@xinlihan, welcome. I moved your message to this existing discussion:
- Has anyone used ECT Therapy for depression? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/depression-8/

I did this so you can connect more easily with other members who are familiar with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) like @hopeful1953 @kathadilly @marjou @eczarniecki and others.

Xinlihan, you're so wise to ask others about how you can support your wife as she prepares for ECT treatment this week. When she wakes up after the procedure, she may experience a period of confusion lasting from a few minutes to a few hours or more. She will appreciate you being there as something familiar.

I can imagine it is unsettling to not know what to expect. Have you thought about requesting an appointment with a social worker at Mayo Clinic to talk about your needs and to learn what is available to help you support your wife?

@xinlihan I’ve had several ECT treatments and my personal experience has been some memory loss and no improvement with depression. There is anesthesia for each treatment. The most helpful is to have someone there who cares as one wakes up from each treatment procedure. Hope this helps your wife.

@xinlihan, I hope at this time the therapy is having the desired results. My sister-in-law underwent the same therapy many years ago so I know the outcome can vary greatly. In her case her depression was not lifted. I want to share a possible complementary approach with her doctor's approval and your further research. Vitamin D and B1 are two vitamins needing activation by magnesium. All three are often deficient and all three are important for mental health. The brain has a heavy reliance on activated vitamin B1 (thiamine) and ironically the blood/brain barrier inhibits water soluble thiamine. Free thiamine is not lipophilic and cannot cross the blood-brain barrier by simple diffusion. Transport of blood thiamine to the brain parenchyma is carrier-mediated and it is a slow process. Oil soluble forms of thiamine more readily pass through the blood brain barrier. The healthline link is about vitamin D and a 25(OH)D can determine if a deficiency exists. I hope this information serves as a springboard to become more familiar with these elements and others like omega 3 that benefit the brain's many conditions and functions.
https://www.verywellmind.com/magnesium-for-depression-does-it-help-5112650
https://www.krispin.com/magnes.html
https://nootropicsexpert.com/vitamin-b1-thiamine/
https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/fatigue-sleep-disorders-depression-anxiety-
fibromyalgia-and-cardiac-troubles-as-the-expression-of-a-classic-mild-thiamine-deficiency/
http://stuttersense.blogspot.com/2014/08/these-factors-reduce-your-thiamine.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/depression-and-vitamin-d#fa-qs