"Red Tears" <twiggy_x13x@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135297655.981842.36200@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

Hi everyone,
I came across this group only a few days ago.
It seems like a great and helpful place to talk with
people who know/understand what I'm going through.

It is, and welcome!

To the subject--
For the past 4 years I have been in therapy and have tried
different medications but nothing so far has helped me.
As of right now I'm on six meds.

Can you tell us what your diagnosis is, which medications
you are taking, and what response you have to each of the
six? That would help us to understand your situation
better.

I act happy so that my family and friends think I'm doing
fine.

Are you fine, or not? How are you really doing?

Anyway, for the last 3 months unknown to me, my dad has
been in

contact

with both my therapist and psychiatrist-- obviously
because he is worried and cares, I can understand that but
I'm 19.

As Tara points out, this is pretty questionable behavior.
However, there is enough wiggle room in your description
that I can't say for sure that it is wrong. If your father
knew who they were and called them to tell them useful
information, that would be irritating (perhaps), but not
necessarily wrong (although I think he should have told you
about the contact, regardless). On the other hand, if they
contacted him without your permission, and after you were
legally an adult, then they have violated the
confidentiality rules of their profession, and could be in
serious trouble.

I don't know the laws in your state, but this could be a
big deal. Do you want to make a big deal out of it? Your
options range from doing nothing, to telling them to stop
talking to him, to finding replacements because you can't
trust these two, to doing some combination of the above and
filing complaints against them. Your choice.

To make a long story short-- I saw my psychiatrist
yesterday and

she

told me that shock therapy is the last resort and she
thinks I'm at that point.

Why does he think this? This is an important point. I would
like to know if there are useful medications you haven't
tried yet.

So, I would like to know if any one here has had shock
therapy

before

and what the experience was like after.

I haven't, but I've corresponded with some who have had it,
and spoken with one of the leading practitioner's of ECT.
It can be a real lifesaver (literally) for some, and very
helpful for some who are medication-resistant. For some,
unfortunately, it is ineffective.

There are two things you should be aware of. First, ECT
will cause short-term memory loss. For most people, this
means that they can't remember some of the events that took
place shortly before or after each ECT treatment. Others
may not recall much from the entire treatment period
(spanning a month or two).

Second, you must have some kind of maintenance therapy
after the initial ECT series. The maintenance may consist
of medication alone, or (possibly monthly) ECT sessions.
ECT does not make a permanent cure, unfortunately, and
something must be done afterwards to retain the benefits.

What I've described above is what I've heard or read from
ECT practitioners. There are people, some former ECT
patients, who say that ECT has caused a permanent negative
impact on their lives, causing permanent impairment of
mood, memory, or ability to think. These anecdotal reports
are hard to evaluate, especially since they may simply
reflect the continued worsening of the condition for which
they saw treatment to begin with.

My opinion, which is only my opinion, not advice, is that
ECT is a viable treatment for cases of depression that are
life-threatening, or that do not respond to medication.
However, it is very important to have a reliable diagnosis
for the problem (ECT doesn't work for all types of mental
illness), and it is highly advisable to look for physicians
with the most experience and knowledge of the subject.

I hope this helps. Keep us informed, OK?

Thank you in advance for any information.

On 22 Dec 2005 16:27:36 -0800, "Red Tears"
That your father worries and cares is one thing, and natural
enough. That he has been in contact with them FOR 3 MONTHS
WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE is not acceptable.

<(((*> To make a long story short-- I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and

<(((*> told me that shock therapy is the last resort and she thinks I'm

<(((*> that point.

How can you trust her diagnosis if she is incapable of respecting
professional confidentiality? If I were in your situation, I
would insist upon getting at least a second opinion, and from a
doctor of your choice, not someone you're referred to by your
psychiatrist.

Tara J. Ballance
Montreal, Canada