Shock Therapy Helps Treat Depression?
Despite the controversy
surrounding the procedure, electric shock therapy appears to be an
effective treatment for psychiatric illness, and may lift patients'
depression better than antidepressant drugs.
But ECT has made a comeback, mostly in the treatment of depression
related symptoms. In 1997 Ontario doctors billed OHIP for 12,400
treatments. That is a jump from the 1993-94 figure of 9,506. Patients
usually receive two to three treatments per week for two to four
weeks.
Both patients and some noted doctors are coming out with information
that states that this treatment is cruel and barbaric and that it
should be banned. They say that this treatment is unproven and
inherently inhumane. They also state that effective humane
alternatives technique does exist and should be promoted. Persons who
have been subjected to this form of treatment maintain that it has
ruined their personal lives and careers. They fault the psychiatric
profession for not informing the long term effect of ECT's. While the
memory loss that occurs is not permanent, but only temporary, their
patients are saving loud and clear that this is not the truth.
Survivors ask why if this is such a harmless treatment with only
temporary memory loss and an answer to depression that doctors
themselves don't consider it for themselves when they become
depressed. One survivor said that the doctor will commit suicide
before allowing a treatment for themselves that they readily prescribe
for others.
Support groups are being set up around the globe to have a
concentrated effort to ban ECT's. They are being joined by noted
doctors who argue against doctors that push for this treatment. There
is a coalition that is a non-profit federation of 80 grassroots groups
in 11 countries open to public and survivors of human rights violation
in the psychiatric system.
There are claims that electroshock is a safe and effective treatment
for depression and alcoholism. This was the treatment of choice for
Wayne Lax of Kenora. He went through 25 years of ECT's and
combinations of medication. One has to ask that if a treatment used
for this period of time does not appear to be a successful plan of
treatment why it was not discontinued and other methods found to deal
with the problem.
While the controversy rages between the survivors and the proponents
of ECT, the general public is mostly in the dark about the issue. Most
people that I have spoke to in regard to this issue were very
surprised that anyone got ECT's and thought they were banned long ago.
Maybe it is time we asked sonic questions of the Health Ministry as to
why this treatment is still considered safe and effective when hardly
anyone other than the doctors who administer it agree. Those that
receive the treatment, except for an isolated few, keep fighting to
get it banned based on what it has done to their lives. Maybe someone
should listen.