A Life Destroyed by ECT

Jeannette was very reluctant to submit her mother to ECT, but she was convinced by the doctor and a video film that shock was the most effective modality for depression. Jeannette and her mother were told that the electrical current and the grand mal convulsion that it produced were virtually harmless. The electrodes would be placed on only one side of the head (unilateral ECT), with the latest modifications to prevent injury. 

After the first shock treatment, Mrs. Williams developed a headache and stiff neck. She was somewhat nauseated. By the third treatment, 

By the 10th treatment, Mrs. Williams could not find her way around the ward. The head of occupational therapy noted that the patient was too disoriented and confused to participate in the music and art activities. 

Williams stayed in the hospital for 1 week after the completion of the ECT. At that time, her insurance ran out, and she was discharged home. Her discharged diagnosis was major depression in remission.  

Jeannette could see that her mom looked confused as she drove her home. She did not seem to recognize the neighborhood where she had lived for 30 years and raised her children. At home, her mother could not find the coffee or the sugar. She did not recognize the blender that Jeannette had bought her the previous Christmas. 

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