If you battle with major depressive disorder, you know the symptoms can seriously affect your ability to complete even the most trivial daily tasks — especially during the “bad” episodes. Depression symptoms are about more than your mental health. Indeed, they can affect every part of your life, and finding a way to treat or manage those symptoms can be challenging. Treatment for depression is crucial for restoring balance and improving your quality of life.
One option to treat major depressive disorder is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Here, we’ll explain TMS treatment in Phoenix and answer some of your most pressing questions about this major depression treatment option.
What Is Depression?
Major depressive disorder, often simply called “depression,” is among the most common psychiatric disorders affecting American adults and children alike. The disorder is characterized by feelings of sadness, loss of interest in hobbies or daily activities and lack of motivation. But, despite feelings of sadness being one of the most common depression symptoms, that isn’t all depression is.
Depression negatively affects the way you act, think and feel. Sometimes this is caused by hormonal imbalances or traumatic life events. Other times, there’s no apparent reason a person has depression. While this mental illness is usually treatable, treatment-resistant depression can also occur.
Depression Symptoms
Depression symptoms can be physical and mental, varying from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating. Common symptoms include:
- Feeling sad, worthless or guilty
- Feeling generally negative about yourself or your life
- Loss of interest in daily activities or hobbies
- Lack of motivation
- Poor hygiene (as a result of lacking motivation)
- Appetite changes
- Excessive weight loss or gain
- Sleep disturbances (including hypersomnia, insomnia and frequent nighttime waking)
- Loss of energy
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Challenges in making decisions (even small ones)
- Chronic aches and pains without an obvious cause
- Thoughts of death, suicide or self-harm
If you or a loved one has thoughts of death, suicide or self-harm, don’t wait to get help. Call or text the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988 to speak with a professional crisis counselor, or you can call 911 and be connected with emergency responders in your area immediately.
What Is TMS Therapy for Depression in Phoenix?
At our TMS therapy center in Phoenix, we provide treatment that is an entirely noninvasive procedure, so no surgical incisions are involved. For those suffering from depression, this procedure is sometimes called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, because repeat magnetic pulses are sent into the brain.
The procedure has been approved to treat depression symptoms but is generally used only for treatment-resistant depression when other methods haven’t proven useful. Although repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation might sound frightening or painful, the procedure is neither — as you can see from the answers in the following few sections.
Are There Any Side Effects to TMS Therapy?
This type of electroconvulsive therapy is generally safe and noninvasive. However, there are always some minor risks associated with medical procedures, and TMS is no exception.
Common side effects may include:
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Tingling or twitching of the facial muscles
- Scalp discomfort at the stimulation site
A severe side effect is seizures in those already prone to having them. Manic episodes following treatment are also a risk in those diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Learn More About TMS Therapy at Camelback Recovery Today
If you or a loved one is battling with depression that hasn’t responded to other treatment options, transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment for depression may be the key to overcoming your symptoms. Contact us today at Camelback Recovery to learn more about this brain stimulation therapy and how it can help you manage your depression so you can live life to the fullest. Our trained specialists at our Phoenix treatment center are ready to guide you.
Camelback recovery is amazing. The environment is great and welcoming. I highly recommend this place to anybody who is looking to better their life.
It was a really good experience! I made some stable friendships, had a lot of fun, and got to reside in an absolutely beautiful house.
