How TMS Can Transform Your Mental Health

If you’re one of the millions of adults with depression, don’t lose hope — keep reading to learn about transcranial magnetic stimulation and how this transformative and effective treatment can resolve your tough-to-treat condition.

About 17.3 million adults in the United States have depression. Unfortunately, because of the stigma attached to mental health issues, more than half of those with depression don’t receive help, and of those who do, about 10% to 30% don’t respond to medication.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive procedure, has transformative effects on mental health conditions, particularly in treating depression. TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of your brain and can help when other treatments, such as medication and talk therapy, fail.

At Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy in Aurora, Illinois, our experienced and expert behavioral health specialists provide TMS for treatment-resistant depression and other mental health conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

How does TMS work?

TMS, an FDA-approved treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) that doesn’t respond to traditional therapies, works by stimulating the prefrontal cortex, an area of your brain associated with mood regulation.

During a TMS session, you sit in a relaxing treatment chair while we place a magnetic coil around your head. We then direct single pulses of magnetic energy to your scalp through this coil. The magnetic fields generated by TMS help normalize your brain activity, reducing depressive symptoms.

At Holistic Behavioral & TMS Therapy, we recommend five weekly sessions for four to six weeks; each session takes 20 to 30 minutes. However, each person receives a personalized plan based on their symptoms and health history.

The benefits of TMS

In addition to depression and OCD, TMS treats migraine disease and aids smoking cessation. Studies show that repetitive TMS is twice as effective at improving symptoms of major depression than antidepressant medications and talk therapy. Other benefits and transformative qualities of TMS include the following:

It’s a non-invasive procedure

TMS is a noninvasive procedure that doesn’t require surgical intervention or anesthesia. Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), another treatment for depression, TMS doesn’t induce seizures or require hospitalization, making it a safer and more tolerable option.

Minimal side effects

TMS has minimal side effects compared to traditional treatments for depression. The most commonly reported side effects include temporary mild scalp discomfort or headache. Unlike some medications for depression, TMS doesn’t typically cause side effects such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, or gastrointestinal issues.

Long-lasting effects

Many TMS recipients report long-lasting depression symptom relief. Studies show that the benefits can persist for months and that the average response duration is slightly more than a year. This can be particularly beneficial if you experience chronic or recurring episodes of depression.

If you’ve experienced hard-to-treat or treatment-resistant depression or OCD, call our office in Aurora, Illinois office or make an appointment online to see if TMS can help transform your mental health.