this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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Mental Health
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https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894
Small electrical currents passed through your brain while under anesthesia.
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Electro Convulsive Therapy - they literally shock your brain at high voltages for 10-15 minutes a few times per session.
In my opinion, its extremely under-studied and over prescribed. It should be a completely last ditch attempt extreme cases of treatment resistant depression.
I disagree with the claim that they use high voltage or shock you for 10-15 minutes. Most patients' seizures don't even last for a full 60 seconds, let alone the less-than-a-second stimulus shock to induce the brief seizure.
However, I do agree that ECT has a long history of being over-prescribed and definitely requires more research. Especially on long-term side effects.
The exact mechanism for how it improves depression symptoms is still debated and not really understood.
As for how it's done, it's usually done in a hospital. I go to the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit), get in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV and all the monitors, then wait. Then the ECT team and Anesthesia team come in. I get hooked up with monitors for the ECT machine. Then they do a time-out to double-check everything. After that, things move pretty quickly.
First they give me oxygen through a mask. Then they give the anesthesia through the IV, and I go unconscious. Once they make sure I'm fully out, they give the paralytic. At that point, the nurse anesthetist starts breathing for me. Once the paralytic is fully in effect, they deliver a brief shock to induce the seizure. The doctors monitor my brain waves to make sure I actually have the seizure and it lasts long enough. They also keep an eye on my vital signs to make sure I'm OK. Once the seizure is over and the paralytic wears off, the PACU nurses take over and I wake up. I timed it last time and it took about 45 minutes from Time-Out to me waking up. After I wake up, the nurses check my vitals to make sure I'm OK. Then I get dressed and I get to go home.
Lightning attacks