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Gary, As a retired psychiatrist (because of PD) I have to defend ECT in some cases. I am sorry about the experience you had with it. But your father's suicide may well have been from its failure (which happens in a number of cases). ECT is aesthetically displeasing to watch, causes confusion for a time, and can lead to fractures occasionally. I only performed it a couple times during my training and never did it post training. Having said that I also have to say that it is the single most effective treatment for severe depression that is available (percentage wise). There are a few patients that I treated over the years that could have benefited from it earlier in their course of treatment and every year I came upon 1-2 patient that reached a point that I referred them to a colleague for ECT. I have seen a number of patients that have gone on to lead "normal" functional, productive lives who had spent months in the hospital, had nothing work for them and for my last "trick" in the bottom of my bag of tricks I recommended ECT which was effective. The subject has come up here on occasion because of PD patients with depression and some have gotten benefit from it. And BTW while I have never had ECT- I put in my advanced health care directives that regardless of what I may say in the future re having ECT if 2 psychiatrists and my family agree than I should have it anyway. I agree it is- or at least appears barbaric and it is not known exactly why it works- but it is the most effective treatment for depression especially when all else fails or the patient is at such high risk for suicide that he is in danger that I would rather be accused of being barbaric and have a live hopefully intact patient than a dead one. Gary, I truly am sorry that your father experienced a treatment failure and eventually killed himself. I am sure I can't convince you that it might have well been in spite of the treatments rather than because of them (especially not knowing anything about the case). I will be away for a few days but then be back on Wednesday. Charlie Gary Goodmundson wrote: > In a message dated 7/11/99 8:12:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > << Finally, electroconvulsive and light therapy represent appropriate > therapeutic modalities for selected patients. > >> > Are you kidding me? ECT in this day and age? PD, depression, ECT and the > threat of more ECT caused my father end it all 20 years ago. Little did I > suspect how close the apple really does fall to the tree. > I think any M.D. who prescribes ECT should be required to have tried it once > himself. Better yet give it to everyone at Med School. > Please pardon my everlasting rage at the Nuero community for that one. > Gary 52/51/4? -- ****************************************************************************************** Charles T. Meyer, M.D. Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************************