YEARS of going to a psychiatrist for "medicine checks" for my depression and anxiety, and having my meds dosage constantly increased or changing to a new med and then having to increase that multiple times (plus adding a second med over time), I was finally told I had treatment resistant depression. It didn't help over those years that my employers would change health plans constantly to save money so I was always seeing a new psychiatrist every 3 or 4 years sometimes less. No consistency. 25 years later I talked to my present psychiatrist (he's wonderful) about quitting antidepressants totally for something else or maybe just taking my chances. He suggested TMS which I agreed to try. Although it really has helped, my brain still resists even it to some degree so it looks like I will continue treatment past the 36 usual treatments. The worst has been the anxiety part. On top of also having Seasonal Affective Disorder, I'm really struggling with the anxiety right now. I am constantly reaching out to family and friends just to talk to someone to help with quelling the intense stress of it at times. I don't want to drive them crazy and most have been very sympathetic. My ex suggested I find a group locally or online that I could share with so I searched several and found this one. I very much look forward to hearing from you all on what ideas and techniques or whatever you have used on how you cope. It would mean the world to me!Thank you!
Treatment resistant depression - Major Depressive ...
Treatment resistant depression
I appreciate your post. I have TR major depression as well. I’d love to find a support group for high functioning people with Major Depression.
Well, I managed to be a pretty damn good teacher for 28 years so I don't know if I qualify as high functioning or not. I just did what I had to do and motivate kids to learn. Plus I had a marriage and 2 kids of my own and a house to maintain. Also continuing my education and getting a master's degree. It can be done but, of course, there were challenges at times when the meds wore off and the anxiety and depression returned.
Hi Massaman! I'm very new here, but I've already found some solace in the kindness emanating from others here.
I can completely relate to going through so many different providers over the years that your head is spinning. This has been my experience, as well, and I'm so sorry to hear it's happened to you. It's mostly out of our control, too, which adds to the confusion when one of our challenges is regaining control!
So glad TMS helped. I haven't experienced that, but my doc first sent me for esketamine treatments, which were actually very enlightening and eye-opening, I guess by definition, but they couldn't seemingly keep me feeling relaxed or like I had things under control for the other six days in-between treatments. But on the whole, I appreciated it and would undergo it again, if presented.
The treatment I had a terrible experience with only came after Esketamine - ECT therapy. I see why they say they only use it as a last resort. I think I went through nine treatments, at which point I realized I couldn't remember really important aspects of my recent life, to include what looked in my mind like black holes where knowledge used to live. So, I stopped going and became somewhat distressed at my doc telling me it may be a month, it may be 2-3 months, or the memory loss might be permanent. Whatever those brain zaps and seizures did to my recollection, they also impaired my ability to process at normal speed and to make decisions or solve any kind of calculation in my head - I'm just mentally slower right now, and I don't feel like I gained a single thing out of the experience.
So, being aware you didn't ask me about ECT at all, let me stop it there and just say I only went on that diatribe when I read about your thoughts on TMS. I wonder if I would have similar results?
Do you have any coping tools for when the seasonal anxiety gets a leg up on you? Or maybe you don't? Either way I'm very sorry you're struggling in this way with the anxiety. It can feel crushing, can't it? Ugh.
Wishing you a happy new year. As happy as reasonably possible, that is. Reach out anytime; I'm always up for chatting/helping any way I can.
-B
Ask the TMS department if they can add Theya Burst stimulation. I had 30 TMS sessions. I was approved for 10 more and Theta Burst was added and it made a world of difference. 6 Mo ths later and the improvement continues!
I just happen to be at the office where I get my TMS treatment right now and while reading your message I mentioned it to the tech as he took me back to start my treatment. He says what I get is that same thing, it just doesn't have a fancy name for it here. My treatment for anxiety was introduced later in my 36 sessions for depression and since then it was doubled a few weeks ago because my anxiety level was so high after some traumatic family issues. I'm slowly doing better. So I'm in good hands! Thanks for sharing that!
Theta Burst is different from standard TMS, and they are not the same protocol. It takes only 3 minutes and is more intense . It cycles faster ( shorter intervals between burst) , the bursts are shorter. and the”beats” are different. If that’s what you had, then that is Theta. If your season was 20 minutes or longer that is standard TMS. Look it up on You Tube if you have that available.
Right, it requires a different pulsation for a different part of your brain. I guess how I worded that made it confusing. After the regular TMS treatment for depression, they remove the computer disc for it and insert the disc for anxiety. It is in one burst (in my case, they add another right after to help my high anxiety) unlike the bursts for depression that pulsate every 30 -40? seconds and the total treatment for that lasts maybe 20 minutes. Yes, it's the same.
TMS is low frequency(10mhz) and Theta Burst is high frequency( 50 mhz) TMS IS 20-40 depending on whether the machine used during your treatment combines depression and anxiety or does them separately. The Theta Burst is 3 minutes and it feels completely different. . If you have that, then it is likely you are also getting Theta Burst. . However, they are different. If you don’t feel a distinct difference, I’d ask more questions.
They ARE distinctly different. The tech assures me I am getting the same treatment as you have addressed. Trust me.
Treatment Resistant Delression is often successfully treated by a thyroid hormone - Liothyronine (T3).
Note that you don’t have to have any thyroid problems to have thisn
Well documented on Internet. Here is one link
Thanks for sharing that! I've never heard about it before.
I can really relate to not having any continuity of care. This has been my consistent experience once I was actually diagnosed with something (I was hospitalized for what I later learned was MDD after I mentioned I'd considered suicide). The same with changing coverage depending on which way the insurance winds blew that day. Thank you for your post. It really resonates.
Hello, MassamanCurry and teakabeagle 🤗 from a fellow theta burst TMS patient 😉 I saw your other post on the anxiety and depression forum but decided to reply here on MDD.
I've been going through TMS treatment since Jan 2022. I've also had ketamine infusions in the same clinic as TMS. Both treatments are miraculous for TRD and GAD. My clinic uses the cloud TMS machine.
I love that TMS is able to address multiple mental health issues now. OCD and motivation are also two other issues that have unique pulses and locations for additional applications. Depression location is near the left temple area, anxiety on the right temple area and motivation at the forehead...3 TMS application sites for 3 different issues with 3 different pulses. My appointments last about 15-20 minutes.
I've been paying out of pocket for all my treatment because my med insurance doesn't cover it. I've gone through 2 full 36 session series, one in February-april '22 and last January-March '24. I am a high needs TMS patient at this point in my recovery. Maybe it won't be as prominent once I get through perimenopause. I've been tweaking a maintenance protocol over the past 3 years that has settled currently at a session every 4 weeks, talk therapy twice a month with a CBT focus on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and I recently added float therapy or sensory deprivation pod therapy for severe anxiety, at the recommendation of my TMS team. Another patient in the practice had stellar success using this treatment option in conjunction with TMS for annihilating pervasive intrusive anxiety.
Yesterday was my 6th float, I've been going once a week on my day off for the past 5 weeks. This has upped my ability to mindfully intercede when anxiety rises and given me the mental space necessary to respond to my anxious patterns and break them up faster, rather than letting them spiral out of control, giving me space between triggers, actions and reactions.
Here's a link for info on float therapy 👇 for anxiety relief if interested in the option. It's been a truly amazing addition for my treatment plan.
webmd.com/balance/what-are-...
I'm just at the beginning of gaining some autonomy over my mind. I've been stumbling around with meditation and Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness for the past 6 years, as a spiritual aspect to the healing journey seems to be a piece of the puzzle I didn't know I needed... until I found i needed it.
As TMS has gotten my depression in check, anxiety has stolen the show. Revealing that anxiety is what has actually been dictating and driving my cycles. When I burn out from rampant anxiety, my brain shuts down and I get plunged into depression because you can only run in the red zone for so long before the inevitable crash.
I'm currently going through perimenopause at the same time and that has exacerbated and disturbed my mental health balance as well, so I'm trying to navigate this multipronged attack on my mental stability...feels like I'm wrestling a mental health octopus 🐙 TBH 🤦
I know this transition is temporary. I'm going to my annual obgyn appointment this morning. I'm 50 now and hopefully this will be my final year of the "change".🤞
Glad to meet you. Hope to share more of our TMS experiences with each other and help as many people as possible along the way ❣️🫂
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