I am still worried about memory. Tell me more.

I can tell you that permanent memory impairment is very rare. Temporary short term memory problems during the course of treatment are very common. Most people report that by 6 months after their last treatment, they have no memory impairment. Short term memory and newly learned info are a couple of the areas of difficulty.This can present problems during the course of treatment. I encourage people to start journaling prior to the treatments regarding the ECT information they are given as well as the symptoms and specifically how the symptoms are impacting their lives and functioning. Sometimes a person will get such an improvement after @ 9 treatments, that they may want to abruptly stop because they are all better. We find that symptoms can recur very quickly and sometimes a complete relapse occurs within a few weeks. As a result, the whole series must be restarted. So for example, journaling "even though I feel better I may need to continue treatments to prevent recurrence of my symptoms". This is also an area where your support person will be vital as well as your trust in your treatment team.

I also encourage a journal of computer passwords and other very important info that no one else knows, should you forget these. If your memory becomes impaired to the point where you are distressed with it, you need to speak with the ECT psychiatrist prior to your next treatment. Sometimes the incredible mood benefits outweigh the troublesome nature of the memory issues, but should this not be the case, be sure to mention it.