Blog

 What to Expect from a TMS Visit 

TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is still a fairly new treatment, and many people are unaware of its existence. We often get asked what people can expect from a TMS session. After all, a metal coil that dispenses electromagnetic pulses seems scary, like the harmful shock treatments of decades past. You can put your mind at ease in that regard, as TMS treatments are completely benign. Here is what you can expect in a TMS treatment session. 

For your treatment, you recline in a chair. We

 Why We Use NeuroStar Equipment for TMS 

TMS is a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). It is specifically used to treat MDD patients who have become medication resistant, i.e. the medication(s) they have taken are no longer effective, no medication they have tried is effective enough to continue, or they are unable to take antidepressant medications due to conditions like pregnancy or liver disease. 

Today, we want to show some reasons why we use NeuroStar TMS machines. NeuroStar has gone through the laborious process of testing

 TMS for Treating the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex 

We often get questions about the biological ways TMS works and how it affects the body along with mood and sensory processing. After all, the brain is just another organ in the body, although an incredibly complex one that we still need decades of study to begin to understand. 

About the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex 

During the TMS treatment, the electromagnetic coil is run over the scalp, mostly in the front. This is done to target the portions of the brain that reside in that area. Why

 Personality Disorder #4: Narcissistic Personality Disorder 

One personality disorder that we don’t encounter often at Rochester Holistic Psychiatry is narcissistic personality disorder. However, we often encounter people suffering from the effects of people around them with narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD. 

It may sound unkind, but NPD is one of the personality disorders that is most damaging to those around the narcissist, whether they be spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and so on. People with NPD don’t choose to be born with the disorder, and NPD is especially hard to treat, but we’ll

 Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder 

Updating Our Terminology 

Before we talk about manic depression, it should be mentioned that “manic depression” has recently become an outdated term. Manic depression has been rolled into the bipolar disorder (BD) diagnosis, but the term is still widely used and searched for, which is why we’re using it today. 

According to NIMH, “bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” 

Because bipolar disorder has such

Personality Disorder #3: ASD

More Than Being Stressed

Stress. Sometimes we can’t do much about it because with circumstances, work, family, and such, stresscomes with the territory. But Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) is a different matter. Rochester Holistic Psychiatry has deep compassion for our acutely stressed patients, and we want to offer some general education on the subject.

What is ASD?

ASD is a reaction that stems from trauma, usually from a single horrifying event. Events like:

Sexual or physical
Loss of a loved
Natural
Being diagnosed with a severe
Witnessing an act of

Someone suffering from ASD may have

Studying TMS for Autism

A World of Questions

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder.  The “spectrum” part of the name is there because of the wide range of ways it shows itself.  Autism can manifest in a different way with each person and there is little we understand about it and even less that we can put down as solid fact.  Some people with autism learn social and vocal cues with difficulty while others are nonverbal.  Some people with autism suffer terrible gastrointestinal problems and others have sensory tics. 

Neurotransmitters #6: GABA

Chemical Inhibitions

Today we’re talking about GABA, another in our series of neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are chemical mixes that the brain uses as messages to communicate with itself.  Different areas of the brain shoot neurotransmitters back and forth to regulate everything from mood to appetite to muscle control to attention span.  GABA stands for gamma-Aminobutyric acid.

What Does GABA Do?

GABA functions as an inhibitor for the central nervous system (CNS).  It attaches to the neurotransmitter receptors on nerve cells and prevents them from sending or receiving messages for as long as

Personality Disorders Part 2: Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

What is ASPD?

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is a mental condition in which, like other personality disorders, someone has aberrant thought patterns that alter their behavior and wellbeing.

ASPD often proves highly detrimental to the life of the sufferer as well as those around them.  This is because “antisocial” in this context does not mean someone who just doesn’t like people and withdraws to avoid them.  People with ASPD are essentially drawn to problematic behavior, sometimes to the point that they cannot hold a job

TMS and Medication

Helping Together

Today, we want to talk about TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and how it interacts with antidepressant medications.

One big difference between how TMS affects patients and how antidepressants affects patients is that antidepressant medications manipulate the chemicals of the brain.  TMS influences the electrical pathways in the brain, or the traffic between neurons.

For some patients, the two methods of treatment can complement each other well, and combining methods of treatment is common.  Any mental health treatment regimen may be combined with talk therapy, behavioral therapy, social support, and