Dear Shock,
Are you working ? The ECT option is very time consuming if you ever consider it. Mon, Wed, Fri morning - nothing to eat O/N - for a fairly extensive period. Some timetables vary but it's not a one off treatment. I had it for mania once and I don't think zapping an over stimulated brain was the right thing to do. It seems to be more effective with older people and long term depression.
Movies like "Shine" or "A Beautiful Mind" have obviously done the Hollywood thing and pulled out all the stops. But once you receive that anaesthetic you're out. (They could have attached a cord to my balls for all I knew). There is some evidence of loss of short term memory but at least you're not so depressed anymore ! Yay !
Do you ever do anything nice for someone else ? I had a power cut this afternoon and the last thing on my mind was my mental illness. Distraction is very good. Or sometimes it's called Misdirection. Just getting involved in anything to break the negative thinking. At psych hospital they still promote table tennis, crosswords, endless DVD's, Barbeques, Bus Trips, art & music therapy, cooking classes, walking around the grounds, etc. Not ONE of those will cure you but put it together and your brain is on a different loop other than "I have to kill myself".
Go for the max - try 114 therapists. Think about it - when we marry the right partner we don't whinge about the ones before. When we learn to walk we don't count the 6 months it took to get there.
Adios, David.
PS It's annoying to be accounted for but the Health Care service is a system. Doesn't mean you won't get there in the end. Keep hoping & trying, Shock !
