BoardPrep’s TMS Therapy Program
Are you struggling with a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety? These mental health concerns are becoming more common in today’s society. Millions of American adults and nearly 2 million children ages 3 to 17 struggle with depression every year. Additionally, over 30 million adults struggle with anxiety. Clearly, these mental illnesses are on the rise.
More people today are becoming aware of the mental illness issue. However, while the rise in awareness has been significant, many people still fail to address their problems with professional help. In general, the delay between the onset of a mental illness and the time the person gets treatment is 11 years. According to NAMI, less than 50% of both men and women who had a mental illness in 2018 got treatment.
Part of the reason people may be reluctant to get treatment is that they have tried to get treatment before, and that treatment has failed. For patients who have anxiety or depression, TMS therapy may help. Some medical specialists recommend this treatment when other depression or anxiety treatments have not helped.
TMS therapy is a relatively new procedure. It involves a small device, which the specialist will place against your scalp. This device emits pulses of magnetic fields, which stimulate nerve cells in the brain.
At BoardPrep’s mental health treatment center in Tampa, FL, we offer a unique, innovative, and evidence-based therapy for our clients. With our South Tampa TMS therapy program, you can safely overcome depression and begin leading a better, more exciting lifestyle.
What Happens During A TMS Therapy Session
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is one of the latest and greatest techniques in mental health treatment. During each session, which lasts about an hour, a doctor uses the device outside of the body. This device treats severe depression. Specifically, this noninvasive procedure uses magnetic pulses to stimulate under-active areas of the brain.
When you come in for your TMS therapy session, you’ll go into the treatment room, and sit in a reclining chair. Your doctor will give you earplugs to wear during the procedure.
Then, your doctor will attach a metal coil to your prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain stimulates emotion. Then, he or she will switch the device on and off a few times to create pulses that stimulate your brain. You will feel a tapping that lasts a few seconds. The machine will deliver pulses every 20 seconds, which are accompanied by the tapping sound, to produce a desired response. During your first appointment, the doctor will test your motor threshold. In other words, he or she will increase the magnetic energy until your fingertips or hands twitch. This twitching indicates that the doctor has reached the right dose for you. However, this dose may change, depending on the side effects and your symptoms.
Once the doctor has found your motor threshold, he or she will repeat the process of turning the machine on and off. Each session will last around an hour. Also, you can relax during our TMS therapy program by reading a book or watching TV during the stimulation. Once you have completed the procedure, you can leave. Most patients can drive to and from treatments. You can also return home or go back to work once the treatment is complete.