NeuroStar® TMS Therapy
FDA-cleared, non-medication depression treatment
Why Trying More Medications May Not Be the Answer for Your Depression
If antidepressants haven't worked, you may need a different kind of treatment for depression, not another medication.
If you’ve been living with depression and feel like you’ve tried medication after medication without finding real relief, you are not alone. And you are not out of options. Many people assume that if one antidepressant doesn’t work, the solution is to try another, and then another. But what if that cycle isn’t the answer? What if the side effects of the medications are intolerable? What if there were a non-drug treatment option?
At Greenbrook Mental Wellness Centers, we specialize in helping people who have not found success after trying traditional methods like antidepressants or talk therapy. NeuroStar TMS is a non-drug, non-invasive treatment option for people with treatment-resistant depression.
What is Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world, affecting more than 21 million adults in the United States.1 For many people, antidepressants combined with therapy provide meaningful relief. But for a significant portion of people living with depression, medications simply don’t deliver the result that they need.
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is defined as depression that has not adequately responded to at least two different medications at least two different dosages. TRD is more common than many people realize. Research suggests that roughly 30% of people with major depressive disorder may meet criteria for treatment-resistant depression.2 That means that millions of Americans are caught in a discouraging cycle: try a new medication, wait weeks to see if it works, experience side effects, and then start all over when it doesn’t bring enough relief.
In fact, the largest clinical trial of major depressive disorder showed that a patient’s chance for remission decreases with each subsequent medication attempt, while side effects simultaneously increase.3,4,5,6
Enter NeuroStar TMS
NeuroStar TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is an FDA-cleared, non-drug treatment that targets the underactive areas of the brain by using focused magnetic pulses.7,8 In a real-world study conducted with over 1,200 patients, 83% experienced meaningful symptom improvement, and 62% achieved remission, meaning their depression effectively went away.9
If multiple medications haven’t provided you with adequate relief from your depression, you’ve struggled with medication side effects, or are simply looking for a proven, non-medication path forward, NeuroStar TMS may be right for you.
Finding Hope After Medications Haven't Worked
Depression can feel isolating. Especially when multiple medications or therapies haven’t worked. But you are not alone. There are other options for treating treatment-resistant depression.
At Greenbrook, we offer no-cost consultations where you can speak with a knowledgeable team member, ask questions, and explore our treatment options commitment-free.
Taking the first step toward exploring NeuroStar TMS may open the door to new possibilities for managing depression.
Sources:
- NIMH, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression accessed 4/29/2024.
- Zhdanava M, Pilon D, Ghelerter I, et al. "The Prevalence and National Burden of Treatment-Resistant Depression and Major Depressive Disorder in the United States." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2021;82(2):20m13699.
- Trivedi MH, et al. (2006). Evaluation of Outcomes with Citalopram for Depression Using Measurement-Based Care in STAR*D Implications for Clinical Practice. Am J Psychiatry, 163(1):28-40
- Rush AJ, et. al. (2006) Acute and longer-term outcomes in depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps: a STAR*D report. Am J Psychiatry, 163(11):1905-1917.
- Fava M, et al. (2006). A Comparison of Mirtazapine and Nortriptyline Following Two Consecutive Failed Medication Treatments for Depressed Outpatients: A Star*D Report. Am J Psychiatry, 163(7):1161-1172.
- McGrath PJ, et al. (2006). Tranylcypromine Versus Venlafaxine Plus Mirtazapine Following Three Failed Antidepressant Medication Trials for Depression: A STAR*D Report. Am J Psychiatry, 163(9):1531-1541.
- Post A, et al. (2001). J Psychiatric Research, 35:193-215.
- Liston C, Chen AC, Zebley BD, et al. (2014). Biol Psychiatry, 75(7);517-526.
- Sackeim HA, et al. (2020). Clinical Outcomes in a Large Registry of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Treated with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. J Affective Disorders, 277(12):65-74.
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