What you need to know about a unique treatment for depression + OCD in Huntsville

Sponsored

Leah and Annie—two TMS Huntsville employees — Leah (left) and Annie (right) have the most welcoming smiles. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

Whether you’ve experienced depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) yourself or have seen someone you care about face these challenges, you know it can be hard to find treatment that works.

Did you know there are drug-free treatments that have been proven effective for 70-80% of patients? If you, or someone you know has tried everything from medications to counseling, you might be a candidate for a procedure called Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS).

That’s where TMS Huntsville comes in. We spoke with Dr. Charles Hayden, a board-certified and UAB-trained psychiatrist, to find out how it works and what to expect.

Meet Dr. Hayden

TMS Huntsville, depression treatment — Dr. Hayden (r) with a colleague at TMS Huntsville. (Lacey Young / Hville Blast)

After years of running a more traditional psychiatric practice in Madison County, Dr. Hayden began researching options for patients whose conditions didn’t respond to medications.

This search led him to Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS), which turned out to be a convenient, safe and effective method of treating both depression and OCD.

How TMS works

Dr. Hayden with depression treatment patient — Dr. Hayden loves interacting with his patients. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

If you’re like us, you are definitely curious about what TMS is and how it works. Here you go:

A magnetic coil is placed on a patient’s head (specifically on the pre-frontal cortex).
The patient only feels a tapping sensation.
By stimulating the brain’s pre-frontal cortex, the magnetic pulse sets off a chain reaction through the brain.
This chain reaction reaches the emotion center of the brain.
The pulses “wake up the brain,” leading to improvements in mood + memory.

Making patients feel comfortable is important to everyone who works at TMS Huntsville:

“We work hard to help patients feel comfortable with the treatment. We walk them through the process, informing them of the safety of it, how it works and what to expect.”
Dr. Charles Hayden, TMS Huntsville

What happens when you make your first appointment

Dr. Hayden talking to a patient — Dr. Hayden meeting with a patient. (TMS Huntsville)

First you have a 30-minute phone call screening to see if you might be a candidate for TMS.
If you fit the basic qualifications, you meet with the doctor in person for a consultation, which lasts around 1.5 hours.
After the consultation, Dr. Hayden develops a personalized treatment plan and continues to check in throughout the process.

The clinic offers a holistic approach to its patients:

“Our goal is to support patients through the entire treatment process. We’ll help manage medications, advise on eating right, connect with community groups and give tips for living an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Dr. Charles Hayden, TMS Huntsville

Reach to TMS Huntsville today

Dr. Hayden and his team—they treat depression in Huntsville — Dr. Hayden and his team. (Lacey Spear / Hville Blast)

If you’re wondering if medication-free depression treatment could be an option for you or someone you care about, let’s take a look at the numbers, according to TMS Huntsville:

The STAR-D study shows that 27% of patients may have “full recovery” from depression when they take their first medications.
After unsuccessfully trying three drugs, their chance of recovery goes down to 7% with the next medication.
TMS has a 50% chance of full recovery—even for patients who have had multiple failed drug depression treatments.
If you’ve had two failed drug-depression treatments, TMS is FDA-approved and covered by insurance.

“Every Monday, the staff shares success stories from the past week. To hear the progress our patients are making reminds us that God is using us to make a difference.”
Dr. Charles Hayden, TMS Huntsville

Begin your healing journey and reach out to TMS today.

Sponsored by: