The Trouble With Spikol: The ECT story

Finally.

I just published a Newsweek excerpt of Kitty Dukakis' new book on my blog: www.thetroublewithspikol.com. It gives you more of an idea of what the treatment does.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• spikol
• ECT
• psychology
• memory
• loss
• psychiatry

[clintonearlwalker]

I think ECT is bad because NO ONE has the foggiest idea what passing electric current across the human brain does. There is no science that I know of that explains fully and completely in detail the effects of electricity on neurons and brain chemistry which is so complicated that it's never been quantified in human history.

[goldentomcat]

you are so courageous!! :)

[aspen47]

I would rather die than go through another ECT. I know exactly how you feel and what you went through. I described it as having my soul ripped from me. I felt ecstatic after the 1st one, the second ECT two days later nearly destroyed my brain. It's only been four days....but I feel like an empty shell.

[Christopher711]

I am curious. why do you think ect doctors do ths?

[MonacoBlast]

And now for something completely different.

The older you get the younger you look.

[kvntraveller]

I suspect that ECT does more damage than good.

[moo78634]

so dh has had severe depression for 8 months now, first months total zombie, open eyes not seeing anything. better now after months of trying different drugs and all the side effects but still unable to work or even leave house much. we are looking at TMS (insurance might not pay) or ECT insurance will pay. this is my last hope! i hope he has better luck with which ever one he choses!??? ps i would love to lose my memory for the last 8 months!

[violetphoton]

wow, 12 years. my memory is getting slightly better after 3 months but yeah, it's still completely screwed up and my friends and family have to assist me with thinking. i do embarrassing things because i forget stuff. i ask people questions all the time because i don't really know my own life's history. i am utterly vulnerable. i am not myself. i can't easily form new thoughts and have to make mnemonic devices just to make it through a day. i've lost so much. i don't cry because i forget why.

[clintonearlwalker]

@adlopez415 I've seen electro shock machines for sale on e-bay for a hundred bucks. They came from abandoned asylums. I've seen the electro shock machine at the abandoned Weston State Hospital with my own eyes. There are vids of at least 20 GIGANTIC Kirkbride asylums abandoned posted on YouTube. Why do you think they are abandoned? My guess is the electrodes aren't attached to YOUR head. I know all about "research".

[adlopez415]

@clintonearlwalker I watched it performed on three clients while in nursing school and interviewed others who received the treatment and they all swear by it. You have to believe what you want but really research before you decide. The new therapy is going toward magnetic therapy which will have even fewer side effects.

[clintonearlwalker]

@adlopez415 80%? Highly unlikely. "Electro Shock" is little more than "witch doctor" science. In the last 20 years many institutions that used this barbaric practice have been abandoned for good reason. Last summer I visited the abandoned Weston State Hospital in WV, there are vids of the place posted on YouTube.They used electro shock therapy and ice pick lobotomies. NO ONE is ever going to tell me this crap ever "helped" anyone, even though our tour guide said lobotomies were "nothing bad"

[adlopez415]

@clintonearlwalker Well I can tell you the facts are that it helps people with depression about 80% of the time vs. Medication which works 20% of the time. It's sad that it's looked at as scary because the pharm companies don't want to lose money.