Hi. I suffer from major depression and anxiety and have suicidal thoughts nearly every day and I am wondering if ECT would be right for me. I'm on clonazepam aka klonopin for my anxiety and it seems to work quite well though I know they don't recommend taking it long term. I take a low dose of abilify and take 150mg of Zoloft each morning for my depression and I'm not sure if either 1 is working.
Who do i talk to about the possibility of ECT? I see my psychiatrist for the first time… read more
Yes definitely talk to your psychiatrist
It could be something very helpful for you. Like medications, where some work better than expected for one person yet just share their lovely side effects with another. It can take some time to really see the full effects of these treatments, for myself I initially just had some minor gaps in memory and also a slight headache for the remainder of the treatment day. I am now in the "maintenance" part of my treatments and barely ever have anything major or noticeable with memory gaps. I do get headache's post treatment but they help me with that before I go home and nap. Just keep in mind, it's different for everyone but can definitely be a life saver, as I am a living testimony to they. Best of luck to you and please feel free to come to me with any questions or general chat.
I've been on a regimen of 1mg of klonapin 3 times a day for the last 4 years and it has done wonders in dropping the amount of anxiety attacks I've had and lowering my overall level of anxiety. I still get quite anxious during times of high stress but I handle it better than I ever did without klonapin. It has been a Godsend for me. And according to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, you cannot "build up a tolerance" to klonapin. If you are trying to say you have then you're using it to get high, not for anxiety control.
Hi Sean, I'm not sure if you made any decisions yet on ECT, but your story is very similar to mine, including the Zoloft (also on Lithium, Vyvanse, Trazodone - with a long history of many others). Also did TMS last year with no success.
ECT really turned things around for me. It worked for me more than anything else ever did. But, it's also one of the most difficult and expensive treatments (in my opinion). I have a hard time with anesthesia, even short light doses. Memory loss was not such a big deal for me. A lot of what I lost actually came back.
Do your research on the doctors and facilities and ask a lot of questions. I have an excellent team (Winston-Salem, NC).
Good luck!
I just completed 15 sessions and will start maintenance the end of this week. I am very concerned about the memory loss that is occurring. Is there anything I can do from your experience that will make this easier on me? So far, I dont see any real difference...
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