When a Psychiatrist May Recommend Electroconvulsive Therapy as Part of Treatment

Your psychiatrist will give you a mental health diagnosis and create a treatment plan. This care plan will meet your needs and correct your disorder. Some patients progress with traditional treatment. But if they do not, the doctor will recommend an alternative treatment in the form of ECT. If you want to know when your psychiatrist may suggest ECT as part of your treatment, here are the details.

What electroconvulsive therapy is

ECT is a treatment for patients with bipolar disorder or severe major depression, who have not progressed with traditional treatments. This treatment involves a short electrical stimulation of the brain. The psychiatrist will need to put the patient under anesthesia. A treatment team will support the patient during ECT.

The effectiveness

ECT is effective for patients with major depression. A psychiatrist can give ECT if the patient needs a rapid treatment response. Patients with this type of need are often at risk of self-harm. ECT is highly effective in treating severe mental illnesses. Even so, it does not cure any of them. Having regular ECT as maintenance can prevent the illness from coming back.

Why a psychiatrist recommends ECT

A psychiatrist can suggest ECT for patients who have severe depression. The type of depression must have psychosis or detachment from what is real. Having this treatment is also necessary if the patient refuses to eat or attempts to inflict self-harm. Patients who do not progress from conventional depression treatments should also have ECT.

Patients with aggression and agitation tend to be difficult to treat. They can also result in a poor quality of life. That is why the psychiatrist may suggest ECT. Patients with intense mania must also have this treatment. These patients often engage in risky behavior and develop psychosis.

In some cases, ECT can also help patients with catatonia. An individual with catatonia can suffer from injuries. Catatonia may also lead to dehydration because the patient does not drink or eat. This disorder is often linked to schizophrenia and other medical conditions.

Steps involved in getting ECT

The psychiatrist will perform a full psychiatric assessment of the patient. This will include a blood test and a medical exam. An electrocardiogram can also check the patient’s heart. The patient will provide written consent before the treatment begins. The patient and the family must talk about every treatment option for the mental condition. The psychiatrist must provide enough information to understand ECT before agreeing to it.

The patient will receive ECT two to three times each week. There will be six to 12 treatments. The number of treatments will depend on how responsive the patient is. It also depends on the severity of the symptoms. Before the treatment starts, the patient will receive general anesthesia. This will come with a muscle relaxant.

The psychiatrist will then attach the device to specific areas of the scalp. The electrodes will channel brief electrical pulses to stimulate the patient’s brain. There will be a mild seizure in the brain for about a minute. The patient will stay asleep during ECT but will awaken after five to 10 minutes.