Want to know how you can treat your depression without medication? Talk therapy is one common choice. Other non-medication treatments have also continued to rise in popularity. While medication can be helpful, many patients continue to seek other forms of care. In many cases, this is due to concerns about side effects or dependency. Other people are simply not satisfied with the typical short-term solution of medication. Regardless of your reasoning, finding a promising alternative is important. If you are looking for an innovative way to treat depression without medication or your depression is not responding to medication, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a top-notch option. TMS is a noninvasive therapy that uses magnetic energy to stimulate specific parts of the brain. By promoting activity in the brain areas responsible for mood regulation, TMS can help address depression and other mental health conditions.
Using TMS to treat depression without medication
- Precise stimulation — TMS is a highly precise treatment method. To provide accurate care, treatment providers tend to offer different kinds of tailored TMS therapy. There are two main types of TMS: deep TMS and repetitive TMS. Deep TMS mainly stimulates the parts of the brain associated with reward and motivation. When someone is depressed, these areas tend to be less active. Less activity here can lead to lowered motivation and energy levels. Someone with depression may feel that activities they used to enjoy are pointless. One reason for this is a lack of reward signals in the brain. With deep TMS, these areas can be stimulated to help improve your thought patterns. Repetitive TMS, or rTMS for short, is slightly different. This kind of stimulation focuses mainly on a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Reasoning and attention control are just some of the things that happen in this region. With rTMS, you can experience relief from negative thoughts and concentration difficulties. By stimulating different parts of the brain, TMS allows for a focused approach to treatment.
- Rapid results — Patients who receive TMS therapy often experience relief from their symptoms. Improvement tends to happen on a relatively short timeline, with noticeable benefits typically appearing by the fourth week. TMS can deliver results that are not only quick, but also lasting. A full course of treatment is designed to help you reach full remission. This means you may not need any future treatments. Around one-third of TMS therapy patients with depression achieve remission. These results help illustrate how TMS can offer long-term depression treatment without medication.
- Non-medication — Many people consider the non-medication, noninvasive nature of TMS to be a major advantage. Medications can sometimes come with downsides such as harmful side effects. In contrast, TMS is generally well tolerated. Mild headaches and tingling are some of the minimal side effects you might experience for a short time after TMS treatment. Another downside of medication is the potential for misuse and addiction. Some depression meds carry a high risk for dependency. TMS is completely non-addictive. After a course of TMS treatment, many patients return to their lives without needing any future sessions.
- Complementary approach — Looking for a holistic treatment style? TMS can integrate well with other forms of treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that can help enhance the benefits of TMS. If you want to treat your depression without medication, finding a healthy synergy can be key to success. One great way to do this is using a treatment provider that offers multiple forms of alternative treatment.
- Personalized treatment — Each case of depression is different. People with depression can also have other mental health conditions such as anxious depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The unique life circumstances of different people can make things more complicated. With the diverse range of people who have depression, a one-size-fits-all approach is not usually helpful. The nuances of each patient’s condition make personalized care important. With TMS therapy, you can work with your care team to develop a treatment plan that works for you.
Active Path Mental Health can help treat your depression without medication
Treating depression without medication can be a viable option. At Active Path Mental Health, we can guide you each step of the way. Our counseling services and TMS therapy programs can offer effective alternatives to traditional approaches to mental health care. TMS is designed to help you experience short-term relief leading to long-term recovery. As you work with our team, we can provide guidance and treatment tailored to your individual needs and goals for mental health improvement.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
