TMS vs inpatient mental health treatment

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive form of brain stimulation often recommended to patients who have treatment-resistant depression. Some people respond to TMS and find relief from depression—others do not. Everyone, though, can find immediate help and lifelong value through concentrated, personalized, inpatient mental health treatment.

What Is TMS?

TMS uses a magnetic field to cause an electric current to stimulate a particular area of the brain. Administered electromagnetically through a plastic-enclosed wire coil, the stimulator generates an electric current that causes an inverted electric charge within the brain—about the same strength as an MRI.

This procedure is prescribed by a psychiatrist and TMS is typically reserved for individuals who have tried many medications to treat their depression without success. In cases like these, TMS may be the right choice to give them relief, though results are not guaranteed for everyone.

First-time TMS treatment usually lasts about nine weeks as outpatient therapy. The first six weeks, TMS is administered daily every weekday, while the last six sessions are tapered off over the final three weeks. Treatment plans can vary depending on the nature of your symptoms and what your doctor thinks is best for you.

When the treatment works, patients can see a change in their mood and well-being around week three or four. Every patient, however, is different, and some people may not notice any difference at all. It can be even more stressful to go through the TMS process and come out without any changes.

Choose Your Time Commitment

Whether your psychiatrist recommends TMS or inpatient treatment, both are a significant time commitment. For many people, getting concentrated, one-on-one, inpatient treatment is the smart route to accurate diagnosis and care. You are observed around the clock and experts work with you daily to see how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking, and what kind of treatment and care you need to improve your mental health.

It may feel like spending a few weeks in inpatient mental health therapy is not possible with your job and family and obligations, but TMS can be even more daunting. It’s a commitment that requires daily treatment, and while appointments may last only 20 to 30 minutes depending on your provider’s recommendations, you still need to find the time to get to your treatment every day and make it work. That kind of obligation can be taxing for someone who is already depressed or burnt out.

When TMS Isn’t an Option

TMS is not recommended or approved for the treatment of many types of mental health disorders. Depression is the focus of TMS, and sometimes your provider may recommend it for anxiety as well. However, if you’re dealing with the mental health challenges of a dual diagnosis, grief, trauma, bipolar disorder, or stress, you need the kind of customized treatment that can help you right now.

Inpatient mental health treatment not only targets the causes of your mental strain through proper treatment, it also helps you develop healthy coping techniques for lifelong relief, with or without medication therapy. Some people simply need to learn to live with the hand they have been dealt when it comes to mental health, and the support you are given in holistic rehab makes it possible to learn how to manage your illness and be positive and happy amid such a daily challenge.

Find the Mental Health Treatment That’s Right for You

Inpatient treatment offers multiple types of therapy to help people with their mental health diagnosis and treatment. The work you do, you do for yourself, and you get to determine what makes you feel best and most fulfilled, whether that’s yoga, horseback riding, running on the beach, painting, meditating, or otherwise. In holistic treatment, you have the room and time to explore and find out what’s right for your mind and body.

Holistic rehab is the temporary home for you, heart and soul, so you can concentrate fully on the needs of your mental health while suspending the demands of your daily life.

When you are ready to put yourself first, get an accurate mental health diagnosis, and focus on repairing the challenges you encounter every day, contact Beachside Rehab in West Palm Beach, Florida, a respected facility that offers inpatient and outpatient detox, rehab, and holistic recovery. Call today at 866-349-1770 to speak with a trained admissions counselor.