An electric current is sent to the brain causing a brief controlled seizure on the patient under general anesthesia. ECT is used for people who suffer from the following conditions from severe depression with symptoms of insomnia, weight change, thoughts of suicide or homicide and schizophrenia.
Before ECT, the doctor will do a thorough physical examination to make sure that the person is physically fit to handle the treatment. Blood tests, ECG are performed and anesthesia is administered to put the person to sleep.
During an ECT, the person might have to stay at hospital for a day or two or can go home immediately after the treatment. The person will be hooked to an intravenous (IV) line or drip so medicine can be injected in the blood. After anesthetic, the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing is monitored closely. After the person has gone to sleep, an electrical shock will be applied to the head for 2 seconds or so leading to seizure. Depending upon the anesthesia dosage, the person wakes up and will be wheeled to the recovery room for observation. After the person feels better, food, water, etc can be taken. The person can either go home or stay back in the hospital for a day or two.
When the person undergoes an ECT, positive effect on the mood is visible. Short term memory loss, nausea, confusion, headache, muscle ache, changes in the blood pressure and heart rhythm are common side effects of ECT. If any of these side effects have adverse reactions, the doctor has to told, so he/she can monitor them carefully and treat it immediately. After the ECT treatments are over, the person will have start on antidepressant medicine till full recovery. Regardless of providing quick relief for people undergoing ECT, depression treated in this manner often returns back.
ECT is has been portrayed in a negative manner through books and movies wherein the person is tied to the bed and is forced to take electrical charge amidst all the protest of not wanting to go through the same. In real life, ECT is not done on people who don’t ask for it. Though there could be cases of forced ECT due to various malicious reasons.
