Could Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy Help Depression?
Suffering from depression is no joke. Depression can hinder your ability to perform everyday activities. It can resist traditional medical treatments, causing sufferers of depression to look for something else to help. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is one solution for treatment-resistant depression, and it could help you. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are looking into TMS therapy.
Success in Treatment
TMS has been shown to be an extremely effective treatment. This can be encouraging for people who have had bad luck with other depression treatments.
Long-term Effects
Some treatments for depression can require long-term medication usage or repeated treatments to achieve success. This can be difficult to maintain over the long term. However, TMS actually has been shown to have long-lasting effects, even after the treatment is stopped. Results like these have been deeply hopeful for people suffering from long-term depression.
Difficulties of TMS
There are some difficulties associated with TMS, which is one of the reasons it isn't recommended for every sufferer of depression. Though TMS therapy can have positive long-term results, the therapy can be quite time-consuming at first. Most TMS therapies expect you to be able to come in for treatment most days of the week for a month or two. This can be a big barrier to getting treatment, but can easily be with it for those who are disabled by severe depression.
Also associated with the time commitment is the discomfort of treatment. TMS is not painful, but it can cause some uncomfortable sensations during sessions, which can last around an hour. This discomfort combined with the overall time commitment are two important things to consider when considering TMS.
Insurance Coverage
An important thing to look into is your insurance coverage. Some insurances will cover TMS, though others won't. If your treatment isn't covered by insurance, it can be quite expensive. If your treatment is covered by insurance, you will probably need to provide evidence that traditional treatments have not alleviated your symptoms.
One of the most important things about considering TMS therapy is talking to a medical professional. There are some things that would prevent you from being able to do TMS therapy, like certain mental and physical illnesses. Your medical provider can help you know if TMS is a good option for you. Hopefully, TMS can be a great step on your way to recovering from depression.
Reach out to a local Transcranial Magnetic Therapy clinic to learn more.