by Rxln » Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:13 pm
To start, just to make sure you know, ECT is generally only used on very severe and chronic depression or other severe and chronic disorders. I've heard a lot from different people who've had it and people who have observed. It seems to me that it may not last very long, and that part of the time they count 'in remission' is truly just the brain fogginess and poor memory. People tend to be very hazy afterward, some can be tired, and the memory thin mentioned is very common. People I've talked with who have had ECT treatment generally have liked the breaks it gives them albeit brief.
I enjoyed DBT therapy a lot. I am very skeptical and that definitely effected how well it worked for me, I'm sure it could have worked better. But a lot of DBT made me uncomfortable because I have issues focusing on myself or the feelings in my body, and a lot of DBT is centered on that.
I adored group therapy I was in. It was a general group therapy, and a fairly consistent group of people over 2 years. There was a variety of struggles in the group like; anger, adhd, anxiety, depression, abuse, mistrust, etc... Depression was the common ground between all of us mostly, and anxiety was an issue for a lot of us. I really enjoyed it and it also teaches you how to be a bit more confrontational and social if it's something you struggle in. Giving help, and the frustration you feel when hopeless people brush it off also really helps some people to become more self aware of when they do that themselves. Personally group therapy made me a lot better at listening to advice and attempting to follow it, and also to accept compliments.
Talk therapy honestly depends sooo much on the therapist. I had a therapist who I worked really well with and it was because she was familiar with my behavior and attitude and she also acted in a way that I am familiar with. (I'm very sarcastic. I distance myself a lot. And jokingly insulted and poked fun at people to build a repertoire between us, this was how I built bonds and the only way honestly because I felt so uncomfortable exchanging any normal intimate pleasantries with anybody. My therapist perfectly complimented my style by being very sassy and sarcastic, but she also had a really nice way of gently but firmly pushing me to work towards being in a better place. She always seemed to ask the right questions and really attempted to work with me in a style that suited me specifically.
I'm not sure if this post made much sense because I'm rambling mostly. But this is my view on things. I've been through many different psychiatric drugs but I've been on so many and they are still fluctuating pretty consistently. It has worked very well for a lot of my friends though, I think what I've experienced with medication mostly has to do with all my comorbidities and that I have a PD. The less it has to do with chemicals and the more it has to do with conditioning can make a difference. My doctor also thinks I react to chemicals in a different way than most people typically react.
Meds: clonazepam 1mg, wellbutrin xr 450mg, adderall 40mg, ambien 10mg, 200mg lamictal
Dx: AvPD, unspecified bipolar, GAD, ADHD, panic disorder, and some nos schizophrenic spectrum disorder thing