Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[vmainard40]

My brother is in a really bad way at the moment. He depressed and down. Hearing voices and doesn't want to come out of his room most of the time. It was his birthday today and I asked him if he had a good day and he just said all the days are bad, There are no good ones.

My mother and I were chatting to his Psychairst while he was having vials taken and all our concerns were heard. We are both really worried about him. None of the medications he has been on in the last 12 months have seemed to have little to no affect on his illness.

His Pyschairst suggested ECT may help him. He has been resistent to this. For what reasons I am not totally sure. One thing that I do know is he doesn't want to lose his memory that is already shot anyway. I was wondering if there was anyone out there that has had experince with a loved being resistent to ECT and what I can do support him and get him on ECT? I am at wits end to try and convince him that is the way to go.

[Lunar]

Helllo @vmainard40

I am really sorry that your brother is feeling quite depressed and down and that his medications have not seemed to hep in the last 12 months, I can only imagine how concerned you are for him.

There are some others threads on ECT that I will link in that may be able to help you:

@getbetter started a thread asking about 'ECT' experiences here

@kenny66 also started a thread discussion called 'Changing Minds' here

@Determined and @Former-Member are also carers whose loved ones have gone through ECT treatment, there is a thread here

Hope you are taking good care of yourself right now and getting some extra support at the moment?

Lunar 🙂

[Determined]

Hi @vmainard40

Sorry to hear you family is having a rough time at the moment.

My wife was recommended for ECT earlier this year due to depression and suicidal thoughts/behaviour, she didn't actually have the treatment at the time, her situation was able to be resolved with a respite stay in hospital and a change in medication. (We are very fortunate to have access to a private facility).

In our case I was the one who was resistant to the treatment, my wife was desperate and would have been more than happy to go ahead (there is a long list of reasons for my reservations on the thread that @Lunar linked you to). Main reasons being the fear of memory loss (we have young children) and the fact that at the time I didn't feel my wife was in a position to be making an informed decision (it has been previously discussed and she has always been very opposed to the idea).  Also for us I believe that there were environmental factors contributing to her condition, by addressing these factors we were able to improve her situation.

Another thread that I started over on the lived experience forum ECT for wife with BPD and Depression, feelng anxious may be helpful for you, some of the responses were most helpful to me. some of @Former-Member s advice in the thread lunar linked you to  (here)  was also helpful for me. Some of this information printed out may be helpful for your brother to read?

Sorry I am on the wrong side of the 'argument' to what you are looking for but I found some peace in reading peoples experiences good and bad. Hope this has been of some help .

[Former-Member]

Hi @vmainard40

My husband has had quite a bit of ECT. If he were to be offered it again I know he would not be keen and I would have to weigh up risk v benefit depending on the situation at the time as to whether or not I would encourage him to have it or not (or if I needed to consent as his enduring guardian).

The first time he had ECT he had no problems.

The second time, I believe a more aggressive approach was used and this came at the expense of marked memory loss (he only has random memories from at least 7 or 8 years, it is very difficult to measure as memories are so personal) and loss of some executive function. The first time I brought up a single memory loss I was told it could not be ECT but as the extent of his memory loss became apparent it was attributed to ECT and electrode placement and dose was adjusted for the balance of his treatment. I was not warned of the risk of any cognitive or executive function loss.

To my mind it boils down to risk v benefit, in our case risk was high and as with treatment such as chemo, there are side effects and these need to be weighed up and if my husband suffered psychotic depression again I would seek the docs advise in light of his past treatment.

In relation to your brother, it would depend on diagnosis, risk, what treatment algorithm is bring used and where ECT fits into it. There is plenty on the internet in relation to efficacy of ECT in various mental health conditions.

This is an article that talks about effects of ECT.

http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/12/3/228

Hope this helps, I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

[Former-Member]

@vmainard40
How are things going?
Darcy

[vmainard40]

things are a little better. Trying to work out the meds that my brother was put on for his physical problems. He says going to try and make more of an effort and that's all we can ask of him right now. We have to find something that helps these voices. It hard to relate to them when you know they're not real. I just listen when he wants to talk about them and say very little. As for the ECT idea we are trying to figure out ways to get him to try it.

I thank you for your concern it is really appreiated. I've been busy with other stuff so I haven't been on here. I think a carer work is never done. Not that I mind doing it in the first place. I love my brother and it's labor of love.