Taking a patient for a ECT
@Jackalyn (7559)
Oxford, England
March 6, 2018 11:52am CST
I think if it had been me I would have been screaming and refusing to go. However, at the time he said he was thought to be a good thing, Electro Convulsive therapy what is another way in which High Royds hospital paved the way. Like the lobotomy it was seen as groundbreaking.
One day I was asked to take a patient for treatment. I remember absolutely nothing about this and I think I actually blanked it in my own mind. Apparently they would give the patient a hot water bottle to bring out the veins in their hands before injecting them. And they would also dry their mouths to stop them biting their tongue. Then electrodes would be attached to the patients head and they would lay there while the shocks were given to the brain
I do know there are people who say that ECT has helped them, but I think I knew more who said that it did not. Did anyone ever experience this? would you consent? I think I'm pretty sure that I would not.
4 people like this
4 responses
@aninditasen (15732)
• Raurkela, India
6 Mar 18
I have never seen a patient being treated with ECT but then if it's painful nobody would like to view that.
1 person likes this
@Jackalyn (7559)
• Oxford, England
6 Mar 18
I don't think anybody would like to view it full stop but I suppose if you think about it most of us would not like to view an operation but the operation might cure somebody. I don't think this is the case ECT. What I'm intrigued but is how traumatized I must have been to block out what happened and I was just the nursing assistant taking someone for treatment.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (15732)
• Raurkela, India
7 Mar 18
@Jackalyn That might have been very traumatic and terrifying.
1 person likes this
@Jackalyn (7559)
• Oxford, England
6 Mar 18
I think that they do still do the treatment. Personally, I would never agree. The best advice I feel I was ever party to concerning depression was that in order to break the cycle one had to find the one thing that the patient could do that they thought would make me feel better. I learnt this on the course where they said that this lady has been asked what was the one thing that would make her feel better and she said going on holiday. Her husband then booked her for holiday and they went around the world. The patient did get better but of course most of us do not have enough money to go on a world tour to cure depression so I thought it was a little bit of a silly example. That said, I do think there is value in thinking about the one thing that you can do that you feel would make you better each day. It has to be realistic though. What I had one experience of severe depression and during it my mother-in-law very kindly suggested that what I should do is wash the curtains. She said that always made her feel better. She was on the end of the phone. My curtains were closed as I didn't even have the energy to raise my hand to open them. Best thing to say would have been just try and open the curtains today and make that your aim!
1 person likes this
Thats lovely that your Mother in Law helped you like that and thanks for repeating it to me..it helped
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Mar 18
I don't think I would ever consent to it either but I know a highly qualified nurse who works in that area and she swears it is helpful to many. Like you, I'd be blocking it from my mind.
