{"id":77491,"date":"2024-08-13T08:28:12","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T14:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=77491"},"modified":"2025-02-06T09:34:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T16:34:50","slug":"ect-liberates-man-from-grip-of-undiagnosed-bipolar-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ect-liberates-man-from-grip-of-undiagnosed-bipolar-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"A severe mental health crisis imprisoned him in bed. How ECT helped Mike recover and venture into nature again."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Mike
Mike Andrews and Nancy Perry sit on a bench near a peaceful koi pond in their backyard. When Mike suffered a severe mental health crisis. Nancy fought to get him help. Following ECT, Mike’s bipolar disorder is in remission. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mike Andrews floated in a wetsuit, mask and snorkel in a spring off of the Florida coast, careful to stay as still as possible as he kept an eye out for a remarkable creature.<\/p>\n

Then a giant manatee swam over, its big distinctive nose appearing inches from Mike\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re huge, far bigger than a dolphin. You get to see their features. The majority that we saw were resting on the bottom of the lagoon, feeding on seagrass,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n

But this particular manatee seemed to recognize a fellow soul who might appreciate a life-affirming \u201chello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was magical, absolutely amazing, just to be that close to a docile creature of that size,\u201d said Mike.<\/p>\n

Mike and his partner, Nancy Perry, also got to see a nursing calf cozied up beside its mom.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing a baby was really a bonus,\u201d said Mike.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Andrews smiles after seeing manatees in Florida. After suffering a severe mental health crisis related to bipolar disorder, Mike could barely get out of bed for months. Following ECT, he’s thrilled to be exploring the world again, including the chance to see gentle manatees. Photo courtesy of Mike Andrews.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The experience with the manatees was nothing short of a miracle. Mike got to be out in the world, relishing nature and celebrating the transcendent experience of seeing the elusive, peaceful animals.<\/p>\n

The contrast with Mike\u2019s life just a couple of years earlier was stark.<\/p>\n

Now 76, Mike suffered a severe mental health crisis<\/a> in 2021. It was so bad that all he could do was spend 20 hours or more each day in bed, shaking with fear.<\/p>\n

Once before in his life, Mike experienced a similarly debilitating bout of what he thought was severe depression<\/a>. But he had been a high achiever most of his life. He had earned a doctorate in biophysics from Georgetown University, had done research on bacterial viruses, had worked for medical device companies and had served as a consultant.<\/p>\n

Outside of work, he enjoyed spending time with four sons and eight grandchildren, doing woodworking and taking photos of wildlife and wild places.<\/p>\n

When the crisis hit in 2021, Mike faced an onslaught of obsessions and paranoid thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was afraid that I would take too big a bite of food, and I was going to choke. I thought all of my accounts had been hacked. The sun was too bright. I was trembling and afraid of the world around me,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n

He never felt suicidal but did feel powerless.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout my life, I had been pretty good at solving problems, but I couldn\u2019t find a resolution to this problem,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n

Thanks to unrelenting help from Nancy, whom he had started dating in 2019, Mike finally found transformative care. Nancy is a licensed clinical social worker who had experience working in psychiatric units. As Mike descended into an abyss of mental illness, Nancy kept careful notes on his symptoms and pressed medical providers for help.<\/p>\n

The couple eventually learned that anti-depressant medications Mike had been taking for twenty years were harming rather than helping him. \u00a0A medication change the month before Mike met with the UCHealth team had left Mike groggy, confused and so unsteady on his feet that he fell down a full flight of stairs at the Westminster home he and Nancy share.<\/p>\n

Mike finally connected with psychiatrists at UCHealth<\/a> who gave him a proper diagnosis. It turned out that he was suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, not depression. His team recommended electroconvulsive therapy<\/a>, also known as ECT, a therapy that proved transformational for him.<\/p>\n

\"Nancy
Nancy Perry peers at a manatee during a Florida trip with her partner, Mike Andrews. Nancy helped Mike find help and get ECT after a devastating mental health crisis. Photo courtesy of Mike Andrews.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ECT for bipolar disorder: In dire need of help, electroconvulsive therapy offered a lifeline.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Dr. Konoy Mandal<\/a> first met Mike, his patient was in rough shape.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was emaciated. He was down to about 125 pounds. He was experiencing long periods when he was staring into space, unable to speak much. He was having Parkinsonian tremors and wasn\u2019t able to interact with his kids or grandkids,\u201d said Mandal, who is a psychiatrist and an expert in ECT who cares for patients at the UCHealth Behavioral Health Clinic at Longs Peak Medical Center<\/a> in Longmont.<\/p>\n

ECT treatments have changed dramatically over the years, and they are now an excellent option for people, like Mike, who are suffering from bipolar disorder and have been unable to get relief through medications or other treatments.<\/p>\n

ECT also can work for people with severe depression.<\/p>\n

What is ECT? And how fast do patients respond if it\u2019s working?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Patients who get ECT come for sessions at an outpatient clinic where they receive brief doses of electrical stimulation to the brain. The patient is anesthetized during the sessions, and it typically takes longer for the team \u2014 including the doctor, specialty nurses and anesthetists \u2014 to prepare the patient for the procedure that it does for the patients to receive brief bursts of electricity.<\/p>\n

During the initial phase of treatments, patients typically receive ECT about three times a week. Over time, doctors reduce the frequency and number of treatments, then phase them out over time.<\/p>\n

The treatments for Mike worked relatively quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin about three-and-a-half weeks of starting his treatments, he was markedly better,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Konoy Mandal, a psychiatrist and medical director of The Treatment Refractory Depression Center at UCHealth, offers ECT to his patients. Photo: UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s typical for ECT patients to experience dramatic results after as few as two weeks of treatments, he said.<\/p>\n

With Mike, Mandal said the changes were as obvious as a light that switched on.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came in and was talking, smiling and joking, and he hasn\u2019t looked back since,\u201d Mandal said. \u201cIt\u2019s always incredible to see these breakthroughs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Altogether, Mike had 32 ECT treatments over a period of 18 months. He had his last treatment in March of this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to wean him down to fewer and fewer treatments, then he successfully finished,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

If three months have passed since a patient\u2019s last treatment, and they have not had a relapse, Mandal said there\u2019s a 95% chance that the patient will stay well over the long run.<\/p>\n

Does ECT work for both bipolar disorder and depression?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While Mike long believed that he suffered from depression, his psychiatric diagnosis was actually more complex. Along with bouts of depression, he also experienced some highs, known as mania. And only after the 2021 mental health crisis did he learn he had bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n

ECT works well for both depression and bipolar disorder, Mandal said. But many people with bipolar disorder don\u2019t respond to medications. They have what\u2019s known as medication-resistant bipolar disorder, and that\u2019s why ECT can be so valuable for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cECT works a lot better for bipolar disorder than medications. ECT is great for major depressive disorder too. But some drugs also are pretty good for depression,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

Does ECT cure mood disorders? Or do the treatments provide temporary relief?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many people who go through ECT go into remission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not cured, but the illness can be undetectable, like cancer.\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

About 70 to 80% of people with major depressive disorder who go through ECT will go into remission after a course of treatments, Mandal said.<\/p>\n

For bipolar disorder, about 60 to 70% of people will go into remission. While that\u2019s a little lower than the remission rate for depression, the success rate is still quite high considering that as many as half of people with bipolar disorder do not respond to medications for their illnesses.<\/p>\n

ECT is painless and does not involve seizures<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some people mistakenly think of ECT as painful or believe that it causes damaging seizures. Decades ago, doctors used stronger jolts of electricity on patients.<\/p>\n

These days, ECT treatments are gentle, precisely targeted and painless.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a seizure,\u201d Mandal said. \u201cECT is an organized delivery of electricity. It\u2019s similar to when we use paddles for people who are having an arrhythmia of the heart. We just do it on the brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now know that every single brain ailment \u2014 whether neurologic or psychiatric \u2014 has to do with electrical flow issues. This is true from Parkinson\u2019s to multiple sclerosis to epilepsy to post-traumatic stress syndrome. That doesn\u2019t mean that we treat all of them using ECT. But it means that there are certain conditions that create electric disturbances that respond to ECT,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

He likened ECT to radiation therapy, which used to be much more broad and now is highly targeted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the day, if you needed radiation because you had stomach cancer, you\u2019d get your entire abdominal area from the intestines to the bowels, liver and pancreas hit by the radiation. It was a shotgun approach. Now, we can use pinpoint accuracy. We know how the neurons interact with each other,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

Are there side effects with ECT?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. For nearly all patients, ECT treatments affect a person\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n

But Mandal said that memory challenges typically ease over time, and he can minimize side effects during treatments.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo reduce memory side effects, we can change the treatment or stop it,\u201d he said. \u201cVery few patients have longstanding memory issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to sugarcoat it. This is a major medical procedure that we do under general anesthesia. But for folks who have treatment resistant illnesses, ECT is miraculous for those who respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cECT is far less negative than having incapacitating depression,\u201d Mandal said.<\/p>\n

Benefits of ECT far outweighed the challenges, side effects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For Mike and Nancy, the benefits of receiving ECT far exceeded the challenges.<\/p>\n

Before Mike received his first treatment, the couple conceded that they both had the jitters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was anxious about it at first,\u201d Mike said. \u201cBut they put you under anesthesia. The staff members were great. And they had an endless supply of warm blankets. They were wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike said he experienced very few side effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not at all painful. I did have some short-term memory loss, but that was the extent of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe improvements were incremental at first. Then I got to the point where I didn\u2019t require 20 hours a day in bed,\u201d Mike said. \u201cI had lost nearly 20 pounds and I gained most of that back. I also regained my sense of humor, which was critical.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Love is all you need\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

On the wall of Mike and Nancy\u2019s kitchen, a sign hangs that says, \u201cLove is all you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the title of a famous Beatles song, of course, and for years, it\u2019s been one of Mike\u2019s favorite sayings.<\/p>\n

It also became a mantra for the couple as they navigated their darkest days.<\/p>\n

Mike and Nancy had met online and went out for their first date \u2014 a cup of tea \u2014 in August of 2019. They took things slowly, then gradually fell in love just before the pandemic hit.<\/p>\n

Most people probably think of 2020 as the worst year in recent memory. For Mike and Nancy, now 69, the toughest times hit in 2021 and 2022.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Nancy had reservoirs of love and professional skills that proved essential to keep their relationship strong \u2014\u00a0and Mike alive \u2014 after he suffered his breakdown.<\/p>\n

When Mike shook in bed, Nancy hugged him and offered comfort. She kept a diary to document his symptoms and behaviors. She connected with his siblings and his former wife, comparing notes about symptoms Mike had experienced 20 years ago during his previous breakdown.<\/p>\n

When Mike\u2019s former primary care doctor gave him medications that proved to be dangerous, Nancy pleaded for help and found new medical providers who would reconsider Mike\u2019s diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe meds were terrible,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was a zombie.\u00a0 He was not getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ECT
ECT treatments helped Mike Andrews recover from a severe mental health crisis related to bipolar disorder. Now, Mike feels well enough to once again enjoy woodworking. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thanks to her clinical experience, Nancy knew Mike needed to see psychiatrists. When Mike was able to see Dr. Mike Allen<\/a> at the Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a>, everything changed, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we were connected with UCHealth, we were blessed. We were safe,\u201d Nancy said.<\/p>\n

Allen, who is a professor of psychiatry<\/a> at the University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a>, gave Mike a proper diagnosis and connected him to Dr. Mandal.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiterally, everything changed overnight,\u201d Nancy said.<\/p>\n

Mike credits Nancy\u2019s determination and his medical team with rescuing him: \u201cNancy has made all the difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Nancy humbly gives credit to Mike\u2019s medical team for helping him recover.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re incredibly skilled professionals who made all the difference,\u201d Nancy said.<\/p>\n

Of Mike, she said: \u201cHe\u2019s the kind of person you fight for. I love this man. He\u2019s so kind, gentle and caring.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple once again is venturing out on trips and to go hiking in their favorite places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Mike once again reads newspapers every day like he used to. He loves following sports, enjoys cooking and is doing puzzles again.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s back yard is an oasis where they love spending time watching birds and relaxing near the large koi pond Nancy built. She also has a stunningly beautiful Blue Fronted Amazon parrot that loves to show off and join in conversations.<\/p>\n

Now that Mike has escaped from the darkness and hopelessness that gripped him for several months, the couple is enjoying simple pleasures.<\/p>\n

Mike\u2019s key message for others is quite simple: \u201cECT is not something to be afraid of. It\u2019s a proven medical intervention and is life changing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mike Andrews floated in a wetsuit, mask and snorkel in a spring off of the Florida coast, careful to stay as still as possible as he kept an eye out for a remarkable creature. Then a giant manatee swam over, its big distinctive nose appearing inches from Mike\u2019s face. \u201cThey\u2019re huge, far bigger than a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":77485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[113,833,112,351],"class_list":["post-77491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","category-stories","tag-behavioral-health","tag-longmont","tag-mental-health","tag-primary-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nECT liberates man from the grip of undiagnosed bipolar disorder - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mike was suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, not depression. 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