ECT Treatment: When to Refer, Who It Helps, and What Actually Happens with Dr. MaryEllen Eller

Unfortunately no Dr. Fu today, but Dr. Malzberg speaks with the wonderful psychiatrist Dr. Mary Ellen Eller, who walks through what modern electroconvulsive therapy actually looks like and when clinicians should consider it. The episode covers ECT history, stigma, anesthesia, seizure monitoring, memory concerns, side effects, and the real-world logistics patients face during a treatment course. It also explores where ECT fits in the algorithm for severe depression, depression with psychosis, catatonia, bipolar mania, and selected cases of bipolar depression or pregnancy-related psychiatric risk. The result is a grounded, clinician-friendly guide to a misunderstood treatment.