Two questions about psych health and therapy

[iris lilies]

issue#1:
Someone we know, a young person, went through electroshock treatment last year. I assume her treatment is state of the art modern stuff and not a big deal. A friend of ours was horrified to hear she was doing this and said this kind of treatment isnt done except in extreme cases. He has no expertise in this field but I was surprised at his vehemence. Is he all wet?

please comment about modern day electroshock therapy.

issue #2:

a friend was all set to give her kidney to her sister. She was denied on psych grounds. How often does that happen? She said she was denied because she would feel too responsible if the kidney did not take.

comments? How often is a donor turned down for psych reasons?

[Teacher Terry]

They now do it under general anesthesia but yes it’s kind of a last resort when other things haven’t worked. Tammy can probably speak to this and the other question much better.

[JaneV2.0]

They now do it under general anesthesia but yes it’s kind of a last resort when other things haven’t worked. Tammy can probably speak to this and the other question much better.

That was my immediate reaction--it's not as brutal as it used to be. Other than that...

[iris lilies]

They now do it under general anesthesia but yes it’s kind of a last resort when other things haven’t worked. Tammy can probably speak to this and the other question much better.

This treatment was same-day-then-come-home treatment. It was periodic. Her mom said she slept the rest of the day after treatment. Is it possible I have mixed up this treatment with another similar one?

I ask because it is not as though this patient had tried years of treatments, she seemed to sort of slip into it after suicide attempt (s) along with talk therapy and some drug therapy. She was hospitalized for a couple of weeks prior to starting this electro treatment.

[Gardnr]

ECT has been around for a very long time. We went to anesthesia back in the 80s. And yes, it's a very serious treatment and certainly deep down the list of therapies. I like Mayo for explaining with clarity for the lay person. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894

i know nothing about living donor screening.

[ApatheticNoMore]

yea it's still linked to the potential for brain damage as I understand it. It doesn't seem as brutal due to sedation etc..

[Tammy]

When several trials of depression meds and various talk therapies have failed, one option is ECT. It can be done inpatient or outpatient. It’s usually 3 treatments a week for a month. Some people need a treatment once a month or so for maintenance. You’re sedated and don’t remember it, recovery is an hour or two. There is a risk of short term memory loss. But after years of suicide attempts and multiple failed depression treatments, many people are willing to take that risk.

[Tammy]

For reference, I work where the most severely mentally ill people in our state/region are treated. We have about 270 patients at any given time, and about 3-6 of them are getting ECT. It’s pretty rare.

We just opened a TMS clinic. It’s a noninvasive alternative to ECT that looks promising. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625

[sweetana3]

IL: I think rejection of donor would be rare for these issues unless they were clearly present and identified with past problems in this area already evident. It is also possible that the donor expressed fear in her interview and decided with the doctor that this was important. Not everyone wants to be a donor. We cannot know exactly since what is told to others is often "biased" and "bare of actual details".

[iris lilies]

ECT has been around for a very long time. We went to anesthesia back in the 80s. And yes, it's a very serious treatment and certainly deep down the list of therapies. I like Mayo for explaining with clarity for the lay person. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894

i know nothing about living donor screening.

Thanks. That Mayo article is a good summary.

[iris lilies]

IL: I think rejection of donor would be rare for these issues unless they were clearly present and identified with past problems in this area already evident. It is also possible that the donor expressed fear in her interview and decided with the doctor that this was important. Not everyone wants to be a donor. We cannot know exactly since what is told to others is often "biased" and "bare of actual details".

Agreed that my info is only what she told me. I think there are psych problems here but not what you mention. Potential donor is extremely, ah, involved, shall we say? in the lives of her siblings and their progeny. She exhibited annoyance that her psych report denied her ability to donate and I believe her reaction. I wouldnt be surprised if therapist picked up on the controlling, bossy, judgmental aspect of potential donor’s attitude. I also wouldn’t be surprised if recipient tipped the therapist that she doesn’t want her sister donating, it would be too difficult in their relationship.

Reddit has some interesting discussions about family members who are being asked to donate organs and discussions of that pressure. My stance is my body my choice, asking is ok but I wouldn't donate a kidney for anyone except, possibly, my husband.

[iris lilies]

For reference, I work where the most severely mentally ill people in our state/region are treated. We have about 270 patients at any given time, and about 3-6 of them are getting ECT. It’s pretty rare.

We just opened a TMS clinic. It’s a noninvasive alternative to ECT that looks promising. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625

You healthcare professionals are verifying what my friend said, the one who was shocked that our young mutual friend took ECT.

Of course I have only a half assed understanding of the facts and have access to only some of them, so who know what is really going on here. But it is not as though she was under talk/ drug treatment for decades before going to ECT.

[Teacher Terry]

IL, my husband is the only person besides 2 of my kids that I would donate a kidney to. Definitely not to my siblings or drug addicted son.