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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2017 16:10:43 GMT -4
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Post by Noura Eleid on Jan 24, 2017 18:39:38 GMT -4
There’s a great book (which has yet to receive the attention it deserves) called ‘The Body Electric’ written in 1985 by a SUNY Upstate surgeon and electro-physiologist, Robert Becker. It discusses things from tissue regeneration to the magnetic fields and potentials in the nervous system. At the very end of the book, the author discusses his work on an expert committee that was called to consider the potential hazards of electromagnetic pollution on the human body. As one can imagine, his research findings and contention that polluting industries were strongly influencing those who were choosing the limits was not popular – and it’s certainly not going to be front page news on CNN in an age of cell phones and wireless devices up the yazoo. Thinking again of the many possible reasons for the growing incidence of depression and other forms of mental illness as we all did last week, we might add EM pollution to that multifactorial list if Becker had his way. ECT has evolved a bit – certainly from the days of Jack Nicholson’s ‘cuckoo’s nest’ performance and prior – but, TMS is likely to be the future, and an exciting one at that. I’m sure the pharmaceutical industry is none too pleased....
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Post by Brice Burke on Jan 24, 2017 18:53:14 GMT -4
I find it interesting how powerful Hollywood’s portrayals can be. I remember watching that scene in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and being somewhat disturbed before I really knew what ECT was. After learning more about ECT I was somewhat less disturbed that some patients undergo this treatment, but I am still not thrilled about inducing a seizure purposefully.
It is interesting to hear patient’s talk about the overwhelmingly positive results of ECT. On this rotation, and in general I have heard of the daunting side effects, such as severe amnesia. After learning about the new TMS treatment, it seems as if this should take over as the predominant ‘second line agent’, with ECT being a distant third. Reading this article slightly changed my opinion. I would be more likely to advise ECT if I were a practicing psychiatrist, but I would still reserve it for severe unresponsive cases due to the consequent amnesia.
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Post by Connie Lapadat on Jan 24, 2017 19:20:39 GMT -4
'Headlines: The Wave of the Future: The neurobiological theory of transmitters and mental health diseases.' I live for this day to become mainstay culture. Truly the suffering of the mind and being unable to control the effects of faulty neurotransmitters is a lifelong daily battle for our mental health patients and families. Medicine is finally accepting fibromyalgia as a biological diagnosis when in the past this disease was "poo-pooed" by the medical society as being a quack disorder or labelled as anxiety but why is medicine so slow to erase the stigma of mental health diagnoses and lift the burden of so many suffering. The stigma is evidenced in the commentaries on the experiences and inhumane treatment today and in the recent past, the year of Jack Nicholson's breakthrough award winning movie, from patients needing ECT. When we understand the receptor theory of mental health diseases it is insane for society and medicine to state that depression and bipolar, etc, are not paralled to the diagnosis of diabetes, MS, PCOS. Are these diseases not also neurobiochemical in essence? It is a moral shame that medicine cannot erase the stigma of depression as they have erased the stigma of having diabetes that existed 20 years ago. Nothing raises my blood pressure than to hear doctors call their patients crazy. Medical professionals need to look at mental health disorders as equivalent to disorders such as HTN, DM, hypercholesterolemia. Welcome TMS and let us as medical students promote and disseminate knowledge about the neurochemical receptor theories of mental health diagnoses. A great read is Stahl's books on psychotherapy (receptor theory). A must if you plan to go into psychiatry.
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Post by knedeff on Jan 24, 2017 19:43:57 GMT -4
I found this article interesting, as it’s always nice to hear success stories. However fascinating the therapy, I still find it incredibly daunting and scary. I can’t imagine what must go through a person’s mind as they’re agreeing to it and waiting for their turn. I think that just speaks volumes as to what the person must be going through, that they would feel like they were out of options. I feel as though the hospital setting, the anesthesia, the seizing, and the amnesia, on top of the need for multiple treatments would make me run in the opposite direction. I can’t help but associate ECT with what has been seen in mainstream media. For this reason, I welcome TMS. While the science behind it still escapes me, the visual is much easier on my mind.
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Post by julainelewis on Jan 24, 2017 20:33:50 GMT -4
The subject of ECT and the importance of ECT and the newer therapy of TMS in treating individuals with treatment resistant depression and other mental illnesses have always been fascinating to me. The many misconceptions of ECT has been perpetuated our past mistakes (back in the 1960s) and by Hollywood as a thing used by the scary and evil psychiatrist to control patients and steal their minds. While the side effects are real especially those of headaches and memory loss, in patients like Ms. Rogers who struggled with her bipolar depression and in who medication was not working, ECT is a wonderful alternative.
The work of Mr. and Mrs. Dukakis who are prominent members of society and their struggles with mental illness helped the image of ECT and made it more acceptable to many who would consider it as an alternative to medication but were too scared to try it.
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Taymar Phillips (MS3)
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Post by Taymar Phillips (MS3) on Jan 24, 2017 21:31:51 GMT -4
The thought of electroconvulsive therapy is very scary for anyone. However, I am pleasantly surprised to read consistently good remarks about electroconvulsive therapy. The most concerning factor for most patients seems to be the subsequent memory loss, along with possible long-term effects on the brain such as cognitive ability. I personally do not like the idea of electroconvulsive therapy, as we still do not know for sure, if there are severe long-lasting effects on the brain after continuous treatment. There are many studies being brought forward that are still trying address that question. However, we do know that electroconvulsive therapy works and it has been reported that more than 70% of depressed patients have responded to treatment well. So, for patients whose medication are not working and feel like they have lost hope, at least have an option of electroconvulsive therapy.
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Post by akritipuri on Jan 25, 2017 18:08:22 GMT -4
It's amazing how much the popular media influenced the representation of electroconvulsive therapy, especially in a negative manner. But what's truly remarkable are the people that are coming forward to share their own positive experiences and helping to open a door for those who have considered it but are afraid of implementing on to themselves. Of course, it is still considered a controversial therapy because even though many say it to be very effective, there are just as many who question its long term effectiveness and the side effects it may lead to. ECT is truly a scary experience and the possibility that you may temporarily/permanently lose your memories is not something to be taken lightly but for someone who has tried multiple medications along with TMS and made life alterations and still hasn't seen improvement, this could be their last resort, considering this is also a tried and true method.
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Post by Fatima Misbah on Jan 25, 2017 18:43:14 GMT -4
ECT is one of the most studied and most effective treatments for selected severe mental illnesses and is the treatment of choice for many people with severe refractory depression. But the horror movies of old have given ECT a long history of negative connotations that are hard to move beyond. With these preconceived notions in mind, it is hard to imagine that ECT can be life-saving for many people and is a relatively safe procedure that is only performed under the direct supervision of highly trained health care professionals. We, as a society, need to move past seeing ECT as only a torture tool and look at its benefits towards helping the people who require immediate treatment, and those who do not respond to psychiatric medications. Treatments with ECT are highly effective and work rapidly.
As with any therapy ECT can carry risks, those most commonly being headaches, and muscle pains that dissipate quickly. There is also a small risk of memory loss that may continue even after the treatments end. The patients may also become confused following an ECT treatment. While the risks of ECT are substantial, so is its power to reverse life threatening symptoms for selected severe mental illnesses.
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Carolyn Lenz-Tucker
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Post by Carolyn Lenz-Tucker on Jan 25, 2017 19:54:09 GMT -4
The article gives credence to ECT, which does work for many people. Having celebrities stand up for those disorders just to bring them into the limelight is sad. Psychiatric illness have always been kept undercover, not talked about in social groups, and all around kept hushed. Perhaps if all people discussed psychiatric illnesses like they do physical illnesses, there would be no more stigma surrounding them and valid methods of treatment, such as ECT, dTMS and medications would not be so scary that people shied away from treatment.
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Post by seunghoonyang (ms4) on Jan 26, 2017 13:23:10 GMT -4
I remember watching the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckcoo's Nest" many years back. Back then, I did not have any medical background and had hard time understanding english fluently. My impression was that this is a horrible punishment. However in reality, ECT is a very effective form of treatment for several mental disorders. And it is done under anesthesia so it is not painful for the patient. Mortality rate for ECT is stated as 1/50000. This is 0.002% and it is lower than any general surgeries. 0.002% could be just by chance. Therefore, it is crucial to help patients understand that ECT is not as brutal as they think and it is actually very effective means of treatment for mental disorders.
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Post by Adenike Orogade on Jan 26, 2017 16:45:30 GMT -4
It is intresting that patients will be willing to account their experience with ECT. I still believe however that the treatment may be based of the subconscious memory of the patient. A person feeling depressed has a trigger that lead to the chemical imbalance in the brain physiology. During treatments the electrical charges that reset the brain can equally cause memory loss of the triggered event or the knowledge of the stressor in the subconscious. This will explain why it is repeated over intervals. Although less evasive, these charges can cause chain reactions in the body as the brain may be forced to recover time lapses that are now present .
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Post by Sirhley Sifontes on Jan 26, 2017 19:31:07 GMT -4
There is no question about the efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy. Nevertheless it still remains controversial and stigmatized because of the misinformation and misconception about how the treatment is indeed performed. Although adverse cognitive effects such as memory lost may occur, patients suffering from refractory depression or other medical conditions such as Bipolar Disorder are many times willing to undertake that risk in order to better their mental health. Retrospective studies have shown that cognitive abnormalities caused by ECT are generally short lived. ETC might be the solution for patients who have exhausted other medical approaches but just like with any other chronic condition, continuation and maintenance treatment with medications, ETC and psychotherapy are required for recovery.
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Candace Clinton AUA-MS3
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Post by Candace Clinton AUA-MS3 on Jan 26, 2017 20:05:37 GMT -4
This brief article highlights one person’s brief experience with Electroconvulsive Therapy and the terrifying moments leading to the decision to take charge of their bipolar depression and seek an alternative therapy to medicine. Although I have never experienced this type of therapy I would presume it is like this: the mind which you lost control over is supposed to restart itself. My consensus is that it feels like a restart or refresh button, one which most people find ways to do already to cope with everyday life and take control over keeping their sanity. But for those who suffer from bipolar depression, this reset is not so readily available to them. Here is where therapies such as ECT aid in these persons taking back control over their emotions, and lives. Empowering them to have that reset button as does most people to be recharged and capable of moving forward.
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Amelia Harvey PA-S (Mercer)
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Post by Amelia Harvey PA-S (Mercer) on Jan 26, 2017 20:23:41 GMT -4
ECT is an overlooked treatment for refractory depression and mood disorders. The stigma surrounding shock therapy is decreasing and it is becoming more well-known and accepted today. I find it interesting that many people mention they level of desperation and willingness to risk the possible adverse effects to have a chance at a healthy mind. A healthy, functioning mind is something we all take advantage of every day. I think it speaks to the level of desperation associated with mental illness that so many people would agree to try ECT even after Hollywood’s negative portrayal of the treatment option. Personal accounts and success stories are significant but is important to remember the indications and data associated with ECT.
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