Is TMS Therapy Right for Me? 7 Considerations to Help You Decide

If you have been exploring mental health treatments, you may have come across something called TMS Therapy. TMS Therapy is a type of treatment that has been proven to work for thousands of patients suffering from depression, anxiety, and OCD.

But what is it? And is it right for you?

Let’s explore what TMS therapy is and explore seven reasons why it might be right for you.

What Is TMS?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy or TMS therapy is a non-invasive mental health treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain.

TMS is primarily used in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) that hasn’t responded well to traditional antidepressant medications. It has been FDA-approved to treat major depression, OCD, and anxiety and also been shown to treat bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and certain neurological conditions such as migraines.

How Does TMS Work?

TMS therapy is administered by trained professionals in a clinical setting. Loving Life Today partners with NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy for Mental Health to deliver TMS Therapy at our office in Tampa, Florida.

During a TMS session, patients recline comfortably in a NeuroStar chair (much like a dentist’s chair or spa chair). A device containing an electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp, typically near the forehead. Through a painless process, the coil produces magnetic pulses that stimulate nerve cells in mood-regulating areas of the brain. (TMS is not ECT or electroconvulsive ”shock” therapy. ECT applies direct electrical current through the skull and into the brain rather than magnetic waves.).

The TMS process “wakes up” under-active parts of the brain and boosts the brain’s ability to naturally regulate mood and emotions. Many people’s depression symptoms significantly improve or go away after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment.

For a more detailed look at how TMS works to treat depression, here is a video explaining the TMS Therapy process.

Is TMS Therapy Right for Me?

If you are interested in TMS therapy and wondering if it might be right for you, consider if you agree with one or more of the following statements.

I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or OCD.

TMS therapy might be right for you if you have been officially diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or OCD. TMS is an FDA-approved treatment for these conditions and has been proven to be effective in treating patients with these disorders.

I tried medications, but I didn’t find relief.

Medication can provide relief to people diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or OCD, but it is not right for everybody. If you have tried medication to treat these mental health conditions and found that they didn’t work to treat your symptoms, TMS Therapy might be a good option. TMS offers another way to treat these conditions without requiring the use of medication.

I tried medication, but I had adverse side effects.

For some people, medication is not an option for treating depression, anxiety, or OCD because it causes adverse side effects. If you tried taking medication but found that it negatively impacted your health and created adverse side effects, TMS Therapy might be a good option since it requires no medication and produces no side effects.

I have an aversion to invasive, uncomfortable treatments.

Many people avoid seeking healthcare treatments because they want to avoid any invasive or uncomfortable procedures. TMS therapy is a type of treatment that is painless and non-invasive. During treatment, a technician places a coil above the front area of your brain. You will feel a slight tapping or knocking sensation when the treatment begins, but the treatment is painless. It does not require any anesthesia or sedation, and it does not produce any discomfort or side effects.

My insurance covers TMS therapy.

In many cases, TMS Therapy is a mental health treatment that is covered by major insurance carriers. If you have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or OCD, you may have coverage for the treatment.

I want FDA-approved treatments only.

TMS Therapy is an innovative new mental health treatment that is FDA-approved for treating depression, anxiety, and OCD. It was cleared by the FDA in 2008 to help people fight depression and in 2022 for decreasing anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from major depressive disorder and as an adjunct therapy for adults with OCD. In that time, over 5.3 million treatments have been delivered.

I’m ready to see results.

TMS Therapy offered through NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy has produced 83% response and 62% remission rates for patients with depression. Data comes from research conducted on over 14,000 patients since September 2016. In the video below, hear from a patient about how TMS Therapy helped her on her road to recovery from depression.

Start Your Journey with TMS Therapy

Loving Life Today is proud to offer TMS Therapy to our clients in Tampa. If you are interested in talking to a trained professional about whether or not TMS is right for you, schedule a free consultation with our team.

Or if you discovered that TMS Therapy is right for you and you’re ready to get started, schedule your TMS Therapy intake appointment today.