How TMS Rewires Your Mood Without Antidepressants

If you’re living with depression and haven’t found an antidepressant that lifts your mood without unwanted side effects, you may feel hopeless. While antidepressants help many people, they don’t work for all. But don’t give up hope! You have other options.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is a non-drug treatment for depression, helping those who fail to get relief from traditional interventions. 

At Reviv Functional Psychiatry & TMS Wellness Center in Fullerton, California, our experienced psychiatrist, Dr. Hina Sidhu, offers TMS therapy for our patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

In this month’s blog post, we explain how TMS rewires the brain to lift your mood without medications.

Why aren’t antidepressants helping?

Antidepressants help many people get relief from their depression symptoms by increasing levels of neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood and emotion, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. 

However, there are several types of antidepressants, and finding the right one can take time.

In some cases, even after trying multiple medications, symptoms may not improve at all. Researchers are looking into why some people don’t respond positively to antidepressants, but possible factors include genetics, brain chemistry, and differences in brain function.

When depression symptoms don’t improve with medication, we call it treatment-resistant depression. While TRD is frustrating and discouraging, non-drug treatment options like TMS are effective options for many when drugs fail.

What is TMS?

TMS is a noninvasive therapy that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain, increasing activity where it’s reduced. TMS is FDA-approved to treat TRD, major depressive disorder (MDD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). 

Unlike medication and talk therapy, TMS works directly on the brain. It’s believed that low activity in areas of the brain that manage mood and emotion is a contributing factor for depression. TMS “wakes up” these underactive areas, so they can function more effectively.

While medications increase the levels of neurotransmitters that regulate mood, the drugs may not work if the areas of the brain that need to use them aren’t fully active. TMS addresses this issue at its source.

How TMS rewires the brain

TMS therapy helps rewire the brain by reactivating underactive regions involved in mood regulation. These reawakened areas begin sending signals that encourage the formation of new neural connections. 

This process, called neuroplasticity, allows the brain to adapt, recognize, and form healthier patterns of communication. Over time, these changes can lead to improvements in mood, thinking, and emotional regulation.

Can TMS help me

If you’ve tried multiple antidepressants and can’t get relief from your symptoms, then TMS therapy is an option worth considering. Our compassionate team can help you find a treatment that best fits your needs and goals after completing a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.

TMS therapy typically involves five sessions per week for at least six weeks. Your first visit is the longest and can take up to an hour, with follow-up sessions lasting about 20 minutes. 

Some people experience mild headaches or scalp discomfort after treatment, but side effects are generally minimal and short-lived.

Results vary, but many people notice early improvements in depression symptoms within two weeks of starting treatment. We recommend continuing medication and therapy during TMS therapy for the best results.

Many people experience significant improvements in mood with TMS therapy, with benefits that can last several months. Maintenance or repeat treatments can help sustain results. 

TMS therapy isn’t a replacement for antidepressants or talk therapy, but it can rewire your brain (and lift your mood) in a way that improves the effectiveness of traditional treatments.

To learn more about TMS therapy and whether it’s right for you, call us today or request an appointment online.