TMS for Depression is a Talk-Therapy and Antidepressant Alternative

TMS is useful as an antidepressant alternative for alleviating Major Depressive Disorder and co-occurring disorders. Unfortunately, more than 17 million Americans are affected by depression. Even though depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders and can potentially impair a person's life severely, there is a shortage of excellent and diverse treatment choices for the condition at present. In addition, about two-thirds of people with depression do not respond well to their first antidepressant prescription, and successive medications have less and less chance of being beneficial.

The importance of depression treatment

Depression treatments often include psychotherapy and antidepressants. Despite their obvious benefits, these strategies can take months or even years to show any real improvement in a person's emotional health. Natural treatments often fail to alleviate symptoms of clinical depression. People suffering from severe depression need more rapid-acting therapies to resume their daily activities.

To this day, psychotherapy is still widely used to help those suffering from depression. Various approaches can help treat depression, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. For example, a qualified mental health professional may aid a depressed patient in recognizing the causes of their condition. In addition, the professional may make a significant impact in the lives of their clients by imparting helpful coping strategies and assisting their clients in breaking destructive habits of thinking and action.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, an intriguing new alternative depression therapy that has emerged as a powerful therapeutic technique in recent years, has shown to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms in several patients. TMS has been a helpful adjunct treatment to psychotherapy for individuals with MDD who are not responding to medication alone. Psychiatrists increasingly recommend combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and talk therapy to treat MDD.

Using TMS Therapy as a depression treatment

The TMS treatment process takes a physiological approach by stimulating the brain's mood region. In psychotherapy, the patient actively participates in the process of examining how their thoughts and actions may be related to a specific stressor or traumatic experience. When TMS therapy supplements conventional treatment, patients may improve their outcomes in a shorter amount of time.

When SSRIs like Prozac first appeared on the market in the 1980s, they brought with them the promise of a cure for depression. Sad to say, these antidepressants only benefit around half of the patients with chronic depression and have a laundry list of undesirable side effects. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of persons using antidepressants doubled between 1999 and 2012 in the hopes that they would prove more effective in treating depression (JAMA).

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a risk-free alternative therapeutic option for patients who have not found relief from their depression symptoms with antidepressants. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized many forms of TMS.

In summary

TMS has the potential to serve as a treatment in itself, as an antidepressant alternative, or used in conjunction with other treatment methods. However, since there is no universally accepted method for treating depression, you and the psychiatrist must devise a strategy that works best.

Contact our office today to learn more or schedule an evaluation to determine whether TMS therapy is right for you.

Request an appointment here: https://nycpsychiatricassociates.com or call NYC Psychiatric Associates at (917) 391-0076 for an appointment in our New York office.

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