TMS THERAPY
FDA-cleared, non-medication depression treatment
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 says he has done several things to try and improve it, including “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.”
Brennan disagrees with the adage that depression fuels creativity, explaining that “comedy [can] come out of pain but also comes out of having a good brain and being observant.” Previously he relied on SSRIs, a type of antidepressant medication, to manage his depression, relating how he would write for Chappelle’s Show “high on Zoloft” but TMS therapy allowed him to discontinue SSRI medication completely.
Now that TMS therapy has lessened Brennan’s depressive symptoms and helped reclaim what he refers to as “Life Force,” he speaks openly about his depression to dispel the myth that “depressed people are lazy or feeling sorry for themselves or just can’t get out of a bad mood. It’s not like that, it is people who are trying hard to feel better.”
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy (TMS therapy) is a safe and effective treatment for individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who have not experienced satisfactory improvement from antidepressant medication. TMS therapy can be used in conjunction with medication or as a stand-alone treatment. TMS therapy works by delivering magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation – areas known to be underactive in those diagnosed with MDD. The magnetic pulses stimulate brain cells, thereby improving the brain’s ability to regulate mood.
Take our 6 question quiz to see if TMS therapy could be right for you
Subscribe for mental health, self-care, and TMS therapy updates for those affected by treatment-resistant depression or OCD.
Thank you for subscribing to our email list!
Oops, there was an error adding your subscription.
Please try again later.
By providing your email address, you are consenting to receive blog updates from Greenbrook TMS Inc. You may unsubscribe from these alerts at any time by following the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of email alerts. At Greenbrook TMS Inc. we take the privacy and security of your personal information seriously. To learn more about how we protect your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Greenbrook TMS supports an accessible internet. If you have any questions about our accessibility features, please contact us at
866.928.6076 and/or info@greenbrooktms.com.
All Rights Reserved | Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers.