Patient Story | Electroconvulsive Therapy

An unexpected miracle: One woman’s journey through depression, desperation and healing with electroconvulsive therapy

If the name Creighton Taylor sounds familiar, it’s likely because of her many years as a MaineHealth Behavioral Health volunteer and staunch advocate for reducing the stigma of mental illness. 

After a few years away, Creighton has returned—better than ever—and credits electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for “giving me my life back.”
 

Diagnosis and decline

Creighton lived with depression for most of her adult life, but in 2021 it became debilitating. She couldn’t get out of bed or manage daily tasks. After two years of trying various medications, her psychiatrist diagnosed her with severe, treatment-resistant depression and suggested she consider ECT. Her gut reaction was: “Me? I’m not that bad!” But in reality, she was very sick.

“In my mind, ECT was a last resort, a painful, scary, traumatic intervention like you see in the movies. I wanted no part of it, but I was so severely depressed that I would have done anything my doctor asked me to. I was just desperate for help.”

Treatment begins

In 2023, she began receiving ECT treatment at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center – Sanford. Creighton was terrified walking into her first appointment, but she quickly realized how wrong her assumptions had been. ECT is nothing like its portrayal in the movies—it’s a medical procedure, much like day surgery.

She met with the treatment team, including Dr. Kevin Mullarky and Sandie Lamb, ECT Nurse Coordinator—her “guardian angel,” says Creighton. “I can’t say enough about the people who helped me. They are fabulous, professional, kind and so caring.”

She agreed to move forward with treatment and was guided through every step. Creighton received an intravenous muscle relaxant and anesthesia, then electrodes were placed on her head. Once she was unconscious, a seizure was safely induced. That seizure, somehow, helps rewire the chemistry of the brain. Doctors don’t fully understand why—but it works.

“I didn’t feel a thing. The procedure itself only took about 20 minutes, but the entire appointment took several hours, including travel time, pre-op and recovery.”

That year, Creighton completed 17 treatments, gradually tapering over several months.

“After each treatment I would just go home, sleep, drink a lot of water and the next day I felt fine. It’s a commitment, yes—but it has changed my life!”

Life after ECT

After that first year of ECT, Creighton was thrilled to feel like herself again.

“I felt I was all better and told Sandie Lamb that she could take me off the schedule.  However, come January I was more depressed than ever and had to start the whole thing all over again. It was deeply humbling.”

“I have to accept the fact that for whatever reason my brain just doesn’t create those chemicals to stay on the bright side.”

Creighton is now on maintenance and will receive ECT at regular intervals for the foreseeable future.

Reducing stigma

ECT is often feared and misunderstood—even within the medical community, where many have limited exposure to the treatment. Creighton wants to change all that. She hopes that sharing her story will help educate the community that ECT is an extremely effective way to treat major depression and other behavioral health disorders. She even participates in support groups to help new patients understand that there is nothing to be afraid of.

“I just want to get the word out. This treatment is simply a miracle.”