Thus, the treatment has regained some credibility and respectability, and is being used with some frequency again. Considering the problems with the technique, ECT should be given very serious consideration before use, and is commonly used only as a last resort. They note that the treatment does not take as long to become effective, is a relatively simple and inexpensive procedure, and does not have the side effects of drugs. Drug therapies can indeed have side effects nearly as debilitating and bothersome as the depression that they seek to remedy. The developments in drug therapies have certainly been significant and have greatly improved the condition for many people with depression.
Drug dependence can result from overuse.
When individuals attempt to discontinue use of the drugs, the uncomfortable effects may drive them back to further use. Some caution is appropriate given that ours is becoming a more drug dependent society in which pills seem to have all of the answers. Cognitive and other therapies are also useful in treating depression, and do not carry the barbaric history and dubious mode of action found with ECT, or the side effects and dependence of drugs. In many cases, however, a combination of drug and cognitive therapies are recommended, and this does appear sufficient for many individuals. One problem remains with the variety of therapies, however, and that is the fact that every individual is different.