Several pieces of research have come with effective treatments of Bipolar Disorder, among which, one of the most effective therapy is ECT or Electroconvulsive Therapy. Bipolar disorder is something that is alarming in the country currently and many of us have a lack of awareness about it. This is a state of mind or a disorder where patients show signs of emotional instability of extreme episodes of emotional highs and lows.
In the case of high risks patients, reports show that Electroconvulsive Therapy was able to reduce the suicide risk by 84 percent and has resulted in providing treatment to around 72 percent of the patients overall.
Any kind of depression or people suffering from Bipolar Disorder show a suicidal tendency which is very common, but recently different theories and studies have revealed that Electroconvulsive Therapy has shown significant results in reducing the chances of suicide.
Since we have come across of the fact that bipolar disorder is a mixed mental state, and sufferers might experience a simultaneous change in their behavioral patterns like some time they may be in a total depressive state while on other times they may be very happy or in a mania state and this is what leads to the suicidal tendency among the patients.
It is said that ECT treatment can reduce the suicide risk among bipolar patients; it is proved that most of the patients are affected by the treatment and seen to be happily returning back to their normal lives. One of these works has also been published in the ENCP conference in the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
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Dr. Sonal Anand, a Psychiatrist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai talked to Healthwire about it and said, “This therapy is there for many years now, it is not something new. This is highly effective for the relief of major depression and has worked well for bipolar cases. ECT involves a brief simulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia”
She continued saying, “Earlier when there wasn’t a proper medicine for this, doctors used this therapy by giving a minute shock in the brain to cure the problem. Now the scenario has changed with the scientific modifications it is a safe process given to the patients with all safety measures under a proper team of trained medical professionals that include a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and a nurse or physician assistant.”
“Most of the civic have a negative outlook towards the ECT treatment, but it is largely based on the overall media representation by the overdramatic scenes in the movies or serials which is not the actual truth, but we as psychiatrists and even the patients know about the positive effects of this therapy”, said Dr. Sonal Anand.
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The modern way of this treatment given under general anesthetic can show rapid recovery from bipolar disorder.
According to Dr. Sonal Anand, when the doctor feels the patient isn’t showing any proper recovery, or even under medication and psychotherapy they are showing new symptoms, or if a quick recovery is required or in serious conditions, this therapy is particularly provided.
However, ECT is prescribed under a lot of safety measures, it is an informed risk therefore the doctors do not do it until they are sure that the patients will be able to go through the process otherwise there can be a lot of complication, keeping this in mind it is done.
So awareness is very important about bipolar disorder and what is the best treatment available to you.