ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT)
Elevate Psychiatry collaborates with hospitals in our region to provide electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in South Florida. In cases where other treatment options are unsuccessful, ECT can be an effective way to reduce symptoms and improve overall wellness.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING ECT?
For patients receiving South Florida ECT from Elevate Psychiatry, sessions will be administered at one of our local partnering hospitals.
During your ECT session, you will first be provided with a general anesthetic and a medication to relax your muscles gently. Once you are fully asleep (under anesthesia), the doctor will place two small electrodes on your head. A short electrical pulse will be delivered to your brain using the ECT device, inducing a minor seizure.
On average, the seizure lasts 60 seconds or less, while you remain asleep for up to 5 minutes. You will be completely asleep and unaware during the treatment, and the seizure poses no risk to your body (unlike traditional, uncontrolled seizures).
After the treatment is complete, you will be placed into recovery and be monitored while you wake up from the anesthesia. In total, the ECT takes about 20 to 30 minutes and is typically an outpatient procedure.
The number of ECT sessions depends on your condition and goals, though the average is between 8 and 12 sessions per treatment course.
IS ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) SAFE?
Despite the stigmatization through dramatic depictions in movies like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” ECT remains the safest and most effective treatment for Treatment-Refractory Depression the world over, as well as an excellent option for depression, schizophrenia, mania, and other mental health conditions.
Most negative perceptions of electroconvulsive therapy originated from the earliest versions of the treatment, which often utilized high amounts of electricity without considering side effects. However, today’s modern ECT methods have been expertly developed to deliver potential benefits without patient discomfort or negative aftereffects.
Elevate Psychiatry is partnering with local hospitals to provide this amazing treatment safely and conveniently.