ECT Therapy for Wife with BPD and depression - feeling anxious

Hi @OverTheEdge, @Ali585, @BlueBay, @Fancy_Pants, @Surviving85

Thank you all for your replies and advice 🙂

Just as an update, my wife came home on Tuesday after 2 weeks in hospital.
So far the idea of ECT has been put on hold indefinitely 🙂 - so happy about that-
It would seem a change in meds and some rest has made a significant difference.

I am concerned that she has come home far too early but just being away from home was starting to cause anxiety in its self, and so for everything has gone smoothly so am trusting it will continue to be so.

Thank you again so much, being on this forum has been so helpful through a difficult time .

Hi @Determined

You are most welcomed. Thanks for the update - so positive. I did feel by the information you gave in your post, that rest and the right meds were best for your wife's situation. I hope she goes well at home now, but don't worry too much as if it does become evident that she was released a bit early, she always has the option of going back in for another rest. In another few weeks the medications will begin to work to full effect so she may improve even more! It's just important that no additional stress is placed on her for now.

Glad this forum was of assistance to you through this difficult time. If you need us again we are always here for you. Better days are ahead for you and your family 😀

Hi @Glorianna

Thank you for your response, it has helped me immensely to hear others experiences.
My wife is travelling a lot better since my first post here. She had a short stay in hospital just to get away and adjust some medications. I believe that the primary issue (trigger) at the time for her 'melt down' was environmental and that a change in medication mearly complicated the issue. Thankfully just having a respite stay in the hospital to sort out the medication and focus on strategies for wellness was enough and at this time we have been able to avoid the ECT. We still have a lot of work to do and a lot changes to make at home but things are looking positive.

Just to conform it is actually Borderline Personality Disorder that my wife has not Bi-polar and yes I was referring to electro convulsive therapy.

Thankfully because she was in a private hospital unit with her own room she was able to have her smart phone and a few home items to help her feel less isolated.

Thanks again for your reply 🙂

Hello Determined

I am also facing ect as the only option left, If you ask psychiatrists they all say it has a high success rate, but this is not documented in Australia, there is no way we can look at statistics to help us make a decision, for example I have a very much treatment resistant depression and have read that this can make ect less likely to work, the industry needs to start gathering information on success rates, long and short term complications, relapse requiring more ect, my psychiatrist tells me she has a patient that has ect every month, the thought of that worries me, in Australia we give ect about twice as much as some other countries like the uk, I found the uk has good information through their ectas project, in Australia we give 27000 ect session per year just in medicare statistics, it is probably more when private hospitals are included, My family are all nurses and they do not want me to have ect as they have nursed patients that have had complications from it, I am learning better coping strategies that seem to be having good effect, I am hoping to hold out until a new medication comes out, it may be 2 or 3 years away but is showing good results.

Hi @Klynne welcome to the forum and thank you for your feedback.

My wife ended up starting the ect treatment but stopped after only 3 (or it may have been 5 I really cant remember) due to negative effects.

I agree with your thoughts. I was not happy at the time and am still not happy however I now know of people who's lives were changed for the better so...

I hope you can find the support you need here

It has been invaluable for me. I spend most of my time on the carers side though.