TMS
Hi I'm new and trying to navigate here.
Has anyone tried TMS for depression? I'd like to hear about experiences with it as I think it's about the only thing I haven't tried yet aside from ect.
I have been struggling with depression many years and I think I almost tried every type of therapy.
I have been in therapy and on medication long term and tried different types too but I always get back to same dead end... I feel exhausted of ending back in same hopeless dark spot where all seems like major effort and feel strong desire to give up.
Thanks
@anonyLemon4233
hi lemon, welcome to depression support!
ooh, unfortunately i haven't tried TMS, but i hope you're able to find someone that has so you're able to hear about their experiences with it!
i'm so sorry to hear that you feel you always get back to the same dead end even after being in therapy and on medication long term :( i completely understand that feeling and it's a really challenging thing to feel - that dark spot can be a really scary place, so wanting to work to get out if it really shows how strong you are and how willing you are to try and get better - that's so incredible and i'm so proud of how far you've come!
if you're interested in seeing how others cope with depression (and maybe even find someone who's tried TMS!) you can feel free to check out our "Living and Coping with Depression" sub-forum, HERE (click me!)
i hope this helps, we're here to support you! ❤️
@anonyLemon4233 Hi lemon, I did do TMS for my depression years ago but it did nothing for me. I did know of someone in my support group who it did help her though, so maybe it's a hit or miss thing, not sure. I didn't experience any side effects from it it wasn't even painful just annoying to go through, but I was desperate. Like you have been on medication and in therapy for years but still depression plagues me. Hope you can get better too.
Oops I meant to post this on my member account (drats, I have done this once before). Anyway mod - if you're listening you can delete my comment I guess if it goes beyond what a listener should share
@Solome24 how many sessions did you try if I may ask and were you in meds as well during the tms treatment ?
What did you find annoying about them?
Did you find anything that helped you long term?
From all I read it jeeps seeming that psychedelics may be the future of anti depressants but here nobody is trained or researching them so it may take many years.
I was tempted to try a psilocybin retreat abroad in a monitored setting but they refuse people on medication or with severe depression... The only other way is clinical trials which will not happen here for sure
@anonyLemon4233 I did the full amount of sessions for "treatment" for it, which maybe was a month or so? I had to go every day (I think, or almost every day) I believe for weeks. I was on two antidepressants at the time.
Annoying was just the machine poking at my head for each session. It wasn't painful just a targeted poking sensation. My psychiatrist had his patients watch comedies, something that would make them laugh, during their treatment, which I did, but didn't seem to help. I think back and wonder if I should've chosen a different comedy to watch if that would've helped it work better lol but I doubt it I guess
Unfortunately I didn't get any benefit from the treatment. Nothing negative from it either just wasted time. But it was worth a shot. My psychiatrist and therapist at the time said they saw a little improvement in me after the treatment but I didn't notice a difference so yeah.
The one thing that I noticed helped me personally was actually coming off of one of my antidepressants, the stronger of the two I was on. It had turned me into a zombie for years, I thought it was just my depression making me extremely tired/lack of energy all the time but no it was the antidepressant, which I came off of late 2020. Feel a ton better but still struggle with depression on a regular basis. I have tried so many medications over the years I don't even know how many.
I have heard rumblings about psychedelics too. I plan to ask my psychiatrist about it, I'm returning to seeing my old psychiatrist who did my TMS years ago.
Interesting to know that about retreats. Are you in the US, if you don't mind me asking?
@Solome24 thanks for your reply and for sharing your experience. Much appreciated.
No I'm not in the US. I'm in Europe and saw such retreats advertised in Netherlands mainly. My psychiatrist would d not discuss them as they're still illegal here so It would be like a leap in the dark for me without her assistance so I'm shelving idea for now.
She added a new med I've been taking for a month but it's tedious as involves regular blood tests and daily headaches and am not sure any antidepressant can give me back a sense of reason to live.
It's interesting that reducing meds helped you. It's do difficult to know what makes me into a zombie is it the depression or the cumulative years of meds?!
So far most times I've come off meds I spiralled back down but am very frustrated that as time goes by I have more meds and higher doses than other way round.
Re tms I m just reading Solomon on depression and he mentions some people benefit from bilateral treatment and others from left or right side.
Where I live there is only 1machine for the whole population so I'm not sure I'll ever be lucky to try it. And not sure it's a modern model. Aside from long queue it also means that if it develops any fault you cannot count on it.
So really I don't know what else I can turn to.
Wishing you well on your journey
@anonyLemon4233 Ah I see, I am in the US. I don't know about any retreats here yet but I also haven't been looking.
Medications can be tedious. I'm so sorry to hear you have to go through blood tests and experience headaches. That sounds so rough. I know trying medications for me took forever because I would try one and we would wait at least two weeks to see how I did on it. So it takes time. My psychiatrist did have me do a type of DNA test, I can't remember what it was called, but it was able to tell him what type of antidepressant (SSRI, SNRI, etc) would work best for me and turns out I was already taking it so we were on the right track but yeah that could be another option if you think it could help you.
I also struggle with having a reason to live. Depression is just awful. It's the worst thing I have experienced basically. So I feel you and want to send well wishes your way <3 I'm glad to hear you are seeing a psychiatrist though and hopefully you can get to feeling better.
Yeah feeling like a zombie is awful. It's something you can discuss with your psychiatrist to see what she thinks. It was confusing for me because my old psychiatrist said it was just my depression and didn't want me to come off any med because he said I would spiral back down eventually, but I moved and found a new psychiatrist who wanted to start fresh with me and take me off of one of them to start to see how I feel. I am grateful for her at least for allowing me to come off of it. But yeah before you come off of anything definitely consult with a doctor/psychiatrist first as there can be severe withdrawal symptoms/illness, which I had.
Interesting about bilateral treatment. I only had treatment on one side of my head (the only side they were doing at the time when TMS first came out). It seems maybe they have improved the treatment now to do both sides.
Sorry to hear the machines are scarce in your area. Here it was available but very expensive, luckily my health insurance covered it though.
Wishing you well on your journey as well
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/research/psychedelics-research.html a quick search will give you plenty to read.
Thnx re info dna test never heard about it but I guess it's something very expensive and I'm not sure anyone has understood yet how ssri works so not sure but may ask.
It's good you connected with a good psychiatrist. It's ever so important.
Wishing you well and thank again for the input
@Solome24
@anonyLemon4233 Thanks for the link I will definitely check it out! Take care <3
