Depression is more than feeling blue, but those who suffer from it can have a life that is rich and vibrant, without stigma. Psychiatrists have a full set of options to treat depression, and most people respond well to treatment.
In some cases, though, depression is resistant to medications and traditional options, or the relief that they provide is temporary or incomplete.
Even then, there is hope.
ECT provides hope for hard-to-treat depression
Dr. Fahd Zarrouf and the team at AnMed TMS and Sleep Diagnostics have a new tool in their fight to help patients thrive. Electroconvulsive therapy, known as ECT, is an effective brain-stimulation treatment done under anesthesia in a controlled environment. It can be highly effective at relieving symptoms that have not been controlled well through medication or other means.
Improvement can be fast–starting in as few as six treatments. By contrast, medications can take as long as six weeks.
Other leading-edge treatment options from AnMed TMS and Sleep Diagnostics include transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, an advanced treatment for major depressive disorder, and Spravato, an esketamine nasal spray that can be a lifesaving treatment for patients in suicidal crisis.
This ECT is not what some patients expect
Some patients and families are afraid of exploring the option of ECT because of the way old forms of the treatment were shown in movies and other media decades ago, according to Dr. Zarrouf.
Times–and methods–have changed, though, the doctor said.
Consideration starts with a consultation.
Candidates for ECT don't have to wait weeks for an appointment, and they don't have to travel far for treatment. Dr. Zarrouf has dedicated time to see them quickly at his office at AnMed TMS and Sleep Diagnostics.
If ECT is recommended, Dr. Zarrouf then conducts the treatment at the AnMed North Campus. Patients are asleep throughout, and they do not remember the procedure.
The procedure involves small electric currents passed through the brain to cause brief seizures that are used to change brain chemistry. An anesthesiologist is present, and the environment is highly controlled to minimize side effects.
Results can be dramatic.
TMS and Spravato offered by AnMed Psychiatry, too
ECT might not work for everyone, but for people who've been unable to find relief through other methods, it can be a cherished, difference-making option.
It is generally safe and may even be an option during pregnancy.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Zarrouf, to consider ECT, TMS, Spravato or more, call 864-512-4935.