ECT Controversy

Today, I plan on discussing ECT, a very controversial topic in Mental Health. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure where a brief electric stimulus is used to cause a seizure. It is not fully understood why ECT works, or what the electrically stimulated seizure does to the brain. ECT is given to about 2 million people per year and is usually administered in hospital psychiatric units and in psychiatric hospitals. It is used for people with severe depression, acute mania, and certain schizophrenic syndromes. Suicidal patients who cannot wait for antidepressant medication sometimes use ECT to help them.

ECT is the most controversial psychiatric treatment. The main concern of the treatment is if its effectiveness outweighs the side effects. ETC seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can alleviate symptoms of certain mental illnesses, although, the use of ECT is still considered controversial. Lawsuits have been brought against some physicians, especially when consent was not obtained. The mortality rate is about 1 in 3000 for electroconvulsive therapy.

The brain is the control center of the body, it receives information from the outside world through the 5 senses. It also receives information from the inside of the body regarding all the body's internal functions: heart rate, blood pressure, amount of glucose (sugar), oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones etc. in the blood. Old information, when needed, is retrieved for comparison with new information so that decisions can be made. These decisions include the obvious conscious ones, such as, getting up for breakfast or what clothes to wear. So when the brain is put in jeopardy for a short term treatment, one must question the actual benefits of it.

After ECT treatment, the patient has amnesia immediately after their therapy and is usually disoriented and confused for the next hour or so. Treatment is spread out over 12 sessions, and is most often administered during the week. Patients are known for becoming disoriented through the therapy, although it subsides upon termination of treatments. Memory impairment can remain for months. ECT has only been proven beneficial short term, while long term effects can be detrimental.

I believe that electroconvulsive therapy causes much more harm than good. It is a short term fix for a possible life long problem. Memory loss and confusion are among the few symptoms, ECT causes brain damage and can also be used a form of torture... Why would anyone want that kind of therapy? Especially if there is not a solid answer for why it can cause short term relief of mental disorders.