It looks like they're getting better at figuring out what the right "dose" is.

I knew someone who had this, years ago, and I thought it changed their personality (not for the better, either--they lost HUGE chunks of their past).

he did not even know who I was

I've been researching this issue lately.

I've been reading this book for an interesting alternate perspective. I've been reading lots of other things as well.

I've made the decision that this would not be an option for me. While I understand that it can work out well for some people, for me it would be too much like playing Russian roulette. If it goes bad, there's no way to undo it, and it does go bad in too many cases.

I decided to wait because I started a new job and I was told you really can work while getting treatments. The possibility of memory loss is certainly worrisome, but so is the prospect of continuing to try to live with depression. I know that Dick Cavett said it saved his life and Carrie Fisher uses it to manage her bipolar disorder.

I looked into the book you linked and its author. She had her ECT in the early 80s. Much has changed in the last 30 years.

Here.

I would highly recommend actually reading the book before dismissing it out of hand. It's far more than simply a personal, first hand account. It's extremely well researched, referenced, and covers the entire history, up to year of publication (2009). What I'm finding most interesting, and most concerning, is the entire way in which issues of safety and concerns about memory and cognitive effects have been dealt with by the industry and by the psychiatric profession.

Dr. Sherwin Nuland, surgeon and medical writer, had it in the early 70's (bad old days) and it worked like a miracle for him. But as with Russian roulette, just because someone played it and won, doesn't mean that someone else will have the same sort of experience.

A good source for getting info about contemporary experiences is in various online forums for people dealing with mental illness, where people talk about their experiences with various different treatments. I'm finding too many similar accounts, even from just the past couple of years, to feel comfortable with this treatment modality.

Whatever decision you make, I hope it ends up working out for you.

Like I said, at this point in time I figure as long as I can work, I might as well stick with my brain as is, although the struggle with depression is still substantial.

Here's some real people feedback from patients:

http://www.dailystrength.org/treatments/Electroconvulsive_therapy

She felt a lot better. it worked better than any medication she had tried. I think it's helpful to keep an open mind and remain vigilant about safeguards, etc.

Depression is greatly misunderstood and ECT even more so. It is very encouraging to read a success story, and I hope that she will be able to live the full life she is seeking.

It seems to have helped them both--but one is less than a year out on his first treatments
and the other is a couple of years out.