Posted by Questionmark on August 26, 2003, at 16:28:01
In reply to Re: Severe melancholia should be treated with ECT, posted by Psychquackery on August 25, 2003, at 12:45:32
> Augmentation strategies for refractory depression are poorly studied and usually dont work as well as psychopharmacologists would like us to believe. ECT on the other hand, is extremely well studied and its effectiveness is well documented. Study after study after study concludes bilateral ECT is the single most effective treatment for severe depression, mania and catatonia and works even when drugs dont work.
> Submitting refractorily depressed individuals to endless drug/hormone augmentation strategies is cruel and usually yields shoddy results. Going straight to ECT is more of a sure thing and is backed up by tons of credible studies.
>
> IgorOkay, it's unfortunate that Igor was just blocked, cuz i wanted to see what you/he had to say to this, but.... i have also heard about the sometimes incredible effectiveness of ECT for psychotic and severe depressions, but everything i have observed concerning ECT also suggests that, in addition to significant memory problems (maybe transient though), the positive effects of ECT only seem to last about a month to a few months or so. So it seems like it would require extra ECT treatments every few months or so for ... the rest of one's life (?). This doesn't seem worth the amnesia and other adverse effects. Maybe it would be worth it to some people, but i'm just saying it doesn't seem to be the grand treatment you make it out to be. Please correct me if i am mistaken though and ECT does often work after only one or a small # of treatments.
poster:Questionmark
thread:253709
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030823/msgs/254388.html