Memory Problems and Cooking Safety After ECT

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Memory Problems and Cooking Safety After ECT

close up of someone cooking meat patties over an electric stove. Theres a potted cactus sitting on the counter in the foreground

If you’ve had ECT, chances are you struggle with memory problems that make daily life more challenging. Cooking, in particular, can be risky for people with memory problems like ours. Its easy to leave something cooking for too long without realizing it or forget to turn off the stove. These memory lapses can make it harder for us to live safely on our own.

My Experience

I have almost no short-term memory after ECT. I can forget an action seconds after doing it, like locking a door or turning on the stove to make tea. Over the years, I’ve accidentally melted several tea kettles because I’d turn on the burner, get distracted, and completely forget about it—only realizing my mistake after it was too late.

I was lucky none of these memory lapses led to house fires. Mistakes like these are terrifying and can shake both your confidence and the trust others have in you. The good news? There are simple solutions to help prevent them.

How I Work Around This

After the last kettle mishap, a concerned family member bought me an electric tea kettle with an auto shut-off. It was a total game-changer. No more worrying about leaving something on the stove and forgetting about it.

Other Helpful Tools

There are plenty of inexpensive ways to make cooking safer if you have memory issues:

  • Instead of using the stovetop, use a hot plate with auto shut off.
  • Bake with a toaster oven that has a timed-shut off.
  • Using electric tea kettles that turn off on their own.
  • Use a slow cooker.
  • Adding safety devices that automatically shut off a standard stove. (These are more expensive)
  • Using auto shut-off plugs for other electrical devices like curling irons, where needed.

Final Thoughts

If memory problems after ECT are make cooking unsafe, don’t worry—there are plenty of tools out there to help. Small changes can help you stay safe and maintain your independence.

Examples of Products

These links are just examples. I’m not endorsing any specific products, nor do I get a commission for sharing them.

Anna

Anna is a childhood psychiatric drug and a teenage electroshock survivor. She founded Life After ECT to ensure people injured by electroconvulsive therapy have easy access to resources that can help them understand their injuries and find a path to recovery.