depression that wont go away. anyone had ECT or other successful treatment?

[morethanalittlecrazy]

I have been depressed on and off for years and taken so many medications without any improvement. I try to eat healthily, exercise regularly and do relaxation when I can get out of bed.

The latest med has failed so the doc is sending me to a psychiatrist, but he warned me there might not be much they can do because we have "already been through the lot". Vaguely mentioned something about ECT but that probably not being appropriate either.

I barely function day to day and my life is going nowhere, it all feels so pointless.

who has been treating it so far then if not a psychiatrist?

I'm really thick, ignore that.

A psych might have lots more options for you than a GP.

Surprised you haven't been referred to a psychiatrist before if you've suffered for so long. Psychs will sometimes add an additional AD to the one you're already taking, or try something different. It's still all very "hit and miss" though as what works for one doesn't work for another.

ECT is still used for treatment resistant depression, and I understand it can be very effective, with very few side effects. It's nothing like the old days when people jumped about on the bed and all that - you're given a muscle relaxant and sedative - I think you need to have about 6 or 8 treatments though and need to be an Inpatient on a psych ward I think, although not altogether sure about this. It was when I was an IP that I saw people who had ECT (mind I was on the Older People's Ward as I was 66) but quite a few women in their late 70s and 80s were having ECT. They just used to come back to the ward and seemed ok, though I think there can be some temporary memory loss.

I think though it is a very last resort and I'm sure the psychiatrist will want to try different/combinations of drugs before considering ECT.

Yes I had CBT several times over the years and it helped a bit but not a lot.

you really haven't 'been through the lot', your GP is being silly, even if you've tried something from every group SSRIs and their friends, TCAs, MAOIs etc singly or in combinations

antidepressants can be augmented with so many different things, lithium is an obvious one but there are many others, even thyroid hormones