Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry Cedar Park, Texas
Depression is a serious mental health condition that impacts approximately 16 million Americans each year. Living with depression is akin to shifting one’s world from vibrant color to bleak tones of gray, removing life and vitality from every aspect of living. Feelings of listlessness, despair, persistent sadness and deep fatigue punctuate the days. With no energy or motivation to participate in life, days become defined by sleep and watching television. Living with depression is not living at all.
It is common that people who are seeking help from a psychiatrist for their depression with antidepressants find little relief. The disappointing reality is that a large percentage of people who trial antidepressants do not experience successful results. Even trialing several antidepressants may not yield any significant improvement in symptoms. And if that isn’t frustrating enough, while trialing the drugs many experience unpleasant side effects (weight gain, sexual dysfunction, nausea, insomnia, blurred vision). Sometimes when every avenue such as therapy, psychotherapy, medications, counseling, and more have been tried but unsuccessful, there can be a loss of hope. TMS Therapy provides new hope.
These treatment-resistant patients have an excellent alternative depression treatment to antidepressants: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS is a safe and effective technique that uses magnetic fields to shift brain chemistry in the mood center of the brain. The brain stimulation technique can result in improved mood, better sleep quality, more energy, and better concentration. If you are struggling, talk to your psychiatrist about how TMS Therapy could help you. TMS therapy is a revolutionary alternative therapy that has offered renewed hope to patients with persistent depression who were not successfully treated with conventional treatment methods.
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*Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry in Austin does not accept Medicare
How TMS Works
TMS therapy for depression requires no anesthesia, no surgery, and no recovery time. A professional will provide a mental health assessment to determine the level of anxiety and depression and conduct a plan that works for you. The patient will be fully alert during the therapy sessions, seated comfortably in an office setting. A coil is positioned over the scalp, through which magnetic pulses will flow. As the magnetic pulses penetrate the scalp electrical currents are induced that will target the left prefrontal cortex of the brain. As the currents reach about 2 cm in-depth into the brain tissue the underactive brain cells are then stimulated. Over the 4-6 week course of treatment, this process will help to reset the brain chemistry, which results in improvement of depression symptoms.
Is TMS Safe?
Because TMS therapy does not involve incisions, surgery, or general anesthesia it is absent the usual risks associated with these. There is no hospital stay involved or any recovery time. Patients can immediately return to their usual daily activities following the TMS therapy session. Because there is no medication involved, there are no side effects such as those associated with antidepressants. Some transient side effects have been reported for TMS, including mild to moderate headache, scalp sensitivity, lightheadedness, and facial tingling. All of these resolved spontaneously as treatment proceeded.
What Types of Depression Does TMS Treat?
Because TMS therapy does not involve incisions, surgery, or general anesthesia it is absent the usual risks associated with these. There is no hospital stay involved or any recovery time. Patients can immediately return to their usual daily activities following the TMS therapy session. Because there is no medication involved, there are no side effects such as those associated with antidepressants. Some transient side effects have been reported for TMS, including mild to moderate headache, scalp sensitivity, lightheadedness, and facial tingling. All of these resolved spontaneously as treatment proceeded.
TMS Therapy for Depression Cedar Park, Texas
Learn about how TMS therapy in Cedar Park can be a promising alternative treatment for chronic depression by contacting our TMS specialists. They can assist you in answering questions about TMS and scheduling a free consultation to determine how TMS therapy can help you recover from the symptoms of depression. Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry serves Cedar Park and the surrounding communities of Austin and Westlake. TMS Therapy can be used as a treatment method for a number of mental health disorders, including:
- Depression
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Anxiety
- General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Panic disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Addiction treatment
- Mood disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Postpartum depression
- Dysthymia
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Premenopausal dysphoric disorder depression
To be a candidate for TMS therapy, it is required that the individual first trials up to three antidepressants without success. There are some restrictions as well. Prospective patients may not have an implanted medical device near the neck or head (such as a pacemaker), deep brain stimulators, electrodes to monitor brain activity, any remnants of shrapnel in or near the head, stents in the neck or brain, metallic implants in the eyes or ears, or aneurysm clips or coils.
Types of Depression
Type of Depression Treated by Therapy, Psychiatry & TMS Treatment
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Treatment Resistant Depression
- Persistent Depression Disorder
- Postpartum Depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Common Co-Occurring Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Addiction Disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Trauma Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
PHQ-9 Depression Screening
Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry offers an online version of the commonly used Depression Screening tool called the PHQ-9. The nine items of the PHQ-9 are based directly on the nine diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV.
