I think I would want people not to be scared of the process itself. That it will be done, if my experience is anything to go down, I’m sure it is pretty well typical, it will be done thoughtfully, professionally and with care. So I think that there are, there are good followed standards for its administration. And that because it is seen as un-, invasive in a discipline where invasive things don’t happen anymore, that people approach it with quite a lot of rigour and careful thought. I would want to reassure people that it’s, if my experience is anything to go by with a relatively short number of treatments, that it has had no long-term effects on memory and concentration and intellect as far as I can tell, and I think that’s probably very unlikely to happen. I think it’s more likely to happen for people who have recurrent but separated courses rather than long courses, but recurrent courses of ECT. And that I would want to, to be, people to seek very careful recommendation before they went on to have more for example than 20 treatments, which I would think would be a large number. But I don’t know enough about the technicalities to know that, but I think that would be a lot. I would want to say that you need to talk very carefully to the doctors and nurses looking after you to be sure that this is something they, for your particular illness, believe has a very good chance of making a difference, making you better and safer and happier.

I would say, you know, for people who are very, very poorly, who are very, very ill, as a last resort It’s worth, it’s worth doing. I do think it should be left as the last resort. And it is horrendous to go through. But I do think that if I hadn’t gone through ECT I don’t think I would be alive today, because I think that I would have gone on to commit suicide. Most definitely. I don’t really know what else to say.

I think it’s a good option if you’ve tried everything else. But it’s horrendous so use it as a last resort, but it does work. It definitely worked for me. I wouldn’t want it to replace other things, other therapies or medications or things, I wouldn’t want it to be a first option. But if you’ve been through everything like what I was, It’s definitely worth considering. It’s definitely worth going, as horrendous as it is, it’s definitely worth going through it.

I think I would want people not to be scared of the process itself. That it will be done, if my experience is anything to go down, I’m sure it is pretty well typical, it will be done thoughtfully, professionally and with care. So I think that there are, there are good followed standards for its administration. And that because it is seen as un-, invasive in a discipline where invasive things don’t happen anymore, that people approach it with quite a lot of rigour and careful thought. I would want to reassure people that it’s, if my experience is anything to go by with a relatively short number of treatments, that it has had no long-term effects on memory and concentration and intellect as far as I can tell, and I think that’s probably very unlikely to happen. I think it’s more likely to happen for people who have recurrent but separated courses rather than long courses, but recurrent courses of ECT. And that I would want to, to be, people to seek very careful recommendation before they went on to have more for example than 20 treatments, which I would think would be a large number. But I don’t know enough about the technicalities to know that, but I think that would be a lot. I would want to say that you need to talk very carefully to the doctors and nurses looking after you to be sure that this is something they, for your particular illness, believe has a very good chance of making a difference, making you better and safer and happier.

Well perhaps it does work for some people. It must do otherwise they wouldn’t continue to do it. I hope that that’s why they continue to do it. But I would never have it again no matter how bad I was, because the worst thing for me was the memory loss. And I know I’m not the only person that’s suffered with that, that’s quite a normal thing. But I don’t think enough research is done into the after effects either. No. My recommendation is stay well clear, and pursue other avenues first. But like me they are desperate, you try anything. Don’t.

I would ask them to make sure that they get information about what ECT is, how it’s done, how long it lasts for, what are some of the affects that may happen, don’t just take it as a last resort. Find out what, what therapy, what treatments you can give them, what therapies are available still, what are the options don’t just take it as last resort because it isn’t, no. It’s done because of necessity, they don’t want people hanging around in hospitals too long, if we can get you functioning and if you’re functioning everybody gets, if it works properly everybody would have it, don’t. What I would say, you know, find out about it, fine out how it works, how long it’s going to last for, what are the affects for the person who’s receiving it, what help is available and don’t take it as a last resort.

I think it’s much easier now, because carers are certainly recognised enormously. And I would say to all carers, don’t just accept the what is going to be done to your cared for is right. Question everything. Ask why. Ask how many times, as what’s going on. Ask what the next steps are. Ask what they’re hoping to achieve. Ask what the medication’s for. What are the side effects? Get as much information as you can about every single aspect of your cared for’s treatment. Ask what long term plans they’ve got. How things are going to be resolved? Even what brought it on in the first place, but don’t just assume that they know what they’re doing, because the person you care for, you know better than anybody in the entire world, what they’re like, and no two persons illness is the same. So you cannot say, oh this ones got a diagnosis of I don’t know schizophrenia, bipolar, what have you. Therefore they will need exactly the same treatment as the woman next door or the man down the road. They won’t. Illnesses follow such a different pattern all the while. And, and don’t be frightened of make a nuisance of yourself, because you only get one crack at it, and don’t be frightened of people thinking, you know, you’re a pain in the neck or anything. And there is a lot of support there. Theres a lot of advocacy, get advocates involved. Get anybody you can think of involved. Get your vicar involved if you need to! If you need answers and you’re not getting them, bang away until you do get them. And go higher and higher and higher and there is now fortunately, because of the internet, you, you’ve got access to chief executives, you’ve got access to locality directors, you’ve got access to everybody that is going to make a difference. And all their e-mail addresses are out there. And generally speaking, if you go fairly high up in these organisations, they don’t want to look as though they’re not doing the job properly, so the higher up you go, the more information you will be given. And I always remember my sister saying, oh she used to be a school teacher. The parents that made a fuss about her daughter sharing a book, her daughter never shared book. So being a pain in the neck works.

I think it’s really, really, really important to, one, be empathetic in the way you deliver, how you explain about something like ECT, but give it, give all, every single bit of information about ECT. It’s the only way somebody can decide whether it could be for them or not. And I think you have to give them the pros and the cons. And I personally think it’s quite useful to have some examples of, anonymously, of peoples experiences, because then they’re actually, the patient, if, if, depending on the, what level they’re at, because if you’ve got a completely incapacitated patient who’s not sleeping or drinking you’re not going to be able to, it’s going to be difficult to talk to them as a professional anyway, but if your patient has capacity to understand, to give the medical explanation of ECT and some patient examples. And then I think the person can then weigh up the pros and cons for themselves within the context of their situation. And explain kind of how many sessions, give times and dates of how often they might be, where they’ll be having them, can family be involved on the day that the treatments, you know, they’re going for their treatment? All different kind of options. And answer all that. Being available to answer questions after that meeting, because the patient will also be sitting thinking, Oh wait, I’ve got something else to ask. How available are you to be around for that person over the next maybe week or two it takes to, for them to make a decision?

But I think, like I said before, when they, the, at the time when they’re explaining it all to you and you’re going through it, you’re in such a terrible place anyway that it’s not the best time to be having it all explained to you. So I’m not really sure how to get round that, to be honest, because, you know, you don’t really want to be having a conversation about ECT when you’re feeling wonderful. But perhaps you should, you know, if you have a history of depression. And maybe it’s something you should think about when things aren’t so bleak.