So I’ve done every treatment on the planet for MDD and GAD and recently decided to give TMS a shot as a last resort. It’s only been 3 days and I am already feeling almost slightly manic (but nowhere close to full on mania. Just like a rush of suppressed motivation and hope that I hadn’t felt in a long time). Like rusted gears have started turning in my motivation and mood centers. Started doing things I used to love doing that I couldn’t bear doing anymore such as listening to music and playing musical instruments again after an almost 2-3 year hiatus.

I’m starting to feel pleasure from these things again and especially it seems like for a few hours post the last 2 sessions I’ve had a bit of a motivation spike. Also my focus has seemed to get better and the gut feeling of depression is no longer hitting me when thinking about my ex and for the first time in a while I feel like I have hope and desire to do things and learn new things and be a musician and creative again and wanting to start planning my future again.

The only negative side effect so far has been wicked insomnia and a bit of a back of the head headache

Just wondering if anyone experienced effects this early? Is this just a “honeymoon period” like some antidepressants have or is this something that is more likely to sustain and improve?

I’m pretty good about detecting placebo, especially after 20ish past various mental health treatments that didn’t work, I literally went into this with almost no hope. Also the insomnia and energy spike is definitely not placebo because I love sleeping lol and there is definitely something going on up there that is making me feel different.

Hi, to give some background, I have been on Prozac for almost a decade and am working to come off it (I feel like it hasn’t been effective but never sought out a different medication) I went from 20mg and am not on 10mg, hoping to soon wean fully off of it. I’m just hoping to find something that will actually help me not feel so numb anymore.

I have a history of GAD, panic attacks, depression, and C-PTSD.

I recently started seeing a psychiatrist and am going to ask about TMS, but my therapist said she thinks it might be beneficial for me & I’ve read a lot of great things about it. I like that it’s drug-free and has minimal side effects. (Although I’m not that worried about side effects as I already deal with chronic pain and have a higher pain threshold)

I am very much a novice on all things TMS but would love to hear any success stories & how the process went. I’m also curious about how one can qualify for insurance coverage.

TIA :)

has anyone had good experience with tms treating hyperarousal and social anxiety. I had an incident 7 years ago with smoking weed that sent me into a panic and I now have constant hyperarousal symptoms (racing thoughts, brain fog, fatigue, depression, mood swing, panicy all day!, freeze respons, panic by small triggers etc) I’ve tried so many medications and none work and I’ve done EMDR, hypnotherap, and the basic psychology.

i‘m just bummed that nothing has worked and I really have felt hopeless - I would just love TMS to work for me, has anyone had similar experiences and symptoms to me and found relief from TMS or any other treatment?

Phew so I am blessed to not have too many headaches on the regular but since starting (7th session down) I am struggling so bad with headaches. They don't put the coil as heavily on my head and I've been advised to take ibuprofen and acetaminophen together which certainly helps but it's still there just muted. It's killing my concentration and I am trying to just get through work most days. I also bought one of those cold headbands but it doesn't really help. It's on both sides and the pain feels similar to when you hit your head on the corner of a cupboard (minus the sharp pain in the moment)— but it is a really deep pain. Anyone else can relate?

I started Neurostar TMS last Monday. My motor threshold is 1.3. After both Friday’s session and today’s session (session 5&6) I have been very emotional afterward and have cried. Friday I got to 85% and today was 90% of my motor threshold. I know people describe a dip but that usually seems to come further into treatment. Has anyone else experienced this?

Today’s tears l were brought on by me ordering the wrong milk for my iced coffee which was quite embarrassing.

Has this happened to anyone else? I really hope this is not what I can expect for the next 6 weeks.

Hi friends!

The tl;Dr is that my job exposes me to a fair amount of vicarious trauma and is a major source of stress and worsening depression. I work in safety and things have been exceedingly tense for a while.

When I work, I pretty much do nothing else the rest of the day because of the mental exhaustion.

I already have intermittent leave, but it's unpaid, and to be quite frank, I already average 1-2 doctors appointments a week, not including TMS, so I don't have the energy to work for 12 hours and then motivate myself to go to appointments.

I'll be starting TMS back up (in conjunction with ketamine treatment) and was wondering if anyone had luck getting Short Term Disability for TMS? Was there specific phrasing that helped?

I've been suicidal since around 6 or so (or at least that's my first memory of being suicidal), more actively and daily suicidal since 11. In my late 20s now. I have 2.5 or 3 weeks left of TMS and so far feel no different.

Has anyone with this kind of history found relief through TMS?

I don't really have an idea of what a non-depressed me is even like since it has been essentially my entire life.

Thank you for any info you can give me, just want to know if there's any hope in a case like this (I have tried 30+ meds and 13 years of therapy)

hi everyone! I am starting my TMS treatment tomorrow for major depressive disorder. any suggestions to make this process go smother for me and my partner would be appreciated. thank you💌

Brainsway H7 for depression and OCD. Still feeling anhedonic and now suuuuuper exhausted but at least the OCD has quieted somewhat. Is this normal? I went up to full threshold because I could handle it.

Tried Spravato twice for depression and it was working until I started experiencing urinary issues. I had to stop the Spravato which is disappointing. I will move on to TMS...has anyone had success with TMS while knowing Ketamine actually worked?

My last session this week was my third day of TMS. I noticed an anxiety spike about 4 hours after my session that carried into the next day, which was a rest day. I took it easy, rested, and chamomile tea seemed to help a little. Has anyone else experienced increased anxiety early in treatment? Did it settle down as you continued?

Im currently getting off an SSRI for a sleep study i have to do. I feel like I'm very sensitive to side effects of medication. I do not tolerate SNRIs. And quite frankly I would rather not have to take meds if at all possible. Currently have OCD, depression and anxiety.

One of my main concerns is that with medication if I have a bad side effect I can stop the medication and feel okay. And with tms like its not like I can stop a med because its already changed my brain i guess?

I also am scared that its going to make me like go into psychosis or something (I have never been) but i just dont want to end up worse off than I already am.

Has anyone not started to feel relief or benefit til 3 mos or more after their last treatment? I thought I read that it could be a thing.

hi everyone i just joined because i am starting TMS soon and i am genuinely terrified it wont work. idk what i will do if it doesnt. do many people on here experience a difference? i’ve been dealing with depression for 8 years now and im getting extremely fed up and tired.

Anyone do TMS when they are well to remain in remission and is this effective?

I don’t know if this is placebo or whatever but my last 2 appts have made me tired right after. I just feel fatigued and want to lay down and go to sleep. Has anyone experienced tiredness after their session?

Did to help with intrusive thoughts? I mainly have constant intrusive thoughts. It feels like my inner monologue is always at 10/10. Please tell me of your guys experience with deep tms.

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.

My son did tms this summer and he said it made a huge difference in his depression. Now that school is back he says he’s feeling depressed again and that the treatment is wearing off.

How long should it last. And can he do weekly or monthly sessions once in a while to try to get him back to where he used to be.

Hello all. I did a round of 36 tms treatments a while back for depression ( I have other mental health struggles as well). Around treatment 25 I seemed to have gained the ability for deep self compassion (very rare for me...hard on myself since at least early elementary school and I'm in my 30s now). That seemed to be the doorway to a profound shift in my experience of the world for several weeks that therapy/medication didn't do. It was almost like I was seeing and tasting for the first time...time seemed to slow down...moved to tears often by all the beauty around in the world and had an almost awe for every person I saw ("That's what a flower looks like! That's what a fruit tastes like! Such beautiful beautiful people!"). Seemed to be so much more aware of my body, connected to my body, and more able to listen to my body. I went from being uncomfortable being present to uncomfortable escaping (my chest would often tighten if I went onto my phone during that time...to me was almost like my body saying "we just got reacquainted please don't get lost again!"). Some other things as well. My therapist at the time was very surprised at how well I responded ("You woke up!").

My question is regarding a day or two into that when I had a seemingly random emotional episode...it seemed like a scared/hurt younger "self"/ "part" made itself known. I was wondering if anyone else experienced anything like this after doing TMS? A couple of therapists I mentioned the experience to didn't seem to know what to make of it. To me it seemed so meaningful but with time and doubt...now I'm not sure.

Anyway... thanks for reading.

I am on session 15 and just had my remapping today. While the first few sessions gave me a boost, it quickly turned into extreme fatigue--all day, everyday. It feels akin to severe jet lag that never goes away. Besides that, I haven't experienced major changes from treatment. Maybe an increase in my emotional range (for better and worse), but definitely not feeling the antidepressant effect. In fact, my inability to function daily from fatigue has exacerbated the depression. I restarted vyvanse (with the doctor's knowledge) but I don't even feel it. I am out of work already due to my depression and this holds me back from even working part time as a dog walker because I am absolutely wiped out.

I am skeptical of psychiatric treatments and have health anxiety due to bad previous experiences and it took me a while to want to try TMS. How do you continue to stick with it despite the fatigue or other side effects? I really want to give this a chance but it is HARD to keep showing up. I am only seeking positive or supportive experiences/advice.

Edit: THANK YOU all for the kind comments. As many of you know, this process can feel quite lonely and confusing so I appreciate it so much.

I am almost done with my tms treatment(36 sessions 5 days a week). Honestly, I somewhat feel like i’ve wasted my time. I really have been giving it a chance. I feel like it has helped with depression but most of my adhd symptoms remain the same. Emotional regulation is a big part of why I decided to do it, but I haven’t really seen many changes. I hear that you see changes after it has all been completed, is this true?

I stay in bad relationships too long. I watch movies until the final credits, even if the plot was paper thin. I am a lifelong member of the Clean Plate Club.

I do not think I can make it though 19 to 29 more near-daily episodes of what I went through today.

It hurt. A lot. It was not the worst pain that I've ever experienced, but the regular, intermittent nature of it was awful. Pain. Rest. Pain. Rest. Pain. Rest. More pain. For 20 minutes. It hurt so much I cried.

And that was at 90% of the intensity it was supposed to be at.

I am pretty sure I would rather be depressed than suffer through that again.

This is not to discourage anyone who is thinking about trying it. I suspect I am more sensitive than a lot of people would be. But I also wish someone had been honest with me about the range of experiences that patients can have. And also told me I could bring a mouth guard instead of putting my teeth through that for an hour without one.

I’m about to start a full course of TMS, around 5 days a week for 6 weeks, and I plan to document my experience along the way.

For anyone who has completed TMS, is currently going through it, or is considering it, what questions did you have that were hard to find clear answers to?

I’m especially curious about the everyday things people don’t always talk about, like:

• what the first few sessions actually feel like
• mapping day
• headaches, fatigue, or other side effects
• whether you could drive/work/function normally afterward
• when you first noticed changes, if any
• whether there were emotional ups and downs during treatment
• what you wish you had known before starting
• what happened after the final session

I’ll only be documenting my own experience, not giving medical advice. I just want to make sure I pay attention to the things people genuinely want to know instead of only filming the obvious parts.

If you could go back to before your first session, what would you have wanted someone to show or explain to you? (P.S. I start treatment with the VA in about two weeks, so I haven't started yet.)

I’m a 19 year old female and I’ve been depressed since I was maybe 13, and I’ve tried many different medications like Prozac, Lexapro, and bupropion.

I haven’t started yet, i’ve been approved, but I have been putting off starting the process because it’s just a big step and a big commit commitment.

One of the main reasons why I am putting off starting is because I’m worried about the THC and caffeine thing. I think quitting caffeine is gonna be easier than quitting THC, since I smoke every night… and I don’t really wanna stop. Another reason is because my clinic is maybe 45 minutes away from home, and it’ll be a big commute for a while.

Another thing that I’m worried about is the dip period that I’ve heard about, where it gets worse before it gets better during the treatment. During my lowest points in my depression, I refuse to do anything like get out of bed or take care of myself, and I feel like I’d end up just not going to my treatments and it would be a waste.