Depression
Mind Performance Center
J Douglas Brown, DC, DACNB
Neurology & Functional Neurology Practice located in Foley, AL and serving the greater Baldwin County
Of all the people who take antidepressants for their depression, up to one-third don’t feel better even after several trials of medication. J. Douglas Brown, DC, DACNB, at Mind Performance Center in Foley, Alabama, offers treatments proven to improve symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression. At Mind Performance Center we proudly serve residents of Foley, Fairhope, Daphne, Mobile, and Pensacola and throughout the world by telemedicine. To learn more about options such as deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), call the office to schedule an appointment.
Depression Q & A
What symptoms will I develop due to depression?
Depression isn’t the same as having the blues. The blues typically disappear on their own, while depression becomes deeper and seldom improves without professional help. Ongoing depression affects your daily life and can lead to physical problems such as headaches and chronic pain.
If you’re depressed, you:
- Feel worthless or hopeless
- Develop persistent fatigue
- Lose interest in activities you enjoy
- Gain or lose weight
- Sleep more or less than usual
- Have a hard time concentrating
- Feel restless
You may also experience thoughts about dying or committing suicide.
What is treatment-resistant depression?
If you take antidepressants yet your symptoms don’t improve, you have treatment-resistant depression. There are many different antidepressants, and each person has their own response, depending on their unique genetic profile.
If the first antidepressant doesn’t help, you may need a different antidepressant or a larger dose of the same medication to determine if the treatment will help your depression. Though it depends on your doctor, most people have at least two different trials of medication before their depression is considered treatment-resistant.
How is depression treated?
When your depression doesn’t respond to antidepressants, it’s time to talk with Dr. Brown about treatments such as brain rehabilitation and deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (DTMS).
Brain rehabilitation
When you engage in activities or exercises that stimulate specific areas of the brain, new nerve pathways develop. Dr. Brown helps you recover from depression by developing therapeutic exercises that restore the brain imbalances responsible for your depression.
DTMS
Dr. Brown uses the BrainsWay® DTMS device, which is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. DTMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve activity in the underactive brain area responsible for depression. As DTMS restores normal nerve activity and brain pathways, your symptoms improve.
What should I expect during DTMS treatment for depression?
When you come in for DTMS, you’ll sit in a comfortable chair and Dr. Brown positions a helmet over your head. When the device is turned on, magnetic pulses pass through your skull to reach the targeted area of your brain.
DTMS is noninvasive and painless, but you’ll hear a clicking sound every time the pulse is discharged. DTMS is safe with few side effects. Some patients develop mild pain or discomfort at the treatment site, but that usually goes away during your first week of treatment.
Each session only lasts 20 minutes. Many patients experience a rapid improvement in their symptoms, but you need 20-30 sessions to achieve longer-lasting results.
To learn more about brain rehabilitation and DTMS for depression, call Mind Performance Center or book an appointment online.