The novel COVID-19 outbreak can make a significant impact on individuals’ mental health. No matter how your symptoms of depression or anxiety present, these conditions eventually drag you down in practically every part of your life. If you’re dealing with depression or anxiety, you may not sleep well at night, or you might find yourself sleeping all the time. You could be crying a lot, or you might be struggling to connect with your emotions at all. For some people, these conditions manifest as over-eating, headaches or problems sleeping while others feel guilt, skip essential meals or work out to the point of exhaustion.
To get over these difficult symptoms, you need professional help and support. At Vital TMS Therapy of Washington, DC, we specialize in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive treatment that can significantly ease the symptoms of depression. Here’s what we think you should know about the potential of TMS to end your depression difficulties.
How does TMS work?
TMS treatments use magnetic pulses to stimulate the nerve cells in your brain. Repeated rapidly, the magnetic pulses encourage your nerve cells to release their stores of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters, like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, play a big role in controlling and managing your moods, so boosting your levels can give your emotions a lift as well.
After TMS stimulates your brain, positive emotions and calmer moods can naturally result. As an all-natural approach, TMS doesn’t involve the use of any medications that could cause complications, so you don’t need to worry about unpredictable side effects. If you have mental health problems, including depression, TMS might be able to help.
When you come in for a treatment, we position you in a comfortable treatment chair with a TMS coil above your head, then use CloudTMS® to stimulate your brain and simultaneously track your results. An appointment typically only takes about half an hour.
If your depression hasn’t responded to approaches, like counseling or medication, it might be time to give TMS a try. For many people, with just a few short TMS treatments, you can substantially reduce symptoms of conditions, including depression and other chronic mental health and pain issues. The FDA approves TMS as a treatment for major depressive disorder. At Vital TMS Therapy, we’ve also used this noninvasive therapy to help patients with anxiety, PTSD, and addiction problems, as well as multiple types of chronic pain conditions.
Patients typically need about 36 treatments, spaced out over the course of seven weeks, to see their best results with this therapy. More than 70% of the patients who undergo the treatment report significant improvement in their depression symptoms-half of those patients will experience complete remission or feel completely well after treatment.
To talk with our psychiatrists Anca G. Zinnes, MD and Alvaro Guzman, MD about your depression, and how TMS could relieve your symptoms and finally lift your mood, contact Vital TMS Therapy today. You can schedule your initial consultation appointment over the phone, or by using the online tool.
