Comments for Kingez -Ezra Thomas The music and writings of a bipolor depressed man from Texas http://www.kingez.com A Blog for all things Kingez Music and writings, Ezra Thomas Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:07:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Comment on AA: Bad Medicine by jeannine reirdon http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/20/aa-bad-medicine/#comment-171 jeannine reirdon Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:07:12 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=85#comment-171 omg i am living this right now i am so glad that others understand what aa is really about my life has been totaled and my husband walked away unscathed truly disturbing!!! omg i am living this right now i am so glad that others understand what aa is really about my life has been totaled and my husband walked away unscathed truly disturbing!!!

]]> Comment on ECT LOG: Electroconvulsive Shock Treatment soon by si.banks.g@gmail.com http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/22/ect-electroconvulsive-shock-treatment-soon/#comment-170 si.banks.g@gmail.com Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:27:52 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=2928#comment-170 Well, a few words of encouragement from someone who actually knows what they're talking about rather than just plucking stuff from the web! I too have bipolar disorder but have only received serious treatment for it over the last 5 years when it was properly diagnosed (im in the UK by the way, may make a difference!). I have been receiving ECT for about 2 and a half years, having had about 50-odd treatments to date and ongoing on a maintenance programme. I have had intensive courses (twice a week, 12 sessions) as well as maintenance of up to monthly intervals, and have received both unilateral and bilateral treatment. My variant of bipolar has less extreme manic episodes but very extreme depressive episodes, to the point where I cannot function at all and have had a couple of stays in hospital as a result. Along the way we have tried every medication and combination of these available for prescription, all with zero effect - I may as well have been eating chocolates! In the UK at that time ECT was a treatment of last resort and this is how an intensive course of 12 was eventually prescribed for me, following another stay in hospital. For the first 6 or 7 sessions there was no effect at all, then as soon as I woke up after the 8th treatment I felt significantly better (relatively that is, I was still at the bottom of the depression scale, but there was an improvement). After that, there was a continued and noticeable improvement after each session. Very long story short, we got to a point where I was stable and far more aware of my mental state and so able to intervene quicker when things started to go wrong - so now we have a maintenance programme worked out whereby I have a treatment every 4 weeks bilaterally but this can be shortened if I take a nosedive in the meantime. As regards side effects - I am extremely lucky in that I have absolutely NO unwanted effects from the treatment, no memory loss, no confusion, no fried scalp etc! You hear some nasty scare stories out there, most of which are (very) loosely based on the science of 50-60 years ago and scenes from 'one flew over the cuckoos nest'. Yes, there is a risk of memory loss but this is as yet an unknown area and seems to depend on so many variables; in my case, my memory is actually BETTER with ECT since the memory problems I had with the depressive episodes were severe. I imagine that an elderly patient with several other medical conditions may experience memory issues as a result of the treatment, but the truth is you just don't know until it happens - its a potential risk you take to gain a benefit, and very much depends on your individual circumstances. Added to this is the effect of the general anaesthetic which can also cause confusion etc in some people (propofol) - ultimately memory is a very tricky thing to measure so it's up to the individual. I can say though that having had so many treatments I have obviously seen many other patients of all ages and conditions along the way while waiting in the recovery suite, and I can say that approx 80% appeared to show improvement (purely by watching the way they behave and talk along the way) - totally unscientific, just my observations. To finish, If ECT is something being considered for you, research it from reliable modern sources and disregard the scare stories and tall tales; otherwise it would be like saying cars of 50 years ago were not very safe so you shouldnt drive a car now! Science and knowledge moves on, ECT is so much more understood and is constantly being reviewed and researched now. Without it I wouldn't have been able to type this long spiel but would be sitting wasting away in a corner somewhere, or possibly 6 feet under. Best of luck to you, and I hope you find a solution that works for you! Well, a few words of encouragement from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about rather than just plucking stuff from the web!
I too have bipolar disorder but have only received serious treatment for it over the last 5 years when it was properly diagnosed (im in the UK by the way, may make a difference!). I have been receiving ECT for about 2 and a half years, having had about 50-odd treatments to date and ongoing on a maintenance programme. I have had intensive courses (twice a week, 12 sessions) as well as maintenance of up to monthly intervals, and have received both unilateral and bilateral treatment.
My variant of bipolar has less extreme manic episodes but very extreme depressive episodes, to the point where I cannot function at all and have had a couple of stays in hospital as a result. Along the way we have tried every medication and combination of these available for prescription, all with zero effect – I may as well have been eating chocolates!
In the UK at that time ECT was a treatment of last resort and this is how an intensive course of 12 was eventually prescribed for me, following another stay in hospital. For the first 6 or 7 sessions there was no effect at all, then as soon as I woke up after the 8th treatment I felt significantly better (relatively that is, I was still at the bottom of the depression scale, but there was an improvement). After that, there was a continued and noticeable improvement after each session.
Very long story short, we got to a point where I was stable and far more aware of my mental state and so able to intervene quicker when things started to go wrong – so now we have a maintenance programme worked out whereby I have a treatment every 4 weeks bilaterally but this can be shortened if I take a nosedive in the meantime.
As regards side effects – I am extremely lucky in that I have absolutely NO unwanted effects from the treatment, no memory loss, no confusion, no fried scalp etc! You hear some nasty scare stories out there, most of which are (very) loosely based on the science of 50-60 years ago and scenes from ‘one flew over the cuckoos nest’. Yes, there is a risk of memory loss but this is as yet an unknown area and seems to depend on so many variables; in my case, my memory is actually BETTER with ECT since the memory problems I had with the depressive episodes were severe. I imagine that an elderly patient with several other medical conditions may experience memory issues as a result of the treatment, but the truth is you just don’t know until it happens – its a potential risk you take to gain a benefit, and very much depends on your individual circumstances. Added to this is the effect of the general anaesthetic which can also cause confusion etc in some people (propofol) – ultimately memory is a very tricky thing to measure so it’s up to the individual.
I can say though that having had so many treatments I have obviously seen many other patients of all ages and conditions along the way while waiting in the recovery suite, and I can say that approx 80% appeared to show improvement (purely by watching the way they behave and talk along the way) – totally unscientific, just my observations.
To finish, If ECT is something being considered for you, research it from reliable modern sources and disregard the scare stories and tall tales; otherwise it would be like saying cars of 50 years ago were not very safe so you shouldnt drive a car now! Science and knowledge moves on, ECT is so much more understood and is constantly being reviewed and researched now. Without it I wouldn’t have been able to type this long spiel but would be sitting wasting away in a corner somewhere, or possibly 6 feet under.
Best of luck to you, and I hope you find a solution that works for you!

]]> Comment on Melancholia 2011 (spoiler) Review by clint http://www.kingez.com/2011/11/26/melancholia-2011-spoiler/#comment-165 clint Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:19:56 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=10702#comment-165 loved it, great review chek INCENDIES fuckd me up but ends in love and won't fuck u up the same way loved it, great review

chek INCENDIES

fuckd me up

but ends in love and won’t fuck u up the same way

]]> Comment on Killer Fiction Response by Alex http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/20/killer-fiction-response/#comment-43 Alex Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:38:48 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=89#comment-43 I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information. Best regards Alex I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.

Best regards Alex

]]> Comment on AA: Bad Medicine by Investment ideas http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/20/aa-bad-medicine/#comment-34 Investment ideas Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:36:40 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=85#comment-34 Thanks for all of your work on this web page. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future. Thanks for all of your work on this web page. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

]]> Comment on Dogma and The universe by kingez http://www.kingez.com/2011/10/06/dogma-and-the-universe/#comment-33 kingez Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:34:49 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=7503#comment-33 thank you heather. I'll keep the window open. thank you heather. I’ll keep the window open.

]]> Comment on Dogma and The universe by Heather McCready http://www.kingez.com/2011/10/06/dogma-and-the-universe/#comment-32 Heather McCready Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:04:41 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=7503#comment-32 Thank you for sharing this, Ezra. I am so happy for this releasing experience you are having. I hope I can come to "understand" ( in light of 'I can explain it to you, but can't understand it for you') it for myself one day. It sounds like a beautifully healing experience. You wrote about it beautifully, by the way. I keep thinking that this writing you are doing is going to be a powerful tool one day to help others find their way through the pain. Meanwhile, I appreciate the window into what things are going on in your heart. Thank you! Thank you for sharing this, Ezra. I am so happy for this releasing experience you are having. I hope I can come to “understand” ( in light of ‘I can explain it to you, but can’t understand it for you’) it for myself one day. It sounds like a beautifully healing experience. You wrote about it beautifully, by the way. I keep thinking that this writing you are doing is going to be a powerful tool one day to help others find their way through the pain. Meanwhile, I appreciate the window into what things are going on in your heart. Thank you!

]]> Comment on Songs for no one by clint http://www.kingez.com/2011/10/02/songs-for-no-one/#comment-30 clint Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:58:39 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=7079#comment-30 yea!!! so cool. beautiful yea!!! so cool. beautiful

]]> Comment on Final War of The Drug Lords by Francesco Warton http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/20/final-war-of-the-drug-lords/#comment-19 Francesco Warton Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:17:55 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/?p=79#comment-19 Sorry for the rant though! Love the article. Great post. Love the blog. Sorry for the rant though! Love the article. Great post. Love the blog.

]]> Comment on Parents by Mimi http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/27/parents/#comment-16 Mimi Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:46:56 +0000 http://www.kingez.com/2011/09/27/parents/#comment-16 Thanks Ez for that. I will share with Dad. I hope the lines blur & soften! We did so much wrong, but we loved you....and still love you all (with all your additions) so very, very much. We were blest to have parents that loved us, although like you, we are still seeing that sacrifice unfold. Like a famous songwriter (i.e.you) once said, "Life is hard, but God is good." Love, Mom Thanks Ez for that. I will share with Dad. I hope the lines blur & soften! We did so much wrong, but we loved you….and still love you all (with all your additions) so very, very much. We were blest to have parents that loved us, although like you, we are still seeing that sacrifice unfold. Like a famous songwriter (i.e.you) once said, “Life is hard, but God is good.” Love, Mom

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