More than 264 million people around the world have depression, making it one of the most common mental health disorders. Depression has also been the leading cause of suicide among teenagers and young adults, known to disrupt the lives of patients who have it.
The more common treatments for depression are psychotherapy and antidepressants, but their inability to treat all patients led to research for alternative treatments. These researches resulted in the discovery of two successful alternate treatments for depression, more commonly known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and IV Ketamine Treatments.
However, before explaining how these two methods help treat depression, let’s first briefly explore what depression is.
Depression
Depression is one of the most common mood disorders, which leads patients to experience persistent sadness and loss of interest in routine life. In severe cases, it can seriously disrupt the patient’s ability to engage in daily tasks and functioning.
Common Symptoms
Depression can make the patient experience a range of symptoms, the most common of which are listed below:
- Sadness and emptiness
- Loss of interest in hobbies and routine activities
- Insomnia or disturbed sleeping patterns
- Anxiety and restlessness
- Chronic physical pain
In its most severe form, depression can also make patients suicidal, which makes it especially dangerous.
Treating Depression through TMS
TMS is an alternate treatment for depression that uses electromagnetic waves to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to alleviate symptoms of depression.
How it Works
Since depression largely impacts the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus, treating depression through TMS involves directing electromagnetic waves towards these areas of the brain. The stimulation pushes the nerve cells in the region to help ease symptoms.
Treating Depression Through IV Ketamine Treatments
Ketamine is a notorious drug that became popular for its misuse in clubs and during parties. However, during various studies regarding mental health, researchers discovered that Ketamine effectively treats mood disorders.
How it Works
Ketamine treatment involves injecting IV ketamine into the patient during a session that lasts 40 minutes. Ketamine treatment is effective because it immediately alleviates the symptoms and blocks NMDA receptors to activate glutamate, repairing areas of the brain causing depressive symptoms. Hence, the patient does not need ketamine to always be present in the system to find relief.
Important Advice
Both these treatments are employed only when a patient does not respond to regular treatments for depression and should only be done under a certified doctor’s supervision.
Conclusion
To conclude, alternate treatments for depression like TMS and IV Ketamine Treatments have successfully helped patients who were unable to find relief through the regular methods. They work by stimulating the dorsolateral frontal cortex of the brain as with TMS, or blocking NMDA receptors to active glutamate, as with IV ketamine treatments.
If you are suffering from depression and seeking help, please contact us and schedule a session with us.