Clinical Depression is More Than Just Having a “Bad Day”

As much as we try to stay positive and motivated, we all have bad days.

After all, no one is immune to life’s challenges or setbacks. It’s also safe to say that we’ve all experienced sadness- and will likely face it again at some point. In fact, sadness is a normal human emotion that’s usually triggered by things like difficulty or disappointment. In most cases, we can usually identify the cause of our sadness.

On the other hand, someone suffering from depression can feel sad about everything. This is because depression is an abnormal emotional state, not just a passing emotion. Clinical depression is so much more than just having a bad day. The persistent symptoms of severe depression can be debilitating…making it hard to function day after day. In fact, depression is currently the leading cause of disability and poor health worldwide.

In the worst cases, some people feel as if life isn’t worth living anymore.

A Safe, Alternative Treatment for Depression

The darkness of depression is something that affects an estimated 1 in 6 Americans. Luckily, many will find relief in medications and/or therapy. But what about the 30% of patients who still can’t find relief from their depression symptoms?

For those who develop clinical depression, there are several options to choose for treatment. Medication and Psychotherapy are usually first-line treatments that can help many patients. However, for many patients, this first intervention does not result in complete resolution of their symptoms and they need to try something else.

TMS is a non-invasive therapy that involves no medication and has very few side effects. It was FDA cleared in 2008 and patients have been treated for major depression with TMS since the mid-1990s. It is our experience that TMS is effective in over 60% of patients who have failed medication. This means it is much more effective than trying yet another antidepressant medication or adding another medication.

This treatment uses MRI strength magnetic pulses that are delivered several times per second into the front part of the head. TMS is administered while patients are awake and alert watching TV or interacting with staff. No anesthesia or pre-medication is required and there are no memory problems after the treatment. Patients can drive themselves home or to work immediately afterward.

The Results Can Be Transformative

Dr. Hayden and his team have transformed the lives of in the many through TMS therapy. He’s also the first physician in Madison County to provide this breakthrough treatment for depression. TMS is the only drug –free therapy for the treatment of Major Depression cleared by the FDA and it’s available here in Huntsville, AL.

New Hope in TMS

Many of our patients may begin to notice changes in mood within 2 to 4 weeks. Continued stimulation creates new neural pathways and brain connections over time that lead to changes in energy, motivation and mood.

Unlike medication, TMS Therapy is not associated with weight gain, sexual side effects or slowed thinking. Generally, there are very few side effects except for some scalp tenderness usually resolving after the second or third treatment. Our team has not had any patients discontinue TMS Therapy due to treatment discomfort in the past 7 years.

The use of TMS therapy may not always eliminate the need to continue antidepressant medicine although many patients can reduce the dosage or the number of medicines they are taking.

In our practice, we have had some patients get off all medications and depend only on TMS therapy to maintain their response. Many patients will benefit from continued “booster” treatments delivered every few weeks.

If you or a loved one suffers from depression, you might be wondering how anyone can really relate to what you’re going through. You want to get better, but it’s hard to see through the heavy veil of depression.

Maybe you’ve tried antidepressants without relief.

Maybe you have had side effects from medications that you like to be free from.

We understand, and our team is here for you. At Huntsville TMS, we’re committed to providing the best in diagnosis and treatment to put you on the path to healing so you can feel good again.