I have had ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). There. I said it. Cat is out of the bag. Now a Google search will tell everyone that knows me, as well as those that don’t, that, I have had this “crazy” procedure.
But here’s the thing, it’s not crazy. It’s lifesaving. ECT first got a bad rap in “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest,” a novel published in the 1960s by Ken Kesey and made famous in the 70s by the film with Jack Nicholson.
When my psychiatrist spoke to me about having ECT, this is all I knew. I said no right away and continued to say no for months languishing in a terrible state of depression. Psychiatric meds were not working for what was a yearlong wave of depression. I needed help. There was nothing to read on ECT, no brochure or hand out. There was no one to talk to about having ECT, because no one talks about it. At the time, three years ago, I did not know there were online forums where you could read about others sharing about their experiences which were not always pleasant and did not always work. Honestly, I was glad I did not know about them, or I might not have given it a shot.
I had a total of 12 ECT sessions over about six months. I had the first series a few days apart over a week. After the second week I was like a new person. I was getting out of bed, I was happy to take a shower. I picked up a book and started reading again! The results were immediately apparent to my husband and family.
The sessions were only about a couple of hours start to finish. The procedure itself lasted only a couple of minutes. You spent more time waiting to get started than anything else. Once they called your name, they took vitals, weighed you and put a cuff on your arm where your IV would go. After some time, you are
Family
people
feelings
Waves
Google
Ken Kesey
Jack Nicholson
