Healing Depression - The Unconventional Way

[foghlaim]

http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/story/1110820.html

this is a link to a programme that aired today on our national t.v station.

just thought if anyone has any comments??

one comment that stuck out at me watching this programme is that E.C.T. should be banned because it causes brain damage. Another was the relapse rate of depression here in Ireland.. 70% seems fierce high..

two psychiatrist's names are given.. Dr. Corry and a Dr. Peter Brady.. D.r Corry was on theshow.. can't say i was impressed.. mind you i have to say i only caught the last 15 mins of it. The other Dr. was mentioned in relation to a conference on "Healing Depression without drugs or electric shocks".

and of course the cost of this conference is only!! 95 euro... i wonder how many depressed, low income ppl are going to be at this conference. I won't that's fo sure.
(can u tell i'm a bit peeved at the cost of this.)

anyway if anyone has any comments on the pieces of info .. love to hear them.

 

[Daniel E.]

The article on ECT:

How many people receive ECT each year in Ireland?

Currently approximately 850, and the numbers are rising. It is not uncommon now for teenagers to receive it, which is especially worrying as the main side-effect is brain damage primarily manifesting as deficits in intellectual functioning such as short-term losses in memory, poor concentration, and ability to prioritise and focus.

Certainly, ECT is usually viewed as a last resort for severe, treatment-resistant depression after many medications have been tried. At that point, the risk of suicide usually outweighs the risk of undergoing general anesthesia multiple times. In my experience, ECT didn't do anything really positive or negative when I had 8 sesssions of it almost 10 years ago. I barely noticed some very minor, short-term memory issues that certainly were not problematic at all. I was able to take community college final exams and get As while having sessions of ECT. (Even when I was severely depressed, the school work given at the community college I went to didn't require much motivation.)