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Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)

You’re not alone. Major depression is more common than you’d think.

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 function and causing significant emotional distress. Depression is the most common illness within the mental health arena.

Our highly experienced psychiatrists at TMS Center of Colorado are here to help you. You can always call us at (303) 884-3867 for a caring, compassionate phone conversation that can help you understand our treatment and if it could help you. Our initial phone consultation is FREE.

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

When several of these symptoms occur at the same time, last longer than two weeks, and interfere with ordinary function, 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.

depressed man lying in bed

Antidepressant Medications

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 antidepressant medications are typically taken by mouth, they circulate in the bloodstream 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 Treatment for Depression

TMS Therapy is a treatment using medical devices such as Brainsway Deep TMS at our Denver and Lakewood TMS Center of Colorado. 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 bloodstream throughout the body.
  • Successful in treating medication-resistant depression.

The typical initial treatment course consists of 5 treatments per week, for an average of 30 treatments for 6 weeks. Treatment session duration may vary depending upon the device used and the prescribed treatment. Treatment duration usually ranges from 20-60 minutes in length.

depression treatment with TMS

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