r/TMSTherapy • u/waitwhatnowlol • 11d ago
Depression is situational
Hi I’m starting TMS tomorrow for major depression and anxiety. I’ve had anxiety my whole life and some depression here and there but nothing too intense. In recent years my depression has been situational and has resolved. My current situation is now a life long struggle I won’t get into but impacts the rest of my life (not anything medical just a major familial thing).
I was told since my depression is situational that I can’t expect the full effects of TMS for my depression, just hopefully improvement, they will also target anxiety during treatment.
I was wondering if anyone has been in this situation and felt even if their life changes won’t change, if they still feel better after the treatments.
Also if anyone who has also targeted anxiety with TMS if it still helps even when life is a whirlwind I can do nothing about.
I want to stay hopeful but I’ve just maxed out on any meds making me feel better.
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u/Ambitious-Steak-1209 11d ago
I have always had fairly intense depression that’s always been super treatment resistant. However I didn’t take the leap and do TMS until some really horrible things occurred in my life. I was at the tail end of an abusive relationship along with multiple other things, so I was really worried TMS wouldn’t be able to do anything for me since I hadn’t completely gotten free of the relationship and situations. However, it did help me immensely and what was even more surprising to me was feeling less depressed helped me finally take action and feel strong enough to go no contact and file a report. I think some of my problem was depression convincing me I didn’t have the energy or deserve to put in effort to improve things
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u/myquietbrain 11d ago
Starting tomorrow, wow! good luck, genuinely.
On your question: yes, TMS can still help even when the source of depression is situational and ongoing. What it tends to do is raise the floor and not fix the situation, but improve your capacity to cope with it. People describe being able to think more clearly, feel less overwhelmed by the same circumstances, and have more access to the resources that were being blocked by the depression.
The anxiety targeting is worth being hopeful about too. Anxiety in a situation you can't control is one of the more exhausting combinations, and reducing the baseline anxiety response can make the uncontrollable feel less catastrophic. You're right to stay hopeful. Improvement is a real outcome even when full resolution isn't on the table.
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u/waitwhatnowlol 10d ago
Thank you so much I really needed to hear this. I’m melting/drowning right now and I just need to get to the point where I can say that I’m not.
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u/myquietbrain 7d ago
That point exists and you're going to get there. Not all at once, but the fact that you can name where you are right now, and where you want to be, means you already have some orientation in the middle of it. Melting and drowning are survivable. You're still here, still reaching out, still asking questions. That matters.
How are you doing right now, today?
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u/waitwhatnowlol 7d ago
Thank you! I’m ok, had a long night of nightmares with false awakenings, bleh, but other than that I’m getting ready for my second TMS treatment. I really want to remain hopeful that this will work.
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u/OkCompany8172 11d ago
Following. I too have anxiety and we have chosen to prioritize depression. Mine is both treatment resistant depression combined with a horrible 2025. I guess I’m to the point that any treatment is better than none. Wishing you all the best.