NAMI 2007 Convention: An Interview with Kitty Dukakis

The interesting thing is that all of my treatment except for the first night -- before the first treatment -- has been out-patient. There's usually no reason to have somebody as an inpatient unless there's a medical reason or someone is suicidal. In my case, the night before, I was afraid I was going to drink. I was so depressed I asked my doctor to help me out [with admittance to the hospital].

RC: There's a lot of prejudice about mental illness in general because people don't understand it and I think the same kind of thing has obviously happened with ECT.

KD: No question. One of the things I'm going to talk about [at the NAMI convention] is making a confession that it wasn't until I had ECT for the first time that I could admit to myself, after all these years, that I have a mental illness. Well, I had depression. What does that mean? I know today it's a disease. It's an equal opportunity disease, just like alcoholism.

RC: Are there any particular regulations governing the use of ECT treatments?

KD: One thing that I need to mention is that there are different laws on the books about ECT throughout the United States. California has some very damaging legislation... Two effects are very painful and serious for families and for physicians. Number one, you need two or three physicians to sign forms. And secondly, if you are a young person under the age of 18 in California, you need a court order to get treatment. And that is almost impossible. When you think about an indigent, suicidal 15-year old --and as a social worker I've had many of these cases -- who cannot get treatment that will make a difference in his or her life. And so I'm working with some of the mental health advocates in California to make some changes in the Assembly there. And this [legislation] is true in one other state.

RC: In your book, you say that over a ten year period none of the treatments centers you went to for help with your depression even mentioned ECT as a treatment option. You also mention the lack of ECT support groups.

KD: One of the things that I have talked about from the beginning is wanting to begin a support group for those who are contemplating ECT and those who have had ECT. It's one of the things I'm doing now, especially for people who live alone and do not have the wherewithal to get physically to and from their treatment. And that's very important because I want people in every state in this country to be available to those who are going to have treatment and can't get themselves there -- who can't afford to take cabs and other transportation services. The other thing is that there would be a willingness among those in support groups to discuss with people what it's like to have their first treatment and what their experience was like. Not warning them, but preparing them for what this treatment is going to be like. And being there after treatment -- physically, in some cases, or by phone or through the internet or e-mail to answer questions that clearly will come up.