About Depression

What is Major Depressive Disorder
Major depression is a common and serious medical illness affecting more than 13 million Americans, or approximately 6.6 percent of the population in a given year. Unlike the normal ups and downs of everyday life, Major Depression is persistent and can significantly interfere with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and even physical health. Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. often impairing social, academic and work functioning and causing significant emotional distress. Depression is the most common illness within the mental health arena

Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder
The onset of the first episode of major depressive disorder may not be obvious if it is gradual or mild. The symptoms of this disorder characteristically represent a significant change from how a person functioned before the illness. The symptoms of depression may include:

• feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness or guilt
• persistently sad or irritable mood
• pronounced changes in sleep habits and energy levels
• pessimistic feelings about the future
• trouble making decisions
• significant weight gain or loss
• difficulty thinking or concentrating
• low libido
• increased agitation
• lack of interest in or pleasure from activities typically enjoyed
• recurrent thoughts of death and/or suicide

When several of these symptoms occur at the same time, last longer than two weeks, and interfere with ordinary functioning, individuals should seek professional advice and treatment. If left untreated, major depression can lead to attempted suicide.

While the exact cause of depression is not known, the leading scientific theory is that depression is caused by an imbalance of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells. Depression is most often treated with antidepressant medications. It is believed that antidepressant medications work by modifying the levels of these neurotransmitters.

Although antidepressants can be effective for many patients, they do not work for everybody. Additionally, since antidepressants medications are typically taken by mouth, they circulate in the blood stream throughout the body, often resulting in unwanted side effects such as weight gain, sexual problems, upset stomach, sleepiness, and dry mouth.

More than 4 million patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them.

TMS Therapy is a treatment using medical device called the NeuroStar TMS Therapy system. NeuroStar TMS Therapy is;

• Non-invasive, meaning that it does not involve surgery. It does not require any anesthesia or sedation, as the patient remains awake and alert during the treatment.
• Non-systemic, meaning that it is not taken by mouth and does not circulate in the blood stream throughout the body.

The typical initial treatment course consists of 5 treatments per week over a 4-6 week period, for an average of 20-30 total treatments. Each treatment session lasts approximately 40 minutes.

Note: Information on this site is for reference purposes only. It is not intended to be nor should it be taken as medical advice. Individuals should see a medical professional regarding their symptoms.