I’m severely depressed with moderate to severe anxiety and depression has been treatment resistant for many years. Even tried ketamine. Ive been approved for TMS but it’s an hour drive to the clinic. I need to go every single day (Monday-Friday) for 6 weeks then cut back to 3 days a week for the next 3 weeks. Do I try to get this in somehow at the end of my workday? Go during lunch then make up extra missed work (1.5 to 2 hours)? Or take short term disability for the 9 weeks? I get 100% of my pay for 6 weeks then 60% thereafter. I’m dreading the long drive and also worried about leaving work on STD because everyone wants to know…. Where were you? Family emergency? Medical issue? Idk I NEED this treatment but scared to bite the bullet. Need advice on what to do. TIA.
Short term disability for TMS or keep... - Anxiety and Depre...
Short term disability for TMS or keep working through TMS treatments?
try to listen to your body
see if you can tune in to what your physical self is speaking to you
its hard to do
praying you find direction
you’re right. I need to pray for direction. Thank you for your kind reply🙌🏼🙏🏻💕
Hang in there just follow your instinct. Maybe do a list of pros vs cons. I think if you get your pay and can take the time go ahead and do it but ensure you’re going to do something positive for yourself with the free hours, like get out for walks or meditate or anything you enjoy as to not get more time for anxiety (since ur used to be at work those hours). I totally feel u on the are people going to wonder where I was, but don’t let that be deciding factor. That’s an anticipatory fear and for now the important is what makes u feel best. Prayers up to you. Rooting for you.
thank you so much 🙏🏻💕
I took 2 full courses of TMS 3 years apart, 36 sessions each. Neither one did anything for me. The first time was when TMS first came out and Illinois for some reason was one of the few states where Medicare had approved payment for it, so I figured why not try it for free? Total waste of time, but I lived 5 minutes from the clinic. The travel you are going to have to do is a real predicament. The second time they told me, "Oh, it didn't work the first time because it wasn't perfected yet and now we know exactly which brain areas to target", etc. Same results. Nothing, not even an inkling of help. I hope your insurance is paying for this; if not, that would make the choice even tougher. I want to emphasize this was my experience and you can read many stories from people who say it helped them (but try and get some stories form a "PatientsLikeMe" website, not from the manufacturer's website). Sometimes I think people that had success with it experienced a placebo effect, or else your brain has to be wired a certain way to benefit. With the hassle it is going to be for you, you have a hard decision to make and I feel bad for you. You are worried about work which is a very valid concern, and it's just hard to know what advice to give. PS. I am 75 years old, have been depressed for 50 years, have been on and off every antidepressant on the market, and also am diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. I am now on Parnate, a drug "of last resort" that is given when everything else fails and works when nothing else does, even in patients where ECT has failed. It is an old drug that many doctors and pharmacists have never even heard of. I was on it 40 years ago for many years until it stopped working, then started it again 6 months ago and sure enough it got me out of one of the worst depressive episodes of my life. If you've never heard of it do a little research and ask your practitioner about it. It may be worth try before the TMS (you do have to be on a restrictive diet when you take it but the diet is much less restrictive now than 40 years ago; there were many misconceptions about it up until recently but now doctors have started to use it again). Good luck.
Parnate or Nardil (and the skin patch version Selegiline) is often called the best anti-depressant but do to dietary restrictions (which aren’t that bad) most doctors won’t suggest it. If anyone is reading this please know that this drug (an MAOI) is still out there and still being prescribed. If someone has “treatment resistant” depression they likely never tried Nardil. Great post to remind us that MAOIs can work wonders and are an option.
I’m looking into parnate and someone else mentioned nardil as well. I will bring it up to my doc. Thank you!
Does your employer know you need it? Maybe they’ll let you out early for a few weeks? If not honestly I would take the short term disability and do it.
I’ve done TMS 108 times (3x36) in the last two years. It does work for most people.
thank you for your reply. What made you try it the third time after it wasn’t working? Have you found a treatment yet?
I did it three times because it worked every time but the results don’t last long. For me the results last 1-6 months. In other words, things starts going down slowly after a month without TMS. So my next step is to go for maintenance treatments which I plan to do in April if needed.
see, I’m afraid of that happening. That happened when I did ketamine. Stop the treatment and the effects wear off. Ugh
I know that Ug feeling 😖
Please try to do what you need to do in order to try TMS. For me it was a lifesaver, literally, since I became treatment resistant to meds . I've had 3 rounds over the past 2-1/2 years. The results of the first two each lasted about 6 months each and the third one is still working after over a year. The drive might be long for you but in the end the benefits may be worth it. My treatment was 5x/wk for about 6-1/2 weeks. As far as what to tell people you don't need to tell them anything. Or just say it's a family issue.Hope all works out for you!!!
thank you for your reply. Are you depression free now?
I am basically depression free since my last round over a year ago. Have been dealing with other health issues for a while so do have down days, but if not for TMS would probably be in a deep hole by now. My therapist (who recommended it to me) said she has clients who have had long lasting benefits from it. Obviously everyone responds differently as you know. Hope you're able to give it a try. Keep me posted.
I definitely will. I have t been this low since 2014 after my divorce. I’m all but dead physically.
Sending hugs and hopes for brighter days❤️
I’m really at the end of my rope. I was suicidal all weekend. I called to schedule my mapping appointment for TMS. First available appointment is April 6th. I just need to hang in there
Glad you have an appointment scheduled!! I sincerely hope it works for you! Hang in there, my friend. You can do it. I know it's easier said than done but take it day by day. Feel free to message me if you want. Take care
thank you! May I ask, are you a Christian? Asking in case you are, I’d love to talk about that in regard to mental health. If not that’s totally okay ☺️
TMS worked for me as well. Definitely benefited with the treatment. Have done it twice now, and each time my family noticed significant improvement even when I didn’t see it. You are in a tough predicament though. My commute for treatment was only 15 min, so I worked through both treatments without anyone at work knowing about it. An hour commute is a significant commitment and as you mention, you’d either need to get approval to miss time during the day, which is doable, or go the STD route. All I can say from my experience is that I hope you can work out some arrangements with your supervisor because TMS is worth the try. Good luck!!
Was thinking about you and wondering how you're doing...I know you're scheduled to start TMS next week. You're in my thoughts.
hello bethel bee!
Still struggling bad. I’ve started lithium but so far, I see no improvements. How are you feeling?
Hey! Meant to get back to you sooner. Mentally ok, not fabulous. What's keeping me feeling good are several medical issues I've been dealing with. Trying to take it one day at a time but get really frustrated. I don't get out much at all due to feeling like crap many days. If it weren't for TMS, I would have spiralled down by now. How are you doing? How has TMS been? I know you just started. Is the lithium helping yet?
I’m not sure what to say to help you with your work situation, but I hope the TMS helps you. I’m considering looking into TMS and ketamine myself. Did the ketamine help and did it cost a lot?
ketamine did help a lot and I did it a couple years ago- it was $350 per treatment. I’d do it again but don’t have a driver. The good news is that now it is FDA approved and your insurance (if you have it) should cover it
Well that’s news to me!!! I have Medicare and Medicaid and I’m going to a community mental health program but next week I’m trying to talk to some of the higher up people there because for a long time I’ve been very unhappy with the doctors and social workers I’ve seen there. I don’t know if I will really get anywhere but I’d better try to do something.
Whoa! I'd love to know if talking to the higher ups there does any good. I've only quit when it's not working.
Actually I just went into another psychiatric ward for 2 weeks, just got back out. The care was so bad there, and I had thought it would be a better place. I feel like going there really made me worse unfortunately. I’m scheduled to try a different mental health agency, but I’ve become really cynical that it’s going to be any better there. I hope you’re not upset with me anymore and we can still be friends on here. I don’t have any more advice about your situation between you and your husband. It’s so easy to say just leave, not so easy to actually do it when someone else has all the money and power. I feel like I’ve been trying to get away from my Dad my whole life. Wish I could help you more, I really do care about you. I think the whole mental health system is very messed up and it victimizes a lot of people. It’s so sad that it doesn’t seem like much is going to change. And I’m wondering if I tried TMS or ketamine, if all that would really do is take all my money.
I know you replied to someone else, but I read your comment….. PLEASE PLEASE try TMS and/or ketamine. I’ve done ketamine and it works fast. Please try K first and get scheduled for TMS as well. I’m doing TMS now and had 7 treatments and I notice a difference. My dr is starting me on K again as well. Please try it and keep us updated 🙏🏻💕
Thanks so much for caring. I’m not sure how to find out about it, my income is limited and at these community mental health places I go to the doctors don’t do it. Not sure who or what to turn to.
I hear you. My experience is much the same. You hear and read about people being helped by a stay in a psych ward. You want to hear cynical? I've come to believe that's money, money, money. You go to a good, private pay place, maybe you'll get something like caring. Public places are holding centers with contempt for the inmates. Cheap private hospitals are just that. Cheap food, cheap untrained staff, Gawd-awful doctors. If you find somebody there who gives a hoot they'll be run over by the folks in charge.
I know you're struggling. Me too. I don't have advice, only well wishes.
As for what happened, no one here is here because they're in great shape.
I haven't been looking for advice about my situation. I'm here for support.
Do what research you can before you put yourself through TMS or ketamine. Ask here, ask a doctor who isn't making a profit with the stuff. I bet you could search either one and get a lot of results.
That’s a very good idea. I’m questioning all this stuff. There was a nice girl who had a channel on YouTube she titled Ketamine Saved Me. She was on Ketamine for awhile, then I think what happened is her parents just couldn’t afford the treatment anymore. Then she posted this very sad video explaining that now she had just been in the hospital getting shock therapy. I felt so bad for her. I have some deep reservations about ECT and frankly, I’m frightened that one day some psychiatrist is going to suggest that I have that done. So the big question is how is TMS and ketamine better than that? And I don’t trust just about any psychiatrist anymore, I think they are given too much power to mess with peoples minds.
There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-Oh!
(Sing along) B-I NGO
B-I NGO
B-I NGO
And Bingo was his name-Oh!
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