somanyspoons wrote:
The article is mis-titled. It should be "Helping some Autistic children who have a rare co-morbid condition similar to depressive catatonia with shock therapy."
So, we can stop yelling that they are going to electrocute everyone with autism who ever self-harms. It's not the case. This is just another example of journalism going for the shock value (pun intended) instead of solid, reasonable reporting. These kids have an extraordinarily rare additional problem where they self-harm multiple times hourly, and compulsively, without triggering events. They are extra exceptional and I'm glad someone figured out something that would help, because behavioral management and sensory help do nothing for them. And that's a life I don't wish for anyone.
You have a better chance of getting thrown on Thorazine or Risperdal than ECT.
My friend's bill for 9 treatments was $12K, that did not include labs and all the other crap the hospital tacked on. That was just for the initial series of shock treatments. Then you go once a week for a month, then it spreads out from there.
So...in the US, unless you have a monster insurance plan, ECT will never be common place. It's too damn expensive. Medicaid barely wants to do it at all, and if you have a high deductible plan ( you pay $10K out of pocket before the insurance even kicks in), who will pony that money up?
I doubt the few souls that it could even be useful for will be able to afford it. Cheaper to snow you with the antipsychotics, and hope you drop dead from the diabetes they cause.
My insurance plan will not cover it for me unless I get two other second opinions that nothing will absolutely not work for my bipolar disorder. Cheaper for me to run around suicidally depressed. Thank God I have never needed it.
03 Nov 2016, 9:44 am
