Poll of the Day > Oh hell I think my parental units lied

(+) Yeah! (+)

So I was thinking about a random occurrence from my childhood. It's something that happens fairly often. This one is one that keeps randomly nagging at me and I think I realized why.

When I was a child I finally was checked for seizures. Flashing light test, had one right there. It was established I'd been having them since birth likely.

Now one day they said I was going to have to get another test, and this one was going to involve having things hooked up to my head and being shocked. My stepdad at the time basically told me to not be a baby, that back in the day they shaved his head and attached the shocking method by imbedding them in the scalp.

I of course didn't understand the point, we'd already established that I was having seizures. I was on medication at that point.

Hurt like hell. They ended up having 4 adults hold me down because I basically went into cornered animal mode.

What I'm wondering, and can't seem to find because my googling skills are shit, is if that was actually even a test.

What I did find is that electroshock therapy has actually been used to try to treat seizure disorders. (Although they mentioned being under anesthesia in the cases I've seen mentioned.)

Did... Did my mom and stepdad lie to me and take me to a doctor to get electroshock therapy?

I mean, that is a fairly limited amount of information to go on but I can't think of any neurological diagnostic testing that would involve electrical shocks.

How long ago are we talking here? Nowadays ECT is typically a treatment of last resort in cases where drugs aren't an option or aren't working and, as you said, under anesthesia.

rjsilverthorn posted...

I mean, that is a fairly limited amount of information to go on but I can't think of any neurological diagnostic testing that would involve electrical shocks.

How long ago are we talking here? Nowadays ECT is typically a treatment of last resort in cases where drugs aren't an option or aren't working and, as you said, under anesthesia.

Thanks for the genuine reply.

Honestly I'm not 100% sure on the timeframe, I would have been no younger than 8 but with what I do recall about the time frame not likely older than 9. So about 26 or 27 years ago.

Which of course is part of the problem in information, and also the honestly fact I wasn't told much. They put these gelled pads all over my head, and administered a few shocks (definitely unsure on the number) that increased in intensity (or at least I mean they felt to) before cutting off. That's what sticks out in my mind about the situation, that and what I was told it was for.

It obviously felt like it went on for ages, but I really don't think it did. I don't think it was more than a handful of them, but I'm definitely not sure 100% about that.

I also remember the doctor was very angry, but that had to do with me being uncooperative I believe.

Lying to children is just downright fun

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Mead posted...

Lying to children is just downright fun

I think I made it sufficiently not fun for anyone involved.
I at least hope I did.

Sure as shit wasn't fun for me.