Flow Neuroscience
Reviewed by Flow Neuroscience
Aug. 25, 2025
If you or someone you know is considering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), understanding exactly what happens during treatment can alleviate anxiety and uncertainty.
Here’s a simple step-by-step breakdown:
Step 1: Arrival and preparation
You'll arrive at a hospital or psychiatric clinic and meet your treatment team—typically including a psychiatrist, anaesthesiologist, and nurse.
Step 2: General anaesthesia
You’ll lie down on a hospital bed and receive general anaesthesia, ensuring you're asleep and pain-free during the procedure.
Step 3: Muscle relaxant
A muscle relaxant is administered to prevent physical movement during the seizure.
Step 4: Placing electrodes
Medical professionals place electrodes on your scalp, usually targeting the temporal cortex. Placement may be bilateral (both sides) or unilateral (one side), with unilateral placement causing fewer side effects.
Step 5: Administering the electrical current
A controlled electrical current (500-900 milliampere, lasting 1-6 seconds) is delivered, inducing a brief, controlled seizure lasting less than 60 seconds.
Step 6: Recovery begins
As the anaesthesia and relaxants wear off, you'll wake up in a recovery room. Initial confusion or mild disorientation is common but temporary.
Step 7: Post-treatment
Within an hour, most patients resume normal activities. Multiple sessions (usually 6-12) are typically needed for optimal results.
This structured process ensures ECT remains safe, controlled, and highly effective for treating severe depression.