Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a procedure that stimulates the brain by means of a small electrical current that passes through electrodes placed on the head. It is widely accepted that ECT treatment is effective in correcting brain chemistry imbalances when other treatments, like psychiatric medications and psychotherapy, have proven ineffective. We offer this program at our facility in Conroe, TX, located in the greater Houston metropolitan area.
What Can I Expect?
ECT therapy is administered by a team of licensed medical professionals, including a physician. The procedure lasts approximately 15 minutes and recovery time is 1-2 hours. The procedure can be done while you are hospitalized or on an outpatient basis.
ECT treatment
is administered under short-acting, general anesthesia. After a brief physical
exam by your physician, you will receive an intravenous (IV) line through which
anesthesia and a muscle relaxant can be administered. Electrode pads will be
placed at various points around the forehead based on your physician’s
recommendation.
Once you
are resting comfortably under the effects of the anesthesia, your doctor will
initiate a small electrical current that will pass through the electrodes to
your brain. The result is a brief seizure that lasts approximately 60 seconds.
When the
seizure is over, recovery is monitored by your treatment team as the effects of
the anesthesia subside. In most cases, you can return to normal activity within
a few hours after recovery; however, your physician will advise you how to
proceed based on your specific circumstances. Treatments are most effective
when administered in a regular series over a 4-12 week period or longer, depending
on your treatment plan, the severity of your symptoms, and your response to treatment.
Side Effects of ECT
Immediately
following treatment, you may experience disorientation lasting for a few
minutes up to several hours during the recovery period. On the day of treatment,
side effects may include headache, jaw pain, muscle soreness or nausea, which
can be managed with medication. Some report experiencing
short-term memory loss with respect to events that happened just prior to
treatment; however, memory issues usually improve within four to eight weeks
after treatment ends. Activities may be restricted until memory loss issues
resolve.
How Does ECT Work?
ECT alters brain chemicals during and after seizure activity. With a full course of treatment reaching therapeutic levels, these chemical changes have been shown to reduce symptoms of severe depression and other mental illnesses. In addition to ongoing ECT, your treatment may continue to include medications along with psychological counseling to effectively manage your mental health concerns.
Is It Right for You?
ECT is most commonly used for those with major depression, recurring suicidal ideations, or bipolar and other mood disorders that have not responded to traditional treatments, like medications and psychotherapy. Our experienced mental health professionals can help determine whether this treatment is appropriate for you and connecting to care is simple:
1. Schedule an initial assessment, which generally lasts around one hour.
2. Include accurate information about your treatment history, including past and current medications, during the assessment, which is a confidential conversation between you and a licensed behavioral health professional.
3. Review the individualized treatment plan recommended for you by our medical staff.
If you prefer we contact you, fill out the form below and one of our counselors will be in touch within 24 hours.
Find Mental Health Treatment Today
Mental health concerns require ongoing care and maintenance, just like your physical health. If you are suffering with severe depression, recurring suicidal ideations, bipolar disorder or other diagnosis that has not been managed by traditional methods, ECT treatment may be right for you.
Call or chat today with one of our compassionate team members who will help you find your path to wellness.
We use cookies to make our site work. We also use cookies and other tracking technology to measure our site’s performance, personalize content and provide social media features, including through advertising and analytics partners (such as Meta/Facebook and Google). By using our site, you agree that information about your use of the site may be sent to and/or collected by these third parties, and further agree to our websitePrivacy Policy.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.