, the experience with ECT seems so individual: some have benefitted tremendously, others have been rendered unable to take care of themselves, and everything in between. It’s SO difficult to know what to make of it all. I haven’t been able to work for theee years and taking care of myself and my home is a challenge, so that way I’m already functionality impaired - but what if I lose my intelligence? My with? My intellect? I’m a writer, what if I won’t be able to write anymore? It’s all so incredibly frightening.

I'm horrified by my treatment... I was on Section 3 so I didn't sign or consent to it... I wanted it stopped after 5 or 6 treatments; I felt absolutely fine I said to them "I'm happy enough now I don't need it anymore", & I did feel SO much better, but no one listened. I ended up having 9, I saw the last 3 as Torture & Punishment, due to my mental health issues & anxiety. No one would listen to my cries for help. They forced me down on the bed while I was crying, on more than 1 occassion, They didn't anaesthetise me properly because I have sudden jolts and convultions of my body, - very randomely, that have been happening for years... (3 years after I had the course of treatments) ... I am traumatised. I without a doubt have brain damage, for a long time I had pain on the right side of my head, and I have promenant pressure on both sides of my head, that has never left me. My brain has been fried, and I have substantial, terrible memory loss. All I can remember is the complete trauma they all put me through & the ignorance of the Dr and the ECT anaesthetists. :( I know they didn't anaesthetise me properly coz I remember them pushing me onto the bed and holding me down while I was crying saying I don't want it, and the sudden seizures/jolts of my body that I get are proof that I have brain damage. I'm so traumatised from my experience and permenantly mentally & pysically damaged! I am more vulnerable now than I was before, and lost all my dreams to become a singer, or motivation to do anything in life! I've lost my personality and my spark, and A LOT of my fighting spirit! I've lost the real me from ECT. I just couldn't be myself in the hospital that I was in, (Mother & baby Unit) and my depression was circumstantial!, - linked to things that had happened to me, yes coming off medication, but mainly (having my baby took away from me 2 days after having her/post natal depression & long distance relationship, & being locked in the hospital!!! rather than random or ongoing with the Need for ECT. I've tried to sue but with no luck. I've not been in the right place to do it, & my parents are and were on the doctors side. I'm vulnerable & have had no one to help me with persuing a legal case and sueing... I might try again. All I know it that, regardless of being on Section 3, i'm pretty sure that I didn't sign or consent to it!, wasn't given All the information, wasn't listened to when I expressed feeling better and being happy, and wasn't anaesthetised properly towards the end with constant random convultions of my body and a frozen feeling and permenant pressure on my head, with memory loss. My brain basically feels 'dumbed down' !! God knows how many brain cells those last 3 treatments killed. :( #Damaged 🙏

I'm on the fence about it. Like most people, I'm scared of the memory loss. I'm also a teacher and can't afford to have that throwing me off in the classroom. If I do it, I hope my experience is like yours.

Tons of people have lost skills through ECT, what does that tell you? Who else has to relearn skills after an event, like driving a car, tying your shoes, playing an instrument or even talking? Stroke survivors. Who else loses memories for good after an event? Stroke survivors. What happens during a stroke? Parts of your brain die. ECT IS partial brain death, you might as well get a lobotomy done. There is no way to tell what the shocks break in your brain, it might be a traumatic memory pulling you down, it might as well be the one memory that's kept you going and how much you like pizza.

Thank you for bringing ECT out in the open. The stigma is so damaging by those who know nothing about what it is. I felt the same way as you; I had the choice to try ECT or live in hell. I thought the memory loss was a bargain if it worked. I have severe was memory loss or no sense of joy in all areas of my life. I describe it as the most painful time in my life and felt I had no other choice. My memory loss is severe and it did not help at all. I would never suggest not trying it as I met many who see the treatment as a blessing, because of the relief of such painful living is so painful, no one understands unless they've gone through it. Doctors with many degrees do not understand. I do get lost going home and to family homes who lived there 30 years. I can relate to the new movie about early Alzheimer disease called, Where's Alice, (I think) with that beautiful red haired actress (I cannot remember her name). She's phenomenal in this film. I could go on for ever about my experience but eventually, I finally found medication that has given me my life back, however, it is not usually prescribed for depression and it's not FDA approved for it as of yet, however I am hopeful for those who have doctors who wouldn't prescribe it for depression or even know that it has helped thousands to get the word out. I was hopeless and was approved because it seemed as there was no other alternative for me, as I was certainly a good candidate as I fought my deep sadness for years, which became debilitating and hopelessness took control of my life. Most try anything available for a long time before ECT seems as if it is the last and only choice. Good Health and if you need to ask me anything related I would be honored to help someone who is suffering with this awful illness. Be Well! XO

Thanks for this Jenny, I find your story inspirational and identifiable. I made a FB group called Shocking! ECT chit chat- I talk about myself a lot, feel free to join, another perspective is always welcome!

I know you probably mean well, but you should not recommend this treatment to anyone. ECT involves applying electrodes to a person’s scalp and then passing electrical current through the skull and brain tissue to induce a seizure. This is what constitutes a so called “treatment”. At the push of a button psychiatrists shoot up to 460 volts of electricity through the skull to produce a grand mal seizure that can sometimes last up to 30 minutes. This is many times stronger than the voltage one would get even if they stuck their finger into a light socket. To put that into context, 450 volts is enough to power 5 stadium lights on a football field. ECT machines generate nearly 403 times the electrical current of a stun gun and 450 times that of a cattle prod. The brain trauma caused by one session of electroshock is equivalent to the force of dropping a 40 pound cinder block from 7 1/2 feet onto the head. That’s why patients often wake up from the procedure with a headache and severe memory loss. ECT literally fries the brain by heating up neurons to the point where they become damaged or get too hot and die. When an electric current flows through the brain, the electrical energy is converted into heat, raising the temperature of the brain. The larger the current, the more heat is produced. If the temperature gets too high the cells suffer temporary injury, permanent damage, or even death. ECT causes certain areas of the brain to literally waste away, just like someone with Alzheimer’s. The cognitive impairment, memory issues, amnesia, headaches and euphoria are all due to the side effects of head trauma and electrical injury. In an attempt to heal itself from catastrophic damage, the brain releases chemicals which can temporarily create a sense of euphoria, but this eventually wears off leaving people with permanent cognitive impairment. Rather than being a marker for improvement, the euphoria is a symptom of brain damage. Many people who get ECT end up on disability because they are unable to work or function in society anymore. Others require years of speech therapy. Quite frequently people will forget their names, their identity, their family and friends. They might come home and not know who their children are or remember getting married. ECT can erase precious memories and obliterate years of education. There are lawyers who can no longer practice law and doctors who are unable practice medicine. One woman needed a service dog after ECT because she would leave her house to get the mail and forget where she lived. Another man forgot how to tie his shoe laces. It’s terrible. Yes it’s true that you can electrically shock someone out of their so called ‘crazy’ mind… but you don’t shock them back to their ‘right’ mind, you shock them into a ‘shocked’ mind. The biggest mystery of all is why on earth people think that sending bolts of electricity through a persons head is a good idea. First of all, there is no such thing as a “therapeutic”seizure. When you’re in a hospital and someone comes in with a seizure, that is a bona fide emergency and doctors hop right in to try and stop the seizure immediately. Mainstream physicians go to great lengths to prevent seizures. The idea is to prevent them so it doesn’t cause brain damage, because it’s recognized that seizure activity promotes brain damage. The more seizures a person has, the more potential there is for cognitive decline and neurological dysfunctions. ECT comes with more dangers than just the electricity. The drug they use as a relaxant in the U.S during electroshock is the same drug used for lethal injections. This drug is called Succinylcholine. It paralyzes all the muscles of the body, except for the heart. Due to it’s effectiveness at stopping breathing, it’s regularly given in the execution of prisoners on death row. When a patient receives ECT, this drug also paralyzes their breathing, which is why the anesthesiologist has to ventilate the patient during the procedure. Electroshock is still every bit as brutal as it always has been, and the result remains the same- a grand mal seizure and brain damage. The only thing different about modern day electroshock is that anesthesia and paralyzing agents were added to suppress the patients convulsions. The anesthesia does nothing to protect a patient’s brain. The anaesthetics and paralysing agents are simply used to make ECT appear less barbaric for the benefit of the person observing the procedure. Psychiatrists are not electrical engineers so they don’t understand the effects that electro currents can have on human tissue. They are trained to set the knobs and press the buttons, they aren’t taught the ramifications of what it’s doing. It takes about $500- $1000 to make an ECT machine and around $20,000 to sell it. The more sessions you have, the more money a psychiatrist makes. ECT has nothing to do with medicine or helping the patients, it’s about making money at the expense of vulnerable people.

thanks so much it helps me make up my mind to go for it. yay for you

I've been asking for ECT for the past year and keep hitting a brick wall. They just ad more medication and I just feel like I'm dying inside. They keep telling me about how it will change my positive attitude I have and the memory loss. Well I'm some one that will 90% of the time in therapy have on a happy face because I was trained to do that. I have BPD, BP, Agoraphobia and severe depression and anxiety. I would gladly take a hit in the memory to get off my 15 pill day diet.

I recieved 18 session of ECT and lost my memory severely... it was very difficult to get over it emocinal way of pointof view

Can memory loss be permanent? Can I forget something forever?

I had this done when I was 16 yrs old. For the whole summer of my junior year. All because I tried to runaway. But it was the era of the hippie and others were running away. But now, I am 70 years old and I wonder about long term effects. It must do something to the brain. I don't get excited. I don't like to travel. I don't like to do anything in particular. I have been married for 49 years, two fine sons I am proud of and smarts that cannot be measured. I depend largely on prayers and my faith to get me through. I am active, but the wife wishes I would do more, go more. I am retired after 50 years as a pharmacy technician. "It's never too late to be what you might have been" hangs over my door. Show less REPLY

I have greater memory loss and I haven't had ect... I can forget whole day and I rarely can remember names and dates..

if u have memory loss under ECT, ca n u get it back or it gonna be this forever

I wish she would come back and check in.

Good positive story, how are you doing now in 2019?

You are amazing. So amazing. I know what you have overcome,

It's critical to understand that #ECT has absolutely no standardized operating procedures regarding the method of administration technique, you're one lucky winner of medical Russian Roulette. Your doctor should petition to use their method of administration as an international SOP. It's unlikely anyone else will have the exact same outcome you did unless they get the exact same doctor. Please keep that in mind before encouraging someone to get it. Not all ECT was created equal. I lost 36 years of my life and now live with an electrical injury. You know nothing of the "memory loss would be worth it," because you don't understand what living with profound memory loss is like. It's good you don't have profound memory loss. It took me several years to remember how to drive back to the home I grew up in. I had to relearn how to read. Bilateral is different than bitemporal are two separate types of administration. If you choose to have ECT again, remember the memory loss is cumulative, so they will have to use higher dosages of electricity to get you to seize. Forgetting your identity DOES happen. But like I said, you won medical Russian Roulette. Good for you. Please understand only those who get ECT from your doctor will have the same experience you did. So PLEASE know that others whose doctors gave it to them differently.

I have just had my 2nd ECT treatment (unilateral right side) and I have to say that my experience is extremely different. I have lost the last several months of memory... I can't remember a thing. I woke up after the second treatment with NO idea why I was in hospital, had no idea that I had even considered ECT let alone consented, and apparently I have been in 2 other hospitals recently and I don't remember them at all. I also feel like my personality is different. I feel dumbed down and like I can't make sense of anything, like extreme brain fog. This is after only 2 treatments. I wake up every single morning with fresh amnesia. I cant remember anything about the day before, it's a total blank. Every single day I call my family members and ask them the exact same questions and they have to patiently explain that I am in the hospital and have had ECT and that they spoke to me or saw me yesterday. The way I am right now, I don't think I have any hope at a normal life at all. There's no way I could study or work or even have normal relationships. I feel like the girl in 50 first dates. Every morning I wake up and have no memory.

I have had 50 ECT treatments and it does cause memory loss. The more ECT you get the more likely you are to experience memory loss. On my last 8 ECT's . I had bilateral and have noticed a shitload of short-term memory loss. The pulse and current rate on the Thymatron- The shock machine they generally use is very strong. The other machine the Mecta is just as strong.

I also go through same condition.

Hope u going well.

So you could watch standup comedy more than once and still laugh?

Treatment Resistant Depression, let the good times roll.

I had a similar memory experience. Very little memory loss the first go-round. I noticed it the most w movies/TV shows that I watched during treatment. Several times I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to see a certain movie and he told me we had watched it together. It was scary but as far as I know that's the only memory that was gone. It was def worse the second go-round. Much more noticeable but the same types of things. Also, would I do it again? Yes. Yes. Yes. ECT changed my life so much for the better.

saime problam maim plz help me am indian. but 5 yers old am dipression pasiyant

It caused traumatic brain injury and central nervous system damage. I asked how old I was for a year..constantly! It caused physical pain due to cns damage. DO KETIMINE INSTEAD! There is a class action law suit against ect. i also got crps all over my body from my teeth dying from nerve death to burning mouth syndrome!!! very painful life now. hopefully ketimine will help but it will cost 8500-10000 for me to go to the u.s.. I will have to take pain meds for the rest of my life. My left retna is detaching from the frontal lobe. glasses wont help.

ect cause permanent memory loss??

There are so many medical ways not like this, ECT / Electrical Lobotomy. Coming from someone with Schizoaffective Disorder, PTSD, Debilitating Anxiety & Insomnia. First Olanzapine and Quetiapine, Benzodiazepines (For me Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Nitrazepam and Diazepam) SNRI, Effexor XR. I could go on and on. Never choose ECT unless you have tried absolutely everything under the sun. PhD in Medicine

I had my 10th ECT treatment this morning. I've been experiencing no memory problems, and my mood has been improving drastically as the treatments continue. Apparently, this is rare that no problems with memory occur, but it is possible.

Law suits taking place around ECT. Please see ectjustice.

There have been a lot of controversy on ECT but on an experienced neurologist stand point. ECT does cause Neuro thermal damage to the brain. Psychiatrist usually say the opposite because of financial reasons. You may have caused permanent brain damage from the ECT. I had the treatment before and my neurologist sued my psychiatrist for the damages done. She recommended both ketamine and hypobaric treatment to reverse the damages to the brain.

The Doc. said if you not experiencing memory loss, let;s turn up the amps:(

Now how u feelibg

Thanks so much for making this video and sharing your experience. It brings the treatment out into the open. Your comment is spot on about having an average response, luckily the average response to ECT is pretty good!

I've had ECT 6 yrs ago and what I can remember was going to the hospital. I later woke up and literally panicked because it had erased all of my memories and I keeped telling myself who am I and what's my name. The doctor apologized immediately and told me I had gone ECT treatment and I told him who are and who am I. Story short the doctor told my mom that I have amnesia and my mom cried because I couldn't remember her at all like anything. To this day she keeps calling me by my name which I am still skeptical about. To this day I barely know who I am.

You lost me at “induce the seizure”....

My Doctor wants me to have a etc.....scared to death

I had ECT when I was 15 and lost all my memories of my mother, who had died when I was 14.

My gf forgot the last year of her life and forgot who I was

Are you ok? Why did you stop making videos

NEVER GET THIS TREATMENT IT FUCKED MY DAD UP

Why not start with TMS first if that was not as much side effects to that mug frfr

This is from 8 years ago. You are things now" n

I'm sorry but to say that your comments such as "Severe Memory loss does not happen" is exactly the same as saying all substances affect people the same way.

Thanks for sharing this insight. I've experienced severe depression, manic-depressive type II and had 24 ECT treatments. There's nothing worse than having non-functioning neurons and being borderline suicidal every day. Never the less, I've learned in my heart that "life is too short to suffer" only if you don't believe in Jesus Christ. I pray for ALL of us! Just remember in our hearts and souls, that life is temporary, relief is coming that is eternal! :) If you need any insight, when you get a chance, read 1 Corinthians 15, ALL of that chapter, and you'll understand. Matt~ Galatians 2:20

💜💜💜

How are you u doing now, Jenny? :)

my pyschiartist actually recommended it. was almost a insult!

Feeling