Despite the stigma attached to ECT, two or three treatments per week for a month or two months can have remarkable results. ECT is usually administered in a general hospital outpatient clinic. The appointment lasts only a half an hour, and most of that time is devoted to preparation and recovery. Patients are usually given a general anaesthetic and a muscle relaxant. A brief electric pulse is then applied to the side of the head.
Patients are asleep and the body is relaxed.
Some people are briefly disoriented after treatment . Some later complain of headaches and sore, stiff muscles. Problems with memory are the most frequent complaint. Memory problems can last three to six months after the treatment. ECT will not affect a person's ability to retain memory.