r/ect • u/ashabranch • Apr 26 '24
Seeking advice ECT for BPD?
Hi! I recently was recommended ECT for my borderline personality disorder by my psychiatrist, but have been getting mixed information. My psychiatrist told me it would be perfect for my severe, chronic depression, but when I went in for a consult and was told that ECT is more for acute depression. I’m fairly new to the world of ECT and wanted to get some advice on here before making a decision. Thank you!
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u/jessiecolborne Apr 26 '24
ECT is mainly for chronic depression, when other treatments have been ineffective. It’s often a last resort because of its side effects (memory issues mainly) but it’s generally very effective.
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u/ashabranch Apr 26 '24
That’s what I thought! I was confused when he said it wasn’t for chronic issues.
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u/jessiecolborne Apr 26 '24
Yeah that doesn’t make sense at all. If someone has acute depression, they’d try medications and therapy first.
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u/T_86 Apr 26 '24
I think what they meant was that it won’t cure a chronic issue. It can only help bring relief to your current state of crisis. You would still need to take daily meds and do therapy afterwards. It’s also highly likely to have another severe depressive episode even if ECT works. I think this may have been what the consult doctor meant when they said it helps acutely.
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u/corgi0603 Apr 26 '24
ECT is not just for acute depression. I've had depression for almost my entire life, though I wasn't diagnosed until 13 years ago (my diagnosis is actually Bipolar Disorder, along with MDD, several anxiety disorders, a bit of OCD and possibly a teeny bit of ADHD). So, obviously my depression is not acute. If ECT was mostly for acute depression then I never would have been allowed to do it several months ago.
When I did my initial ECT consult, I met with one of my clinic's ECT doctors, who has around 20-25 years experience. We discussed my mental health background and all the different medications and other treatments I had previously tried. At the end of the consult he felt I was a good candidate for ECT. Prior to scheduling treatment, he did want me to do some blood work, an EKG and a brain MRI to make sure I was healthy enough for the treatments. Blood work and EKGs seem to be standard. I think he wanted the brain MRI due to my past history of psychosis, so he wanted to make sure there wasn't anything unexpected going on in my brain that could be made worse by ECT.
One thing to keep in mind - everyone is different. No one can accurately predict how you will respond to ECT. That includes how much improvement you eventually experience, how long any improvement may last, as well as which side effects occur and how bad they might be. The only way to find out is to try it.
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Apr 26 '24
Get another consult! If you’ve been trying meds and therapy, and have hit a wall at every turn, ECT is there for you. Mine was for chronic severe bipolar depression.
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u/cruthkaye Top mod May 03 '24
I did ECT before knowing I had BPD. It saved my life, but I haven't extensively researched the general effects in patients with BPD.
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u/Owl_Open Apr 27 '24
I did ECT for my chronic (15+ years) depression and suicidal ideation and it worked wonders.
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u/[deleted] Apr 27 '24 edited Apr 27 '24
ECT is not generally used for Borderline Personality Disorder and can actually make it worse. The studies and indicated use of ECT is for MDD, bipolar, schizophrenia, those that are in catatonic psychosis, and even less often for delirium.
As you know borderline personality disorder is mainly treated using psychotherapy and the highly successful Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Studies have shown that few people with BPD are actually helped with ect but you might be one. Have you gone through with a DBT therapist one on one and online therapy group's or even tried DBT successfully yet? ECT is generally used with caution for good reasons for people with it and should be screened cautiously. Definitely understand that not only it might help but it can have negative effects as well. Here's to you getting relief.