Video by Robert D. McMullen about How To Get Out Of Depression By TMS.
TMS BrainCare
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How To Get Out Of Depression By TMS
Only someone who is suffering from depression knows how challenging this condition can be. Depression robs a person of their ability to look forward to each new day, their ability to react meaningfully with family and friends, and even their ability to feel good about themselves. Depression is an endless cycle of feeling overwhelmed and helpless to control ones own feeling and actions and often makes it impossible to function at work or at home. Most people would do anything to get out of their depression and are disappointed when traditional depression treatments that work for others simply don't work for them.
Luckily there is a new treatment for depression that was introduced in 2008, that just may help people suffering from moderate to severe depression find some relief and even remission from their depression symptoms. This treatment is known as TMS and is helping some people find their way back to normal mental health.
What is TMS and How Does it Work?
TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. It works by sending electromagnetic impulses into the the brain through an electromagnetic coil. These impulses stimulate the part of the brain believed to control mood to work more efficiently, thus reducing depression symptoms. It is a non invasive therapy is used alone or in conjunction with depression medications.
Who Can Benefit Most from TMS Therapy?
Like more traditional depression therapies there is no way current way of knowing positively who TMS therapy will work for and who it won't. However, this type of therapy seems to have the best results for people who have found little or no relief from traditional drug therapies alone, or who have extremely negative side effects from taking medications and for who ECT electroconvulsive therapy is either not an option or who are afraid to engage in this type of therapy due to its negative side effects. In some cases people choose TMS because it is more affordable than ECT and some insurance companies won't pay for ECT treatments, so at half the cost of ECT treatments TMS therapy seems to be a better option for some people.
What Does TMS Therapy Entail?
TMS therapy requires 40 minute treatments 5 days a week for 2 to 4 weeks and sometimes for longer periods of time. During the treatment the patient is seated in a comfortable recliner where they remain awake and alert and are able to watch television, read, and even visit with friends while an electromagnetic coil is placed near the front left side of their head. This coil sends electrical impulses through the skull into the brain causing the neurons in the brain to respond by producing chemical changes over time, which often results in a lessening or remission of depression symptoms.
While the treatment is not overly painful to most people, it can be somewhat unsettling and loud, which requires some people to feel the need to wear earplugs to help reduce the noise cause by the coil and the treatment.
The most common side effects of this treatment is mild headache and pain at on the side of their head where the electromagnetic coil was placed. The headache and pain can be effectively treated by mild pain killers such as Tylenol.
How Effective is TMS at Treating Depression?
There have been several studies done to determine the effectiveness of TMS in treating depression, but more studies still need to be undertaken to help determine who can best be treated by this type of therapy and whether or not more benefits can be achieved by TMS alone or in combination with depression medications. So far, what results that have come back have shown some real promise.
• About 1/3 of those patients treated by TMS therapy show a remission in their depression symptoms. While only time will tell how many patients remain in remission for life or for years, the fact that a good number of patients experience remission is promising and hopeful.
• Between 50 and 60 of those patients treated by TMS therapy show some lessening in their depression symptoms, which may or may due to a combination of TMS and anti-depressants. More studies need to be done to learn how to TMS to help these patients find complete remission from their depression symptoms.
While there is currently no guarantee that you get of out of depression by TMS therapy, there is new hope for those people who find traditional depression therapies alone don't work. With the promising result that TMS has thus far shown it may be well worth your while to speak to your mental health professional and see if TMS might be of some benefit to you or someone you love who is suffering from moderate to severe depression.
