A parent is supposed to be the best time in your life. However, it can also be the most difficult.
Lisa Morrison, who had just married in South Africa, moved to Northern Ireland to begin the next chapter of her adult life.
2
Lisa stated that her mental health was not the best after she had children.
Soon Lisa experienced a relapse into an eating disorder she suffered from in the past. She says that this set off a series of events which led to Lisa not being able remember one year of her entire life.
Lisa now tells how she spent months in a local mental health unit.
Speak to BBC Northern IrelandLisa revealed that she had received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), over a seven-year period.
According to her, the treatment was performed at Bluestone mental hospital unit in Southern Health Trust.
Lisa shared that Lisa has very limited memories of the period and it is difficult to talk about.
What is electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?
ECT is the sending of electric shocks through your brain.
This causes your brain to experience an electrical surge. The goal of the treatment is for you to feel better about your mental health.
The treatment is performed under general aesthetic and you are not awake.
It is used to treat severe, life-threatening depressions that have not responded to other treatments.
It can also be used to treat mania and a condition called catatonia which is when a person stays frozen in one position or makes repetitive or restless movements.
“There are huge gaps around things that I really should remember as a mum and I find that quite distressing.”
Lisa claims she was treated well in the unit she was assigned to, but there was “very little meaningful activity”.
“ECT” is often referred to as a last resort, but I am now questioning whether any other options were available in my case.
“When somebody is putting an electric current through your brain, they are not actually 100 per cent sure of how complex the brain is, I have no memory of a year of my life at all.”
Patients who have received this treatment previously reported memory loss and headaches.
An earlier this year, a school in the US was condemned for using self-harming therapy to treat students.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says the treatment can be ‘life saving’ to patients who suffer with severe depression.
The Southern Health Trust responded to Lisa’s claims by saying: “The trust does not comment on individual cases. ECT remains a very effective treatment option and is not prescribed without very careful consideration.”
2
We pay for stories!
Are you a Central Recorder reporter?