The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that 18 percent of American adults today suffer from anxiety. This mental illness remains common in the country and can have a debilitating effect on a person’s life. Approximately 50 percent of patients suffering from anxiety have also received a diagnosis of depression.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a condition in which a person worries about something that may or may not happen. These individuals physically react to situations they cannot control or change their lives in a negative way. They may shake or sweat, develop a rapid heartbeat, or feel a sense of unease.
Conventional Treatments for Anxiety
Medical professionals typically prescribe cognitive-behavioural therapy and antidepressants or anxiolytics for individuals with anxiety. Even with these treatments, countless individuals find they still experience anxiety on a regular basis. As a result, they continue searching for ways to find relief, and many people now discover transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is the anxiety treatment they need to get relief.
What is TMS Therapy?
During TMS therapy, the doctor stimulates the nerve cells of the brain using electromagnetic pulses. They do so to improve the symptoms of anxiety and several other mental health and neurological disorders. The FDA approved TMS therapy in 2008 for the treatment of depression that doesn’t respond to conventional treatments such as psychotherapy. Doctors believe it helps individuals suffering from anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, and more. Patients with an anxiety disorder often find they obtain relief with the use of TMS therapy.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders arise in the amygdala, a portion of the brain that processes emotions. The amygdala plays a key role in a person’s fight-or-flight response and brings about anxiety when it becomes hyperactive. This leads to the excessive and disruptive worrying that comes with the anxiety disorder. With the help of TMS, doctors can return the neurons in the brain to their normal activity level. Doing so reduces the symptoms of anxiety.
Will TMS Therapy Cure Anxiety?
Although TMS therapy will not cure a person’s anxiety, it does ease the symptoms. Doctors typically turn to this option when other treatments have failed, and they have seen promising results so far. Thanks to the reduction in symptoms, patients find their quality of life improves. Furthermore, they experience few side effects.
Some patients find they have a headache following a treatment session, while others report they have scalp discomfort at the treatment site. These side effects only last a short period of time, however. Certain people feel lightheaded or notice a tingling sensation at the treatment site, but these side effects also disappear quickly.
When Will Improvement Be Seen?
Most patients notice a reduction in their anxiety within two weeks of starting the treatment. However, certain factors influence the time that is needed to see relief. They include the severity of a person’s symptoms and how long the patients have been dealing with the anxiety.
Research has shown TMS therapy helps many patients relieve the symptoms associated with anxiety, particularly those who also suffer from depression. Talk with your doctor today to see if this option is one that may be right for you.