Author Archive

Which Came First?

When discussing the interactions between major depressive disorder (MDD) and addiction, the question of which came first is difficult, convoluted, and likely pointless.

Both make the sufferer more likely to isolate.
Both can come with overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame.
Both often take a toll on the body.
Both negatively affect relationships with family, friends, and employers.

With addiction, the initial use of the substance may be chosen to get enjoyment, cope with pain, or any combination of those two along a spectrum.  Eventually, the pleasure (or alleviation of pain) from using

How Does the TMS Procedure Work on the Brain?

The TMS machine uses an electromagnetic coil to issue pulses that enter the skull and stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood, emotion, and sensory processing.  It serves as a sort of reset button and improves the flow of neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers the brain passes around to its various regions.

What Parts of the Brain Does TMS Interact With?

The TMS coil is placed over the front of the skull to stimulate the cerebral cortex and parts of the frontal cortex,

Are There Other TMS Locations Throughout the United States?

Yes!  Check to see if your insurance carrier has a list, or check out these lists for help depending on your area.  If you are moving and have a current TMS provider, check with them first to see if they have another location close to where you’re headed.

Is TMS FDA Approved?

Yes, TMS is FDA approved.  Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy was approved in 2008 for major depressive disorder, or MDD.  The FDA has also approved TMS for migraines in certain circumstances in 2013. 

Chasing Z’s

Depression is more than just feeling sad or hopeless.  Depression often includes physical symptoms like sleep disturbances.  Treating the depression should have a positive effect on the patient’s sleep, but there are other things one can do to cope with poor sleep quality.

Recharging Your Batteries

How well we sleep affects our health in multiple ways that are far more serious than feeling tired.  The effects of a lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can include a decrease in reaction time and impaired judgment, which can be dangerous.  Lack of

How Do We Decide?

When we’re thinking about how many times you should receive TMS, much depends on:

How bad your major depressive disorder (MDD) is and how often your doctor says you should go.
What your MDD has and has not responded to already. If your MDD responds well to less frequent and/or aggressive treatment, there may be no need to change.
Comorbidities may also be a factor, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder.

Fortunately, most cases of MDD respond well to a regimen of therapy, medication, and social support, but in too many

One Way or Another

When treating major depressive disorder, or MDD, your doctor and/or psychiatrist will typically advise a regimen of therapy and possibly medication.  Unfortunately, serious depression can sometimes prove resistant to treatment.  When medications and therapy aren’t enough, you might have other options depending on the problem and what the therapy is approved for.  Two that we want to compare today are transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Developing Therapies

Both TMS and ECT are brain stimulation therapies, which stimulate areas of the brain with electric currents or via

Your Concerns, Addressed

We get a lot of questions about transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy (TMS) and what the procedure feels like.  We get why—it can seem intimidating, even scary.  We also get questions about the side effects of TMS.  We’ve got answers, and we’d like to go over them today.

How TMS Is Done

The TMS treatment procedure is easy and simple.  One session of rTMS, or repetitive TMS, is usually given 5 days out of each week for 4-6 weeks.

When receiving TMS, you’ll sit down in a chair.  There is no sedation

In Plain Sight

Eating disorders aren’t always obvious.  You could know someone with an eating disorder and never see it.  They could be your friend, classmate, even your partner or child.  How do you recognize signs of an eating disorder, how do you approach the person, and how do you help in a way that’s effective?  We’ve got some counsel to share.

A Secret Pain

Eating disorders are often held secret and involve a large amount of shame.  The person may not even feel able to admit to having a problem or seek

Undercover Agony

Eating disorders are some of the most insidious mental illnesses out there.  They affect millions of adults and children and have a high rate of harm associated with them.  Most people diagnosed with an eating disorder are women and girls, but this is not necessarily because they are more common among females.  The medical community theorizes that eating disorders are enormously under-diagnosed in men and boys.  We hope that advances in treatment and social development will reduce stigma and empower more people of all genders to get professional treatment.

A

The Front of Your Mind

The frontal cortex is the largest portion of the brain and contains some of the most influential areas when it comes to mood, emotional regulation, sensory processing, etc.  As you might guess, the frontal cortex of the brain is located in the forepart of the brain, behind your forehead.  While it is important to remember that the brain interacts with itself across the different regions, it is mainly the frontal cortex that makes us who we are as people.

What are some different functions of the frontal