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Brain Damaged by ECT

Posted , 4 users are following.

diane05094
diane05094

I was brain damaged by 21 ECT given in 7 months. 14 of thse were bilaterals. I lost over 10 years of memory and my career. I am unable to make new memories, have no feelings, have cognitive dysfunction, and just want to die. Is there anyone who is managing to rebuild a life after ECT?

How can one live unable to read, retain, think, feel, learn, or make new memories? Why has ECT not been banned?

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • richard89308
    richard89308 diane05094

    Posted

    Are you able to relearn things with help? How bad is your cognitive abilities?
    • diane05094
      diane05094 richard89308

      Posted

      I have forgotten almost all the material I taught for 31 years- the novels, Shakespearean plays, poems, grammar, writing. I cannot retain what I read for more than a day and have forgotten all the movies and TV series I have watched. I have forgotten years of my children's lives and am unable to recall what I have done in the last 2 days. My bubbly, happy personality is gone and the only solution I see is suicide. I am not the same person I was. I am suicidally depressed and anxious. The lunatics who assaulted me with ECT have destroyed my life. I can never be the same. My intelligence is gone. My photographic memory is gone. I am afraid to leave my room. Everything in my world feels foreign. I cannot recall where things came from...

    • richard89308
      richard89308 diane05094

      Posted

      the good thing is that any bad bits from your past have been erased and forgotten. Your intelligence is still there because you can type me a message and I understand you.  The brain will take a long while to recover again and you could help yourself by trying to get well again rather than despairing.  All the teaching stuff is extra to what you need now which is the basics. At least you can communicate even if your memory is lost.  I would live in the present and be happy for what you have not what you haven't got any more.  Your family would not like it either if you killed yourself because it would traumatically affect them so think of them too.

    • patricia44773
      patricia44773 richard89308

      Posted

      Richard, that was not the case with me, I remembered all the bad things and forgot the good.
    • iris46
      iris46 patricia44773

      Posted

      Do take comfort from the fact that you write very eloquently, and you can build on that
  • linda61597
    linda61597 diane05094

    Posted

    diane, I am in tears reading what your going though. I am dealing with depression & anxiety and can't imagine how your dealing with your issues. Why did u have ECT to begin with if you don't mind me asking? I am praying for you & praying you could find some help some where!!

    • diane05094
      diane05094 linda61597

      Posted

      I had been on Effexor for 12 years. Missed a dose that triggered severe withdrawal reaction and feelings of dread, fear, panic. Reinstating did not work. Was put on multiple drugs, made me sicker, more agitated, suddenly suicidal. Did not know what akathisia was. Terrified, told treatment resistant depression. No one looking at the drugs. Had ECT bc lied to about the fact it doesn't work, is dangerous, causes brain injury. Given more drugs. More sick. Agree to another "series". Lunatic doctor applies major bilaterals and fries my mind. My family was not aware of what could happen.

    • linda61597
      linda61597 diane05094

      Posted

      I am soooo sorry all this happened too you.

      I know you can't trust doctors. A Doctor started my depression & anxiety 21/2 years ago. She was a alarmist dr & tried to convince me I must go for all different test because she told me I might have cancer. Turned out nothing was wrong. After all of that it affected my brain & developed anxiety & depression....I really HATE WHAT EMOTIONS SHE PUT ME THOUGH!!!!!!!!!!

    • iris46
      iris46 diane05094

      Posted

      Please don't say such things. I know 3 people who have benefitted greatly from ECT

    • patricia44773
      patricia44773 iris46

      Posted

      Are you one of those people, Iris?  Why does it trouble you so much to hear negative things about ECT?
    • diane05094
      diane05094 iris46

      Posted

      Really. So maybe they had 3 or 4 ultra brief pulse right unilaterals and survived the brain injuries, and recovered. What about the other 7 out of 10 people disabled or driven to suicide?

      ECT is brain injury and a human rights violation.

  • patricia44773
    patricia44773 diane05094

    Posted

    Can you sue the people who gave you the ECT?  Surely if you are so badly damaged you should be able to get some sort of recompense.

    I had many ECT treatments and my memory loss was devastating.  There is no way to describe how bad it is to have no childhood memories, no memory of giving birth to my children,  the complete blank of all the wonderful holidays I have had......but my life has not been ruined as yours has, as completely as yours has.

    My heart goes out to you.

    Pat xxxxx

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