Explore
Aug 14, 2021 · Shock therapy, known medically as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. ECT is generally offered when other treatments are ineffective or there is a need for rapid response. ECT has a stigma attached to it from the early days of shock therapy, but ...
What is the purpose of shock therapy?
shock therapy, also called Electroshock Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, or Ect, method of treating certain psychiatric disorders through the use of drugs or electric current to induce shock; the therapy derived from the notion (later disproved) that epileptic convulsions and schizophrenic symptoms never occurred together.
How does shock therapy help you to quit smoking?
Mar 24, 2022 · Some medicines treat the underlying cause of cardiogenic shock, which is usually a heart attack. Medicines to restore a regular heartbeat are called anti-arrhythmia medicines. Blood thinners or antiplatelet medicines can dissolve blood clots and reduce platelets that may be blocking the coronary arteries.
How to work with clients that are stuck in therapy?
Shock Treatment Works? The benefits of electric shock therapy A new study of ECT finds it more effective than drugs for depression. By Jason Williams published March 1, 2003 - …
How to overcome shock?
Jun 16, 2021 · Shockwave therapy is intended to help by strengthening or repairing damaged blood vessels in the penis as well as breaking up plaque build up that might be slowing or preventing proper blood flow. By increasing the flow of blood to the penis, erections should be easier to achieve and maintain.
How long does shock therapy last?
A single ECT session usually lasts one hour. This includes the time the patient will be in the treatment room (approximately 15-20 minutes) and the time spent in the recovery room (approximately 20-30 minutes).
What is the success rate of ECT?
What is the Success Rate of Electroconvulsive Therapy? ECT is an effective medical treatment option, helping as many as 80-85 percent of patients who receive it. Most patients remain well for many months afterwards.
What does shock treatment feel like?
After the Procedure When you awaken, you may experience a period of disorientation lasting from a few minutes to several hours. Headaches, jaw pain, and muscle soreness may occur. ECT requires a series of treatments, often initiated two to three times a week for a few weeks and then the frequency is tapered down.May 12, 2020
Are shock treatments painful?
Freeman and R. E. Kendell of the University of Edinburgh found that 68 percent reported that the experience was no more upsetting than a visit to the dentist. For the others, ECT was more unpleasant than dentistry, but it was not painful. Still, the treatment is not hazard-free.
Does ECT damage the brain?
Despite many scientific and governmental authorities having concluded that ECT does not cause brain damage, there is significant evidence that ECT has indeed caused brain damage in some patients, both historically and recently, and evidence that it always causes some form or degree of brain damage.
How many volts do they use in ECT?
Typically, 70 to 120 volts are applied externally to the patient's head, resulting in approximately 800 milliamperes of direct current passing through the brain, for a duration of 100 milliseconds to 6 seconds, either from temple to temple (bilateral ECT) or from front to back of one side of the head (unilateral ECT).
Does ECT reset the brain?
ECT has been referred to as a “reset button for the brain,” which not only directly improves depressive symptoms, but also allows current medications to work more effectively.
What mental illness does ECT treat?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments.
Do they shave your head for ECT?
During surgery prep, you'll have your head shaved. You may be kept unconscious throughout brain surgery with general anesthesia or stay awake with a local anesthetic used on your scalp. A sturdy frame will hold your head to prevent movement during surgery.Feb 21, 2021
Why do doctors give shock treatment?
Why it's done ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications or other treatments.Oct 12, 2018
Can you go home after ECT treatment?
ECT treatments last approximately 3-4 hours. A patient can use ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft to arrive at ECT. However, these transportation methods are NOT permitted following treatment to return home unless the patient has someone accompanying him or her.
Does ECT change your personality?
ECT does not change a person's personality, nor is it designed to treat those with just primary “personality disorders.” ECT can cause transient short-term memory — or new learning — impairment during a course of ECT, which fully reverses usually within one to four weeks after an acute course is stopped.
Shock Therapy: Process, Preparation, Outcomes and more
Krystina is a Technical Writer with a background in healthcare. She has spent the last 10 years working for an internationally recognized medical facility where she found her passion for making complicated topics easier to understand.
The Electroconvulsive Therapy Process
An ECT treatment regimen will typically include sessions two to three days a week for a total of six to 12 treatments. The schedule works out to about one month of treatment, although the course may continue for longer.
How to Prepare for Your Treatment
ECT sessions generally do not require much preparation, though you will need to go over the specifics with your doctor. Your doctor may give you orders to follow based on other health conditions you have or medications you take.
Potential Outcomes of Shock Therapy
Most people who undergo ECT will see a noticeable change in their symptoms. Some people will notice an immediate improvement after one session. However, it is more common to not see or feel a significant difference in symptoms for several sessions.
Summary
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be used to treat major depressive disorde r, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions. It is often considered when other treatments have not helped.
A Word From Verywell
If you are wondering if shock therapy might be a treatment option for you, discuss it with your psychiatrist. While ECT can provide lasting relief from the symptoms of MDD, bipolar disorder, and similar conditions, it's not the right choice for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though ECT has been around for nearly 90 years, scientists still are not quite sure why or how it benefits some people with depression.
What is insulin shock therapy?
Until the discovery of the tranquilizing drugs, variations of insulin-shock therapy (also called insulin-coma therapy) were commonly used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions. With insulin-shock treatment, the patient is given increasingly large doses of insulin, which reduce the sugar content ...
What is the purpose of electroshock therapy?
Electroconvulsive, or electroshock, therapy, introduced in Rome in 1938 by U. Cerletti and L. Bini, has been widely used in treating disturbances in which severe depression is the predominant symptom.
How effective is insulin shock?
Insulin shock had its greatest effectiveness with schizophrenic patients whose illness had lasted less than two years ( the rate of spontane ous recovery from schizophrenia also is highest in the first two years of the illness). Insulin-shock therapy also had more value in the treatment of paranoid and catatonic schizophrenia than in ...
What are the benefits of electric shock?
depression. A comprehensive study of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) by British researchers has found that the treatment is effective in relieving depression, and in some cases may be more effective than medication .
Is electroconvulsive therapy better than medication?
A comprehensive study of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) by British researchers has found that the treatment is effective in relie ving depression, and in some cases may be more effective than medication .
Is ECT a negative technique?
Though abuse of the technique in the early 20th century has attached a negative connotation to the use of ECT, the new study attempts to discredit any stigma. The study compared ECT treatment to a control group that received mock-ECT, as well as drug treatment.
What Is Shockwave Therapy?
Known clinically as low intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy, this noninvasive treatment modality has been around for a few decades and is used for a variety of conditions.
Shockwave Therapy and Erectile Dysfunction
As of 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had yet to approve a shockwave therapy devise specifically as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. However, studies suggest that it may be able to treat the symptoms of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction.
How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?
While the technology behind shockwave therapy is complex, the procedure itself is fairly simple.
How Effective Is Shockwave Therapy?
The research into shockwave therapy is fairly conclusive that it can be effective for the right kinds of ED.
How Long Do You Have To Undergo Shockwave Therapy?
One of the continuing issues with shockwave therapy is the treatment time requirement and cost. These treatments typically cost between $300 and $600 dollars per session in a clinician's office, with multiple sessions required.
Other Ways To Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Shockwave therapy could be an effective solution for men who are unable to take prescription medications for erectile dysfunction.
The Takeaway: The research on shockwave therapy suggests it's an effective treatment for ED, but the FDA has yet to approved any device for this indication
When it comes to treating the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, it’s hard to top the efficacy of prescription ED medications. There's a reason why PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis) are so popular -- they work for most guys. Want to learn more? Rex MD can help.
What to do if you are in shock?
Do not move the person unless there is danger. Reassure the person. Do not give anything to eat or drink. 5. Follow Up. At the hospital, the person will be given oxygen and intravenous fluids. Blood test, urine tests, heart test and xrays and/or CT scans may be done. Other treatment will depend on the cause of shock.
How to protect yourself from a syringe?
4. Keep Person Warm and Comfortable 1 Loosen restrictive clothing. 2 Cover with a coat or blanket. 3 Keep the person still. Do not move the person unless there is danger. 4 Reassure the person. 5 Do not give anything to eat or drink.
Why is electroconvulsive therapy used?
Why it's done. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, ...
What is ECT used for?
ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications or other treatments. Severe mania, a state of intense euphoria, agitation or hyperactivity ...
How does electroconvulsive therapy work?
How Electroconvulsive Therapy Works. With ECT, an electrical stimulation is delivered to the brain and causes a seizure. For reasons that doctors don't completely understand, this seizure helps relieve the symptoms of depression. ECT does not cause any structural damage to the brain.
Is electroshock therapy a painless procedure?
In reality, it is a painless medical procedure performed under general anesthesia that is considered one of the most effective treatments for severe depression. It can be lifesaving.
Does ECT work for depression?
Studies have shown that ECT works for many people who have treatment-resistant depression. One study of 39 people with treatment-resistant depression compared the effects of an antidepressant with ECT. After two to three weeks, 71% of people who received ECT had a positive response to treatment.
Is ECT a life saving medication?
It can be lifesaving. ECT works quickly, which is why it's often the treatment of choice for people with highly severe, psychotic, or suicidal depression. For these people, waiting for antidepressants or therapy to work might be dangerous. However, the drawback is that the effects of ECT usually don't last, and further treatments will likely be ...
Terminology
Mechanism
- The brain is still not well understood, nor is the reason for the treatment effects ECT (shock) therapy has on some individuals. It is known that ECT affects hormones, neuropeptides, neurotrophic factors, and neurotransmitters in the brain. All of this may come together to explain how ECT works in treatment.
Preparation
- A full physical is generally needed before shock therapy. Because general anesthesia will be administered, one should not eat or drink 8-12 hours before the shock treatment. This helps to prevent any vomiting during the procedure. Other exams like an electrocardiogram (ECG) may also be given before ECT to ensure the procedure is safe and appropriate.
Results
- When you awake from the anesthesia, you may be confused and tired. You will likely experience short-term memory loss around the time of the procedure. With multiple treatments, this may increase. Adverse cognitive effects tend to be the most concerning factors around ECT and tend to affect the frequency and duration of treatments and whether ECT is offered at all. Your vital si…
Uses
- It is most common to see shock therapy used in severe cases of depression. Shock therapy is also performed to improve the condition of the following disorders:1
Risks
- The complications associated with ECT / shock therapy are often related to electrode placement with bilateral placement (an electrode by each temple) typically showing greater unwanted cognitive effects than unilateral placement (one electrode at the temple and the other on the forehead). Risks of shock therapy include slow heart beat (bradycardia) and rapid heartbeat (tac…
Prognosis
- Shock treatment for depression often produces a dramatic improvement in symptoms, especially in elderly individuals, sometimes during the first week of treatment. While it is estimated many of these patients will experience a future return of depression symptoms, the prognosis for each episode of depression is good. Mania also often responds well to shock treatment. The picture i…