{"id":247,"date":"2019-08-26T09:57:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T09:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scribewalker.com\/?p=247"},"modified":"2019-08-26T09:57:21","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T09:57:21","slug":"depression-ect-and-forgiveness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scribewalker.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/26\/depression-ect-and-forgiveness\/","title":{"rendered":"Depression, ECT and Forgiveness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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One of my duties as an anaesthetist was to give anaesthetics\nto patients undergoing shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT). In\nthis treatment for severe depression, electrodes are placed on both temples and\nan electric current is passed between them. This causes the patient to have an\nepileptic fit. I know it sounds barbaric, but it is effective for intractable\ndepression. It was my job to modify the physical manifestations of the fit by\ntemporarily paralysing the patient so that he\/she did not suffer the severe\nmuscular contractions. I gave a short acting anaesthetic and then an equally\nshort acting paralysing drug. I then breathed for the patient, forcing oxygen\ninto the lungs until the ECT was over and the paralysing drug had worn off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we were waiting for this to happen, I chatted to the\npsychiatrist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What is the most common cause of depression in your\nopinion? I asked one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His response was prompt. “Without a doubt, it’s to do\nwith forgiveness. Either the person cannot forgive someone else, or a person\nwill not forgive them, or they cannot forgive themselves.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And how do you treat that?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The psychiatrist was vague. “We give them affirming\nexercises to do. They look in the mirror and tell themselves how valuable they\nare; we tell them their true worth. That sort of thing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But what if they truly have done something despicable,\nor have had something horrific done against them? What’s the basis for their\nexperiencing or extending forgiveness?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugged his shoulders as I continued. “There has to\nbe more than merely looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m okay” when\nyou know deep down that you’re not. Surely Jesus is the only answer. They’re\nokay because Jesus showed their worth by the price He paid, and they can forgive\nbecause they have been forgiven.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He could only answer lamely, “Well, what we do does\nhelp.” But the line of patients waiting for their ECT showed its ineffectiveness\nto many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point the paralysing drug had worn off, the patient\nstarted breathing on her own and the conversation was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How valuable it would be to tell these people about Jesus\nand to offer to pray with them. We all have done things we are ashamed of, and\nbeen hurt by others. We all need a relationship with Jesus, and an appreciation\nof the wonder of Calvary, but when unforgiveness cripples your life, there is\nan urgency to know the God of Grace and Love. He is the Way, the Truth and the\nLife.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of my duties as an anaesthetist was to give anaesthetics to patients undergoing shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT). In this treatment for severe depression, electrodes are placed on both temples and an electric current is passed between them. This causes the patient to have an epileptic fit. I know it sounds barbaric, but … <\/p>\n

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