Electroconvulsive Therapy: Safe And Effective ECT Treatment

What is electroconvulsive therapy?

ECT is among the safest and most effective brain stimulation techniques. Sometimes when symptoms are very severe, there is a need for urgent measures such as ECT in addition to regular therapy and medication regimen. ECT is mostly used for patients with severe depression or bipolar disorder, who do not respond to the medications anymore.

How does ECT work?

In this therapy, the patient’s brain is stimulated with specific and regulated electric current to control acute conditions of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, mania, and catatonia. Electrodes are placed on the scalp and a controlled electric current is applied. This procedure is generally done after giving anesthesia to the patient. Though this treatment has been used since the 1940s, it is highly misunderstood. There are no such side effects of ECT as it is a controlled and medically monitored therapy.

There is some stigma associated with ECT as a treatment method as in the early days it was carried out without anesthesia leading to uncontrollable seizures and pain for the patient. With developments in medicine and anesthesia, ECT is much safer today and in a controlled setting, it is very effective as a treatment. This therapy affects the brain’s activity and aims to relieve psychotic and severe depressive symptoms.

Before proceeding for ECT treatment, the patient undergoes a psychiatric assessment, often known as ECT psychiatry, along with other medical examinations like blood tests and ECG to check the heart health. In most cases, when the patient’s body is reluctant to medications, ECT works more quickly and effectively. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid and significant improvements in many mental health conditions.

Benefits of ECT

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) works for many people when drugs or psychotherapy are ineffective. There are typically fewer side effects than with medications.

ECT works quickly to relieve psychiatric symptoms. Depression or mania may resolve after only a few treatments. In contrast, many medications require weeks to take effect. Therefore, ECT can be especially beneficial for those who are suicidal, psychotic, or catatonic. It is also a safe option for people who may be resistant to other treatment modalities.

According to an article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 83% of depressed patients who did not respond to other treatments did improve after ECT. In addition, patients who are treated with ECT have a 49% remission rate.

ECT has some risks like any other medical procedure. The most common side effects are short-term memory loss and difficulty in learning. Often patients face trouble in remembering recent events that occurred in the past few weeks before the treatment. This usually goes away within a few weeks after the treatment ends. ECT is a recognized treatment option worldwide and has been used for decades to treat mental health conditions.

How many ECT treatments are needed for recovery?

The number of treatments varies based on the severity of your symptoms. On average, 6-12 sessions of ECT have been found effective in most cases. However, this is purely indicative and your psychiatrist will constantly monitor your progress and decide on the number of sessions that are right for you.