Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure that uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression and other conditions. It is typically utilized when traditional treatments, such as antidepressant medications, have not been effective.
This is something I went through a few years ago. It wasn’t for depression; it was specifically to address the auditory hallucinations I have unsuccessfully battled with medications for twenty years. I was naturally skeptical going in. The treatment took place over a three-week period at the Epworth, consisting of 20 sessions. I felt a little concerned at first, but the staff reassured me it was a non-invasive procedure with no major side effects and no risk of further damage to my already fragile brain. The sessions themselves were fairly easy — the hardest part was staying perfectly still with a magnet attached to my head for twenty minutes at a time. The minutes seemed to crawl. All I could hear during treatment was a repetitive clicking sound every few seconds. When the course finished I felt slightly different — just a light, unusual feeling in my head. Did it help the voices? For a short while, yes. A few days passed with only faint hallucinations. After that, however, things gradually returned to their usual pattern. The voices came back intensely, as if provoked, and attacked me hard.
TMS is used across the world and it was designed by Professor Fitzgerald. By chance he was assigned to me as my psychiatrist, so I immediately felt reassured that I was in capable hands. He developed the technique himself, so there was no one better to place your trust in.
Would I have it done again? Nope. Even though it temporarily relieved me of the positive symptoms, it wasn’t long before the voices returned, and it did nothing to ease my paranoia. All told, it was an intense experience that taught me a lot but wasn’t the solution I’d hoped for.