ECT is Here and It Works!
An article by Daniel Fisher, MD
Although historically maligned by the media, and received by the misinformed public with disgust and revulsion a la "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", ECT is back, it's here and it works!
Electroconvulsive Therapy or "ECT" is one of the oldest, most tried and true treatment approaches for severe mood and psychotic illnesses. In the 1930's, it was observed that epileptic patients, who were having poorly controlled grand mal seizures and happened also to be depressed, were feeling their moods lift! For reasons not well understood, it is the induction of seizure activity (under medically controlled circumstances) that brings about treatment success.
Our modern-day ECT, done under anesthesia and with more fine-tuned technology than ever before, is actually amazingly safe as well as effective. Better than meds, it helps in up to 90% of severe depression, especially the psychotic variant. Yet, it is almost equally beneficial in the manic or depressive phases of Bipolar Disorder as well as Schizophrenia. In patients who have failed multiple adequate trials on medications, ECT can work up to 50-60% of the time, earning its reputation as the treatment "Ace in the Hole."
Our ECT program at Centennial Peaks Hospital is up and running smoothly and with some nice success stories. Even the most vehemently biased and misinformed critics would have to have a change of heart after seeing some of our patients experience ECT as a veritable lifesaver!
Click
here to read a list of Frequently Asked Questions about ECT at Centennial Peaks Hospital.
If you have questions or are in need of further information, simply call our ECT Department at (303) 666-2004.
