The CHRONICLES of ECT ⚡

They lied to you! Yes they did. They lied to you in their movies, when they told you that it's scary & inhuman. And that it is a form of punishment. O descendents of Adam & Eve it ain't a punishment, but a boon for those severely ill. A miraculous treatment, which saves lives!

It has saved those, who were not eating or drinking or moving (in a condition called Catatonia) into a completely functional human being.

It has saved those severely depressed with suicidal tendencies, transforming their hopelessness, helplesness and worthlesness into hope, strength and self-worth.

It has saved those who were extremely psychotic or manic, and were potentially harmful to themselves or others.

Yes, I speaketh unto thee about the Gold standard & the Ultimate treatment of Psychiatry - The E with a C with a T, AKA "Electro conclusive therapy". So lend me your attentive ears, eyes, nose , tongue & skin... Because what you are about to read is about to quash your misapprehensions about ECT!

History 

Let me begin with some of it's historical jibber jabber. As early as in 16th century, convulsions (seizure or fits) were induced for treatment of Psychiatry patients. Back then they used camphor for that purpose. In the 1940s other chemicals including insulin was used to induce convulsions. It was in 1938 that electric current was used to induce seizure. As time progressed the procedure of ECT got much more modified to the state we have reached now. ECTs are now given with muscle relaxant drugs under General anaesthesia. So the patient doesn't physically experience seizure except for some electrical activity in the brain. 

When do you give it?

ECT is generally not the first line of treatment. In conditions like severe depression, mania, Schizophrenia, Catatonia,  if things are not settling with medication and the symptoms are severe to the extent of it causing harm to the patient or others, it is used. And it does one hell of a job. And no! it's definitely not given as a form of punishment as your movies have lied to you!

Any side-effects?

Tell me any damn thing on earth which doesn't have a side effect! From your marriage to your salt, all have side-effects! That doesn't mean you completely avoid them. Headache, body ache which can be treated with pain killers. Some amount of memory disturbance, which improves within a few days, weeks or months. And at times some amount of confusion which is transient. However none of the aforementioned side-effects can outweigh the life saving benefits that ECT gives.

Can they die?

The mortality rate of ECT (2.1 per 100,000 treatments) is almost equivalent to your chances of dying as a pedestrian. So it's definitely a safe procedure. Or perhaps it's even safer than being a pedestrian if you live around Salman Khan's house.

The lives saved

Now let me share some of those lives we saved with this Gold standard treatment. I might have given 50+ ECTs by now, and truth be told I don't know the stories of all of em. But here are some of the most interesting ones

1. The 2 lives 

A 20 + year old pregnant lady, went into depression because of which she was extremely agitated. She was inducing vomit and refusing to take food or water. She was putting her's & her fetus's life at risk. Medications didn't work. The family  thought aborting would heal their beloved one. They were informed about the miracle treatment, and the miracle of ECT worked. And we saved their beloved two - the mother and the baby.

2. The mudhra lady

Her husband just left home a few days back, only to get a call from her mom to say that his wife is admitted in the hospital. And she ain't eating, drinking or speaking anything. Catatonia as we call in medical language. She was a former classical dancer. She was making some mudhra stuff with her hand repeatedly (this was a part of her illness). Husband was in disbelief to see his lady in this condition. After a couple of days of trying medications, she was just ECTfied & after 4-5 sessions, the lady ate, drank and spoke. The grateful husband was so grateful that he bought a whole cake for the PG doctor handling her case (his name's Shuaib by the way). I couldn't accept it of course due to work place ethics.

3. The depressed ajji

Ajji came to Bangalore from a village in North Karnataka, to live with her son & daughter in law. Like any "KAHANI GHAR GHAR KI" there was some conflict between the mother in law daughter in law duo! You know not all mother in law's can be as strong as Kokila modi of 'Saath nibhana Saathiya'. This ajji went into depression & she became paranoid that her daughter in law would lock her up and that her internal orgns are all gone!! She attempted to jump off the toilet window, she tried to run away from home, she even attempted to lit herself on fire. When I was assessing her, she was so severely depressed that she was not at all talking and making hand gestures to communicate. We tried treating her with medicines, but since it wasn't working we gave her ECTs. After 5 cycles, she transformed into a funny ajji from a depressed ajji who managed to throw a joke or two on me!!

To conclude,

Cast aside those doubts in your chest,

To put those severe mental illness into rest,

ECT my friend is the best!