ECT Can Relieve Serious Clinical Depression

Depression is a common and serious medical condition in the United States. Almost 7 percent of adults will experience it in any given year. Meanwhile, about 16.6 percent of adults will feel depressed at some point in their life. The majority of people suffering from depression can find effective relief through psychiatric medications and talk therapy. But then there are people whose clinical depression is so severe that they could benefit from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). 

ECT offers you the opportunity to drastically improve your life—your general outlook, mental state, personal relationships, work relationships and a whole lot more. At the office of New Rochelle Psychiatry Office, our specialists in this area are ECT experts in this field. We’re committed to treating our patients with empathy, patience, and a broad spectrum of skill and knowledge.

While undergoing ECT, a patient, under anesthesia, receives momentary electrical stimulation of the brain. It’s carried out by a team of medical authorities who include a psychiatrist, anesthesiologist, and nurse or physician’s assistant.

ECT can be extremely successful for people with acute depression. About 80 percent of patients will see considerable relief. However, ECT isn’t necessarily a cure. Most patients who undergo ECT must undergo some kind of upkeep treatment in order to prevent the illness from coming back. This is usually in the form of psychotherapy and/or medication or, in some cases, continuing ECT sessions.

• As with many medical treatments, ECT comes with side effects. Some of them include:
• Short-term memory loss
• Learning difficulties
• Losing memories formed in the weeks before ECT
• Results of the general anesthesia: nausea, headache, fatigue, confusion, and a minor loss of memory that can last minutes to hours.
• Memory issues usually lessen within a few months, though some people have permanent memory gaps. 

The office of New Rochelle Psychiatry Office respects and understands the apprehension that ECT patients may have regarding their upcoming treatment. That’s why we do everything we can to calm their nervousness, such as clearly communicating what to can expect during and after their treatment. Please call us today to find out how electroconvulsive therapy could help pull you out of your clinical depression.