Posted by Elizabeth on May 16, 2001, at 13:05:00
In reply to Re: Whats the best opiate for depression ?, posted by jimmygold70 on May 7, 2001, at 15:48:13
> Pacha,
>
> Did you try ECT ? (Electroconvulsive Therapy). That's more effective than most drugs.This is a common belief. It was viewed as more effective when "depression" was defined more narrowly to include only very extreme, classic presentations (they used to call this "endogenous" as opposed to "neurotic" depression).
ECT works extremely well in severe melancholic, psychotic, and catatonic depressions (as well as certain forms of mania and schizophrenia). For more atypical or ambiguous presentations, it's less clear whether ECT works very well at all. Also, IMO, the risks are too great. I consider ECT to be the ace up my sleeve, something I would do only out of true desperation.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:61760
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63232.html