Liz Buckman, originally an Arlington resident, had been suffering from depression and anxiety for much of her life. In fact over 15 million Americans suffer with major depressive disorder.

She had tried different medications and other forms of therapy. She even moved away from her home town to get a fresh change of environment to see if a that might help. 

But even after her move, she was still experiencing the depressive symptoms that had troubled her for so long. 

She was a little confused because she had never heard of TMS therapy before and did not have a clear understanding on what the treatment did. 

TMS is an FDA-approved, completely non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate or "turn on" parts of the brain that have been asleep. Over 2 million treatments have been given in the United States.

TMS uses highly targeted and gently pulsed magnetic fields (similar in ways to an MRI) to stimulate areas of the brain that are under-active in depression. TMS is indicated for patients who still have symptoms of depression even after they have tried antidepressant medication. 

Like many of our patients, Liz started experiencing a lessening of her symptoms about halfway through her treatment period (a typical treatment takes place over the course of 4-6 weeks). 

Now, Liz is feeling better than ever. She says that “Suddenly I can feel joy. I have joy in my life that I didn’t feel before.” We applaud Liz for sharing her story and seeking out help. 

And it's not just Liz. Millions of people have experienced the healing powers of TMS. TMS sessions are 19-minutes long, non-invasive, and use gentle magnetic pulses (like an MRI) to improve function in areas of the brain under-active when one is depressed.

During a TMS session, patients sit in a comfortable spa chair, listen to relaxing music, remain awake and alert, and there is no change in consciousness. Many patients even come in for treatment during their lunch break and get right back to work.  

Comedian Neal Brennan, co-creator of Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show, openly discussed his struggles with depression and his life-changing treatment with TMS Therapy in an interview for Slate Magazine’s podcast, The Gist with Mike Pesca.

Although Brennan refers to his depression as life dampening not life threatening, he has endured the illness as long as he can remember and has done several things to try and improve it. Among the treatments include using “pretty much every medication you’ve heard of . . .”

TMS Therapy is what finally made the difference for Brennan, and he explains how TMS Therapy was effective rather quickly and was also covered by his insurance. 

He said that those close to him noticed the positive changes in his demeanor, in addition to marked improvement in his creativity and productivity. 

“I think I got more entertaining,” Brennan states with a laugh, adding that he’d “kill on stage 40% harder because I wasn’t sad, there was no heaviness to me.”

Best of all, TMS is covered by insurance most companies, including Medicare. Most patients only pay their contracted plan’s co-payment. 

Criteria for insurance coverage is if a patient has tried 4+ antidepressant medications in the past, and does not have bipolar disorder or psychosis.

Our clinic does all of the paperwork to ensure the patient gets their treatment approved by their insurance company, such as all benefits investigations and prior authorization for the patient.

TMS is indicated for patients who still have symptoms of depression even after they have tried medication. TMS Therapy has been shown to significantly reduce depression symptoms even for the most severe cases. 

TMS is more effective than medications for depression, and has none of the many negative side effects of antidepressant medications. In research studies, compared to only 7% remission rates for antidepressant medication, about 45% of people find complete remission on TMS, over 75% respond (have >50% reduction in their depression symptoms). 

So now have a mission, a sense of purpose.

At Hope For Veterans, we are helping people get control back, living depression-free, productive, and and positive lives.

In fact, you'll have a chance to meet our dedicated team of MDs, psychiatrists, medical professionals, and compassionate staff.

If you'd like to learn exactly how we are helping people are getting rid of their derpession without the use of drugs or prescription medication using TMS therapy, AND if you'd like to see if you could be a candidate, then take our FREE online depression assessment. It's free and take about one minute!