Reading Daily Mail Article on "Passing electric current through the brain 'lifts half of patients f

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/ect-electro-convulsive-therapy-severe-depression.aspx

Surely the question is, are you psychologically at a point where you think pain (ECT) is going to be the only thing that cures you? I'm in pain nearly constantly with CTH. And yet i've been told there's nothing they can do for them apart from the Amitriptyline,

Says here basically that the study was inconclusive, why if they had research money funded to them did they not have another controlled test group who di not have ECT. I'm not against ECT, if it works, however we need more information for us to make that judegment call.  My links from the NHS, not a big fan of Daily Mail they usually print alot of tosh.

Hi 

I've purchased the alpha stim which helps to relax its ok but expensive it's a bit like smoking which I havnt done since 20 years ago relaxes you that's the way I can explain it 

I've been using it at least 8 weeks first impressions are bliss like you've had a massage still ongoing don't know whether it will help depression but I've used this with higher medication ect ? Who knows 

Hey Jimmy, sounds interesting and possibly worthy of more research! Who is offering TDCS?

I refused ECT when I was in psychiatric hospital as scared.  I saw people there who made miraculous recoveries when they had it.  They did lose a lot of memory though.  They give it to people in hospital only if they are so badly depressed they cannot function at all, and it is done under strict supervision by a doctor.  Not something you can try at home. 

ECT is only done in hospitals, but the other thing you mention I have not heard of, but presume you would have to see a doctor and ask for this.  If your depression is really severe, then talk to your doctor.

During my stay in hospital ect was given to four people but this is the last resort and it was when the brain was totally dead these people couldn't drink or even pick up a cup get out of bed and could not make any sense three of those people made a massive you could say completey recovered one person was just the same it was explained to like this.... It is like when a car battery runs flat and you need jump leads to start it again but the down side of this treatment it lasts upto five to seven years...  It is a risky treatment because sometimes it might cause more damage then good if given to the wrong person

I has 12 courses of ECT as an u=in-patient between last January and March.  I consented to it,  Its positive efffects lasted for about a month.

It was not painful.  In factg, being anaesthetised was quite pleasant while it lasted.

I would not go through it again - I can't see how it can be entirely harmless.