Has anyone tried transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression or ADHD?

[BeamBlue]

I've tried a lot of medications, therapy, behavioral coaching, etc. with limited success. I'm looking into transcranial magnetic stimulation and wondering if anyone here has tried it and if you find it helps your depression or ADHD symptoms.

[STEM_Dad]

My mom looked into it for depression for a long time. I think that she might have done it once (when it was finally covered by her health insurance). She is now happily retired, and it turns out that her depression only got bad due to work stress and financial worries.

I believe it's supposed to help medication resistant depression.

I haven't heard of transcranial magnetic stimulation being used for ADHD, but it seems like an interesting application of the treatment. (I'll have to see what research there is on it.)

[Salad9757 in reply to STEM_Dad]

yes, I have to admit it was horrible. I did it 5 days a week for a month or two in out patient. It really doesn’t work itf you can’t do it consistently and you build up a tolerance to it working up to a specific level of stimulation determined skull density (won’t work unless you get to that level), sessions go on for 1 hour and some nurses are better that other (will put it on or near a nerve).

I must admit, I was discustingly depressed at the time, like not a real person depressed.

Was working 3 casual jobs (one being shifts till 3/6am) and university, so I was completely overworked and often only sleep in small naps cause of my schedule.

in the end i didnt feel a change.

i would say be it a good spot and mark out time and rest to to it.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Salad9757]

That's very disappointing that it didn't work for you. The hope about these innovative treatments is that they would be beneficial, possibly more beneficial than medication.

I hope that you are doing better now than you were then.

[Salad9757 in reply to STEM_Dad]

Hey, I’m doing much better now. Changes in lifestyle and stronger lithium helped me a lot. However don’t be discouraged by doing it. I was just talking about considerations because it’s a massive commitment, energy and time wise.

[STEM_Dad in reply to Salad9757]

I don't think that I need TMS. When I have depression, it's usually mild. And my ADHD is well treated with medication.

My current issues have more to do with lifestyle. (Been divorced almost 2 years, and I'm still figuring out how to keep up with bills and maintain my household as a single dad co-parenting two kids.)

[Salad9757 in reply to STEM_Dad]

That’s really tough. I couldn’t imagine having that kind of reliance and care expected from me at both my best and worst. It my best I organise and problem solve like a savant and at my worse I purposefully ignore emails, rooms, relationships and any thing that reminds me of a looming task and isn’t gonna give me that sweet dopamine quick.

What I do, is I keep reminders of jobs or payment, (admin shit) on my phone. Too many they mean nothing, too few you won’t remember. Physically reminders of things too, ie forms and bills stuck on a pin board or fridge or in tray not just in a weird pile.

I make sure I go through this later to file away so it doesn’t accumulate. And records create less stress and scramble later

I create a mind map of what I need accomplish and the main and side tasks to get there. I prioritise them.

I set small accomplishable plans around organising and cleaning and force myself to take breaks, whether I want to or not.

Visualise timing of tasks and try and make an estimate and stick to it. Create a time crunch.

Procrastinating and hyper focus are evil parts evil for me

Also, I employ parallel play (body doubling) with friends and family. This is especially important if you feel overwhelmed and isolated.

[SilverbackG]

Hi,

I found your question intriguing. I had TMS for anxiety and depression back in 2019-2020. It really knocked back my symptoms, especially "body focused repetitive behaviors" I had: skin picking, and nail picking/tearing. My anxiety levels dropped, I had never experienced the absence of my high level of anxiety in life. I had been on SSNRI antidepressants for over 12 years. My diagnoses: Major Depressive Disorder (treatment resistant) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I had not worked a regular job in over 5 years, only gigs and substitute work. I was able to apply for, interview and land a job in higher education, which is a very long, tedious process.

So in 2021, at my new job, my co-worker gently asked me "have you ever been assessed for ADHD?" (Backstory..co-worker has a strong educational background in psych and immediate family members with ADHD and Autism) I explained that as a 56 year old woman, ADHD was not something that was considered in girls in the 1970's (elementary school for me) or 1980's (high school and college).

So I asked my Psychiatrist, who had "never considered" assessing me. He agreed, did the assessment, and actually said "I cannot believe it, you meet every criteria in every category. I would have never thought you had this... you are too organized, made it through college and graduate school and so much more."

I am turning 58 in a few weeks, and now that I have meds for ADHD and weekly therapy with a professional that works with ADHD adults, my life is changing for the better. It isn't easy, but it is helping me figure out who I am.

Here is an meta-analysis that is from 2023, examining randomized, controlled trials on TMS for ADHD.

link.springer.com/article/1...

Feel free to reach out if you want to ....

[LifeAfterDiagnosis]

I'm a good candidate for it, and seriously considered it, but for me, there were more reasons not to do it than there were to do it. The schedule was unreasonable, it would've cost me about $1,000 in insurance copays, it had only about a 50% chance of working, and I likely would've had to do it again in a few months.

Not to discourage you! I'm sure your circumstances are different. Good luck with whatever decision you make; I wish you the best!

[Hidden]

I did 36 tms treatments this past summer. My hope was that it would increase neuro plasticity and improve my ADHD and cognitive challenges, although my referral and the treatment was for depression and anxiety. I do not believe that I received any benefit from the tms treatments. Back in 2022, I bought and used consistently a brain driver tDCS device from Amazon that seemed perhaps more useful and was rather similar to TMS. But again no benefits for me from TMS for depression, anxiety or ADHD. I am currently undergoing esketamine treatment for depression although again my hope is that it would provide focus benefits, but after 10 treatments I have not noticed benefits for focus or depression.