Question about Mental Illness and E.C.T .....?!
Question: Question about Mental Illness and E.C.T .....?
Today, she had her 6th Treatment from a prescribed course of 12 and so far, there appears to be no significant change in her outlook or attitude to a positive recovery.
With the help of special friends and the Internet, I've read almost everything I can get my hands on about her disease and the Treatments she's receiving, but I'm unable to find anything on "what if .......... ?"
What if ........ 12 Treatments don't bring her back to the person she was?
What if ......... or is it possible - to increase the Electric Currents for a better result?
What if ......... a 70% "success" rate doesn't apply and my sister is in the 30% "failure" category?
What if ......... my sister is forced to rely on 24/7 care for the remainder of her life?
What if ......... I'm unable to provide the assistance she requires?
I'll be seeing the Doctor in charge of Treatment next week and I want to ask him questions that he can't avoid answering. I intend to demand an explanation that I'm prepared to accept!!!!
Please tell me of your experiences or your feelings on my dilemma?
Answers:
I don't know the answers to your what-ifs, I don't think any one really does. With health problems, each person is an individual, meaning that everyone's body is different and reacts different to treatments. The brain is such a complicated organ and a lot can happen to it that the doctors don't understand. The chemicals of the brain change and I'm not sure they can fix that.
You have so many questions as to what if and I hope the doctor can answer them for you. I do want you to know, that if her condition does not improve, it's not your fault nor is it the doctor's fault.
Bad things happen to good people and sometimes there is not a cure. It's very hard to accept that a loved one is in a declining state and will not recover from it. I had to go through it with my mom after she had a stroke. She could not talk in a way people could understand her, she could not do the normal stuff she had done like pay her bills, cook, wash herself, drive her car, but she was alert as to what was going on in her life.
I have a friend who's daughter was born with mental deficiencies, she is 23 at the mentality of a 2 or 3 year old. She has to have someone with her 24/7, they lock the doors of their house from the inside so she doesn't get out and wander off. My friend and her husband are in their upper 60s and are finding it very difficult to care for her now but with the government cutbacks in the system here in the US they cannot find a care facility that can take her. My friend tells me she prays every day that she will live at least one day longer than her daughter so she will be there to care for her. I cry for her because this caring is wearing her out. We both were in the same boat when I had my mom to care for but she died and my friend still has her daughter plus now her mother is needing her also.
I'm telling you all this so you know that other people have been through those tough times also and a lot of the time there is nothing that will cure the problem, we just have to try to live through it the best we can and take one day at a time.
I hope the doctor can answer your questions.
I can't offer any technical advice, just personal experience. A family member of mine who is bipolar had ECT many years ago. She has been fine for many years and needs no meds. You don't mention if your sister is on any anti-depressants or not. I will be sending good thoughts up for you and your sister.
Unfortunately, treating mental illness is like nailing a jellyfish to the wall. You just dont know what will happen.
I had 3 of a planned 12 and then bailed out. I don't know how well it worked, I was pretty well zonked between treatments.
My problem was with the whole process. Awaken at four am. Travel two hours to the University hospital. Wait another 2 hours. Get zapped. Wait 2 hours to recover. Travel 2 hours home. All this overshadowed the treatment itself.
I eventually got better by a combination of medication and finding the right counselor, which took several tries.
I am not healed but I am at peace with my limitations.
I'm not to familiar with this, so I just went around google for awhile trying to find useful links for ya. Hope you are your sister are doing ok, I know it must be hard. Just stay strong and know that she loves ya.
Someones Personal Story- http://bipolar.about.com/od/ect/a/sfe_sh…
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/no…
http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/e…
Someones Personal Story- http://bipolar.about.com/od/ect/a/uc_ect…
Another Personal Story- http://www.untreatableonline.com/2009/10…
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Depression/…
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/el…
http://www.ehow.com/about_5091364_ect-tr…
Hope some of these are useful and helpful.
Edit- Next time you see or talk to your sister, let her know how much she means to you and your family and her family tell her that you've read some person experience stories and they have all been successful and at the end of treatment they were able to reconnect with their family. Just try to convince her to do it.
Google, just looked up Personal ETC treatment and ETC Treatment for Depression. Both have loads of useful links. Hope you find what you're looking for. And keep your mind of the "what ifs". It's not good for you, just think strong and positive. I give a little prayer for her tonight, keep well.