When you or a loved one struggles with depression, it can feel like sandbags attached to your legs as you attempt to move forward with symptoms weighing you down with each step.  Counseling and medication are often the most common ways to try and “lift” this weight and treat the symptoms. Sometimes the depression does not lift, and symptoms persist with little or no relief found with these methods. This happens with medication-resistant depression. One of the most common things that I have been told when talking to someone about their depression as a TMS Clinician for Ocean Mental Health Services is “I wish I heard about this TMS sooner.” So what exactly is TMS, how does it help those with medication-resistant types of depression, and how do you know if it is right for you or a loved one? A quick Google search of “TMS Therapy Near Me” can help find some answers.

What Is TMS Therapy?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS is an outpatient treatment that has been FDA cleared for use with major depressive disorder. Most people search for “TMS therapy near me” after having no success with medication. This treatment is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation and is covered by most insurance. TMS utilizes the creation of a magnetic field that is created over a specific area of the scalp to induce electromagnetic currents that help stimulate neurons in the brain to communicate with one another and transport neurotransmitters. 

The neurotransmitters or messengers found traveling in between neurons may have decreased due to neurons going dormant and this means a decrease in communication in the brain structure pathways for individuals with depression. These pathways, often referred to as the Serotonin pathways, lead to the different areas of the brain responsible for mood, memory, sleep, cognition—all of which are often impacted when someone is depressed. TMS helps electromagnetic movement get back on track in the brain pathways often when medication has not improved depressive symptoms. 

Is The Treatment Right For You?

So how can you know if TMS is the right treatment and what can someone expect during the process?  When considering if any treatment is right for you or a loved one, becoming informed and asking questions are probably the first steps to finding relief from depression. This starts with searching for “TMS Therapy near me,” but is even better with the help of professionals. Having supportive and knowledgeable health care providers can make that process even easier.  All clients seeking TMS treatment with Ocean Mental Health Services are pre-screened to determine if there are any circumstances where having treatment could be contraindicated or not in the best interest of an individual’s medical and mental health goals. 

The Procedure

TMS is often conducted in an office setting with a magnetic coil being placed over the left temple for a period of time where the magnetic field can be generated in pulses often felt like air tapping on the area. Individuals are seated comfortably while they receive treatment for 40 minutes or less  a day for about 36 treatment sessions, typically each day from Monday through Friday.  

Professional TMS Therapy Near Me 

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, especially medication-resistant depression, there is hope and help with lifting the weight and feeling able to move easier as you navigate the pathways of life.  Staff such as myself and my wonderful colleagues here at Ocean Mental Health Services are here to help and I would invite anyone to reach out for more information, to have questions answered, and to see if TMS might be the right treatment option for you or someone you know.  Building Better Tomorrows, One Life at a Time.

Written by Nicole Komenda, MA, LAC

TMS Magnetism Certified Clinician