As you may or may not have known, I've been undergoing experimental treatment for depression called TMS (Transmagnetic Stimulation) for the past 6 weeks. Today was my last treatment. It's been incredible - how without medication - I've emerged from that awful depression that has been hanging over me for so long.

I've responded so well that they have offered me another 3 weeks of treatments. The treatment is free and there are no side-effects, so I think I'm going to go ahead with it.

I went into the study quite skeptical - there was a chance I was getting the sham treatment - but within 10 days, I was starting to see a gradual lifting of the depression. Fewer anxiety attacks, and I was able to 'deal with the punches' of some stuff that, in the past, would have completely sent me over the edge. I still feel sort of numb, but I recognize some of my old self coming back (which may or may not be a good thing! LOL)

The big question I have now - is how long does this last? The doctors tell me that it could be indefinitely - potentially even for the rest of my life. Or I might choose to sustain the effect with some low-level anti-depressants later. TMS is being evaluated by the FDA as well as other countries in Europe and the results have been quite impressive. The doctors said that this study was going to continue for another 3 years and then the FDA would be evaluating it.  It just blows my mind that a non-pharmacological treatment, that has no side-effects and fairly rapidly turns around the symptoms of depression, why the FDA fast-tracks some medications (that end up doing more harm than good) when there are treatments out there that don't create quite the sensation...

Anyway - there are studies of TMS going on all across the country. So if you know of someone that is dealing with depression or bipolar disorder and haven't responded to treatment, you might want to encourage them to investigate TMS.

The End.