Improving Mental Health: the Goal of 2021

It took a global pandemic for many people to realise the necessity of taking care of their own mental health. A time of adversity led to great introspection and reevaluation of what is important. The question remains, how do we go about it?

Foster relationships

Investing time and energy into relationships, old and new, can decrease loneliness and provide a sense of social connection. This could be through texting, zoom calls or in person. The method is less important than the contact. Reaching out to people can help both you and them.

Gentle exercise

Exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins but it need not be excessive and is not for everyone (especially not people with eating disorders). Exercise can also help improve the quality of sleep. A simple walk in nature or a quick dance in your bedroom can instantly shift your mood.

Improve your sleep hygiene

No this doesn’t mean you need to have a shower and clean sheets(though both can help)! Sleep hygiene is a term referring to good sleep habits. Some tips include; going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine 4-6 hours before bed, developing a bedtime routine, a small amount of exercise and refraining from naps during the day. It can also help to make you room dark and to reserve time in bed for just sleeping.

Follow Mindfulness

Mindfulness can be as simple as paying attention to the beat of your heart, emptying your mind and centering yourself. When you evoke calmness by turning inwards, your blood pressure decreases and your heart-rate and breathing slow. You can focus on the feeling in each limb of your body, give yourself a gentle massage or focus your attention on an object or sound. If you feel your mind wandering, just refocus and don’t be disheartened.

Find a Sense of Purpose

It does not have to be something as big as a career or starting a family, purpose can be found in smaller things. Activities like art and journalling can be a great creative outlet that leave you feeling productive. Volunteering is a way to give back to society and make a difference. Caring for a pet can make you feel needed and loved. Becoming a plant mum can give you a sense of responsibility. Find what works for you.

Dear 2020

Sometimes yearly review posts can be difficult as they make you realise that you haven’t achieved as much as you wanted or you didn’t live up to your expectations. I also don’t agree with setting strict goals each year because whatever happens, will happen. Life is unpredictable. In saying that I thought I’d round out the good things that have happened this year by writing a letter to the year that was.

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Dear 2020, thank you for the year that has been. There have been many ups and downs and though there were more downs this year, there were also some positive things that came out of it.

Thank you for teaching me that I am allowed to enjoy my own company. When isolation was happening, I couldn’t go to uni, see my friends or attend appointments. At first I felt more alone than ever before but I came to realise it’s okay to find pleasure in little things and to rest. Going on walks by myself, listening to music, journalling, taking pleasure in my cat, just sitting and watching the world pass by. These were some of the things I enjoyed this year.

Thank you for giving me my therapist. At the beginning of the year I began seeing a new therapist who specialises in eating disorders. Due to covid and my anxiety, I stopped sessions for a while and I have had a grand total of five or six this year (most over telehealth) but I have never felt more understood before. She found parts of me no other therapist has reached before. She has given me hope. I plan to continue to do my homework and to see her in the new year and maybe one day I will recover completely. I am not one in four.

Thank you 2020, for showing me that I am stronger than I think. When the world was crashing down around me, I felt like my life was ending, but it wasn’t at all. It did not end. It did not end when we could not buy toilet paper or leave our houses, nor when it became the perfect breeding ground for depression. I made it through the most difficult of times and found resilience that I didn’t know I possessed. I now know that I am capable of getting through almost anything.

Thank you for allowing me time to reflect on myself and my future. There are certain things that I have come to realise this year that have helped me immensely. I am not a bad person- this was a difficult one. I have always felt defective or ‘wrong’, but this year showed me there are far worse forces in the world than self doubt. We are all just people trying to do our best. I also had time to really consider my future career options and it’s given me back that spark of excitement that I feared I had lost. Anticipation over fear any day.

More importantly, thank you 2020 for coming to an end. There were times this year were the wave of loneliness and fear felt never-ending. We are far from out of the woods yet, who knows what the future will hold, but it seems that here in Melbourne the biggest wave has passed. We will keep fighting our way out of this but for now, at least, it seems there is light.

I’m Not Lazy When I Can’t Get Out of Bed

Recently, I’ve been criticised by other people with mental illness for the way that I cope and deal with things and it bugs me.

You wouldn’t be depressed if you left the house and engaged in life

Other people with severe depression can work and study full time. You’re just being lazy and choosing not to get better

First of all, there is already so much stigma surrounding mental health so I don’t understand why you would add to that ,especially when you claim to be suffering yourself. If you know what it feels like to be on the receiving end, why would you put that on someone else? We should be supporting each other, not blaming people for how their feeling or having a go at them. There’s a way to be supportive and helpful, and then there’s being plain mean.

Some people with depression can’t get out of bed

It’s not because we’re lazy or weak, and we’re not choosing to be sick. Often you are so drained of energy that everything becomes an effort. You get so overwhelmed by ordinary tasks that even the most basic things, like showering or changing clothes, can become difficult. When in a bad place, I’ll often go a week without showering because I’m just not able to. There’s also the fact that the outside world can become so terrifying that you don’t want to face it, or you’re scared to act on suicidal or self harm thoughts so you don’t go out. Depression can be heavy, you feel weighed down and it feels like you’re moving through a fog. At times you can focus solely on getting through it and that is the most you can do. There are days where you don’t want to get up because you cannot face having to get through another normal day. So you pretend the outside world doesn’t exist.

Everyone’s experience is unique

Some people go to work and university. They go out with their friends. Yet, they’re not happy. Underneath the smile, they’re in turmoil. They’re high functioning. It is believed that this is the case for the majority of people with depression. They could be having sleep difficulties, are not finding joy in anything and are easily irritable. They could be breaking down each night and then act as everything is fine the next day.

Then there are the less functional presentations. Can’t get up in the morning. Can’t fulfil responsibilities. These people might struggle to eat and bathe themselves. They might neglect the people around them and not care about anything.

I have been both of these. Depression exists on a spectrum and I don’t think it’s unusual for people to slide up and down it. Wherever you sit, you deserve help and support. Your experience is valid and so are you.

Mental Health During Stage 4 Lockdown

This pandemic has been extremely difficult and it’s impacts are far-reaching. There’s constant anxiety about getting sick and the unknown, and it is proving to be extremely detrimental to the mental health of just about everyone.

I live in Melbourne, Australia and while we’re doing better than a lot of places, we’re two weeks into a stage four lockdown. Our whole country was put into early lockdown measures in March, this included things like; no  non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people outside or more than 100 people inside, social distancing at 1.5 metres, the slow closure of gyms, pubs and entertainment venues, and then schools went to online learning. The government was excited about ‘flattening the curve’ but turns out the restrictions were lifted too early. The prime minister said we’d be living with this virus for at least 6 months, and we’re at that point now. Numbers began rising again in Victoria and restrictions were put into place. Two weeks ago, Melbourne was put into stage four lockdown for six weeks. This is what it looks like;

• A curfew between 8pm and 5am
• Four reasons to leave home; essential shopping(1 person per household only), work (if can’t be done from home), exercise, healthcare
• Must stay within 5km of home
• Maximum of 1 hour exercise outside a day
• Mandatory face masks
• Workers must carry permits

It’s been a prolonged process and if we’d gone straight into this months ago maybe it would have been easier, but I’m struggling. I haven’t seen my friends since March. I feel isolated and alone. I can’t go grocery shopping with my mum and when the panic buying happened, I couldn’t get my ‘safe’ foods. I can’t go to the movies or eat at a restaurant. I can’t even see my therapist because telehealth is too anxiety provoking. I don’t even want to go for a walk anymore because it’s hard to breathe in fresh air through a mask.

I’m lying in bed, all day every day. My depression was bad but it’s gotten worse and my eating disorder is thriving in isolation. Last week, I went the whole week without showering. Today, I just want to disappear. Things are difficult.

I wish this was more of a positive post but it’s not. My mental health is the worst it’s been in a while and I’m fearful of what the result of that will be.

To people out there going through this, know that you are not alone. Remember that this is temporary. And reach out if you need support. We’re in this together.

Would I Cure My Mental Illness?

It’s not a secret but I suffer from a myriad of mental health issues; depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and anorexia nervosa. Since a young teenager, they’ve tormented me and taken over my life. They’ve lost me friends, taken months or even years away from me and driven me to try and take my life. Considering all of this, brings the question, would I cure my mental illness? It’s not an easy decision, even though on the surface it may seem to be.

Mental illness has shaped who I am. It has taught me to be compassionate, empathetic and to not assume anything about what others have gone through. I’ve learned that everyone has their hardships even if they may not all be identical. I have become a better listener and a stronger person. I would not have thought that I could have gone through all that I have and be still standing. It has taught me that I can withstand more than I think and I have this drive to always keep trying. Mental illness has taught me not to give up, no matter how hard it gets. I believe it has made me a better person.

But what about the harmful bits? The constant torment, the anxiety, the overwhelming sadness, and suffering. Nobody would ask for that. Nobody deserves that. If I could remove the painful parts I would in a heartbeat. But the good and bad are tied together and that’s problematic.

All in all, if I had the option I don’t think I would change things. Mental illness has shaped who I am. I wouldn’t have chosen to have it but it’s made me who I am today and I like the person that I am now. Moreover, I don’t believe it’s a lifelong sentence. People recover from these things or at least learn to cope with it and go on to live long and healthy lives. I still have hope for myself.

An Intro into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

I’m currently participating in an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group and I thought I’d give you a bit of an insight into what I’ve been doing because I know some of you might have an interest.

ACT is about accepting what you can’t control, such as unwanted emotions, and choosing to behave in line with your values so that your life is enriched and meaningful. It utilises mindfulness ie. paying attention nonjudgmentally to the present moment and other techniques. It’s not about removing unwanted thoughts and emotions but instead, changing the way you respond to them.

There’s a metaphor of passengers on a bus and in ACT you keep on driving despite difficult passengers (thoughts, emotions). You don’t fight them or kick them off but keep moving forward anyway and noticing the positive passengers. You’re driving towards your values(what’s meaningful to you) and a lot of time is spent identifying what these are.

We’ve been learning about dealing with strong emotions and how we get ‘hooked’ by difficult thoughts. This is accompanied by bodily sensations, urges for action and feelings. Then there’s a choice point and this is where you can choose to act on your urge or do something else and is a point of potential intervention and where change can occur.

Some ways of acting including noticing the emotion is there, using imagery by imagining it as a shape/colour/thing, or accepting it and giving it space realising that you can continue on with this emotion present.

Inside a Suicidal Mind

Trigger warning for themes of depression and suicide.

I am dark inside. Pitch black, shadows all around me. Darkness is just the absence of light, yet it feels so heavy. I am suffocating, gasping for air but swallowing water and sadness. It’s killing me. There’s no way out and it’s killing me.

There’s a point where it gets too much. The pain becomes unbearable. Just as a person would jump from a burning building, no one wants to do it but there’s this fear of the current situation.

At first, it was just fleeting thoughts. The idea of death would visit from time to time but it wasn’t really an option. Then gradually, they became more prominent until they occupied every corner of my mind and one day it was too late to run away.

I’m completely alone and it doesn’t matter that there are people around me because they have no idea how bad things are. They don’t know what it’s like inside my head and I can not tell them. If I could form the thoughts into words, they still wouldn’t understand because no one can know what it’s like unless they’re living it.

Sometimes I think about the future, where I could go and what I could do. But there’s always the thought, ‘I’m not going to make it.’

In a way, dying has become the solution. Not only to my own suffering but to the suffering of all the people who have to deal with my existence. I feel like a burden to everyone around me and it’s obvious that they would be better off without me.

I’m in the middle of the storm. But I always am. As soon as one wave reaches the shore another is rearing up behind me. There’s no escape. No moment to catch my breath.

My life is the storm and the only way out is to let it take me. (Or so it seems).

 

‘wings like a bird
weightless, i rise.
untethered, unburdened
free.
please do not ask me to stay
in a world where
i am chained and constrained
where living feels like dying
and my body runs on pain.
i want to feel
nothing
nothing, nothing.
i want to be nothing
at all.
please do not ask me to stay.

i don’t think i can do this anymore.’

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There is help available. Please ask for it. Things can get better and they do.

This was just an exercise and a brief insight into my mind, but I promise I am fighting with everything I have.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

The Journey of My Mental Health

Early life

My story begins, as it often does, with my home life. Compared to a lot of people, I had a good childhood, my parents loved me and I was lucky. But it wasn’t perfect. Without going into too much detail, my father was abusive (primarily towards my mum but also me) and an alcoholic. I witnessed a lot of violence and was constantly scared. He had affairs behind my mums back and even had a secret child. I also was physically hit as a child by my two older brothers and the behaviour was often ignored because ‘boys will be boys’. My mother was unpredictable with her moods and you never know what will set her off, she also wasn’t the most affectionate. My parents split up when I was 11 and things got relatively better but there are ongoing issues.

High School

I’ve always been an anxious child, I can remember having difficulties with making friends when I was as young as 8. I was shy and awkward and I’ve spent my life watching the popular cliques from afar. By the time high school started, the anxiety had become debilitating. I spent the first 3 months eating lunch alone and the next 3 tagging along with the girls in my class who I didn’t even like. Over the next two years I was bullied for being ‘different’ and my self-esteem disappeared. Girls would talk about me behind my back, point at me and laugh and exclude me. I remember one occasion where I was put into a group for cooking and then on the day of the class, neither girl turned up, it turned out that they’d taken the day off on purpose because they didn’t want to work with me. That was hard to take.

Year 8 (aged 13) was the year I believe that I first started suffering from depression and an eating disorder but neither was diagnosed until I was out of high school. I was doing well in school but I felt alone and like I was always the outsider in any friendship groups. I was also really sad and I didn’t know why. One day I was in class when a friend slid a pair of scissors across her arm. Seeing a solution, I started self-harming. It was superficial and occurred rarely at first but it became a much bigger issue a few years later.

The next year I went on a leadership camp in the country for a term. It was here that I suffered my first panic attack. I was dizzy and couldn’t breathe or talk, I didn’t know what was happening and neither did the staff at the camp so they called an ambulance. I felt like such a failure and I think this experience made it harder for me to later seek help. At the camp there was a girl who was anorexic and by that time I already had an eating disorder. She was a lovely girl, but way skinnier than I was which made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Later that year I went on a school trip to Japan and I just remember picking at my food the whole time and it got to the point where I felt my teachers watching me. And it’s difficult to admit, but I liked that.

Around this time I started feeling suicidal and then not soon after, I lost a classmate to suicide. That was awful and I still wish it had been me. In year 10 was when the depression became more of an issue. I began crying and just laying my head on my desk in class. I wanted someone to notice how much pain I was in. That pain was nothing compared to what the next two years would bring. I had also begun questioning my sexuality but I pushed the thoughts aside and pretended that they didn’t exist. When I joined an LGBT group and began speaking at assemblies, I was bullied for that too.

In my final year, I was suicidal and had anxiety attacks every day, I had begun purging a few years earlier but now it spiraled out of control. I lost weight and felt happier, then I’d gain it all back and feel worse. My camp and formal were some of my low points, one I was surviving off of air and the other I couldn’t keep any food down. I almost fainted at my formal too. I hated myself and felt like I wasn’t good enough. I wanted to be perfect but perfect doesn’t exist. I was a mess. Self-harming became my release and the only way I knew how to keep myself alive. I just felt like my grades weren’t good enough, I wasn’t smart enough, just not enough. I tried so hard to seek help but I was unable to. I was getting detentions for missing class, being punished for being ill. I tried to speak to the coordinators and counsellor but was never able to. I came close with one teacher who generally cared and wanted to know why I was struggling but I didn’t know myself. Here is when I attempted suicide for the first time, though I never told anyone.

University

I got into my dream university course and struggled through the first year. The work was extremely difficult, I was isolated and still sick. I had panic attacks every day. Near the end of the year, I finally spoke up and got help (read about that here), where I started seeing a youth mental health service. They were amazing.

I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety (general and social), anorexia and traits of bpd. I started seeing a counsellor and eventually began taking medication. Telling my family was hard. They had no idea I was struggling and it still hurts today knowing that they were so oblivious.

The Downward Spiral

At 18, I was admitted to an adult psych ward for the first time. I had gone to an appointment and they felt I wasn’t safe. It was awful. There was little help and it was such a scary and isolating experience. Most patients were in their 40s-50s and suffering from some form of psychosis. It wasn’t the right place for me.

A month later, I overdosed for the first time. I was found unconscious and taken to hospital via ambulance where I was admitted to a cardiac ward. They gave me narcan which I reacted badly to; hallucinating and being restrained. This began the cycle of suicide attempts and admissions. Between my first two overdoses, there was maybe a 6-month break but then I was admitted again and again. Sometimes months in between, sometimes days. Suicidal thoughts. Attempts. Some being quite severe.

Around this time, my brother got into hard drugs. He was violent, unpredictable and home wasn’t a safe place. I can’t share much without invading his privacy but I can say it was an extremely difficult time.

At 19/20, I had my first admission to an eating disorder ward(11 weeks in total with 4 being in either medical or normal psych) and things started looking up. I did okay for a while. Returned to uni and was doing well. But then the self-harming started again and I was needing stitches frequently. That same year, 5 months after the first ed admission, I was admitted again. This time, I didn’t want to be there and the force-feeding was something I struggled with immensely. My ed had been helping with my depression and now that had stopped. I ended up being kicked out for frequent suicide attempts and transferred to psych HDU for a few days which was awful. Just awful. I was on a community treatment order for a while.

A month later, I had my worst suicide attempt. I ended up in ICU on a ventilator. Unfortunately, the attempts didn’t stop there either. I’ve had so many that I couldn’t count and not all overdoses either. It’s escalated to worse things that I don’t feel comfortable speaking about.

A year and a half ago now, I was transferred to the adult public mental health system (from the youth one). This was hard. There’s no therapy and the doctors are nowhere near as compassionate or knowledgable. The level of care just isn’t the same.

I’ve since had two private admissions and they’ve been somewhat helpful. I’ve started different meds, been through group therapy and received TMS. Basically been treated like a normal human being.

Today

Sitting here today, aged 22, things still aren’t good. I’m struggling. I’m about to graduate university, finally, and should be looking forward to my future but I don’t want one. I’m tired and don’t want to be here anymore. Every day is a battle and I feel like my mind is winning. The darkness is all consuming and I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I’ve tried everything

Where to from here? Who knows.

 

 

What it’s Like Being an Involuntary Patient

The Mental Health Act

Informed consent to medical treatment is generally presumed to be central to the provision of good quality healthcare, but it’s not always possible. The Victorian Mental Health Act 2014 outlines the criteria for compulsory treatment for people experiencing severe mental illness, often associated with risk of harm to self or others.

There are three types of orders; Assessment, Temporary and Treatment. An Assessment Order allows a psychiatrist to examine you to determine if you have a mental illness and require compulsory treatment, it lasts for 24hours. A Temporary Treatment Order requires either community treatment(CTO) or involuntary treatment (ITO) and lasts for a maximum of 28 days. Treatment orders are the final type and can only be made by the Mental Health Tribunal (which occurs if your TTO is about to expire or if you apply to revoke it). A CTO can be extended to 12 months and ITO’s to 6 months.

To be  put on a treatment order the following criteria must be met (unless it’s for an Assessment Order for which you must ‘appear’ to have a mental illness);

• You have a mental illness.
• Because you have mental illness, you need immediate treatment to prevent:
  • serious deterioration in your mental or physical health, or
  • serious harm to you or to another person.
• You will get immediate treatment if you are on a temporary treatment order or treatment order.
• There are no less restrictive means, reasonably available, for you to get the treatment that is needed.

My Experience

I have been under the act on multiple occasions. I’ve been sent to hospital from appointments and been transported from home and elsewhere by ambulance and police. Most times it was following a suicide attempt or to prevent one and these were generally revoked after a few days. My longest was over a month in an eating disorder unit(you can read more about that here), and I have experience with being on a Community Treatment Order which required me to attend frequent appointments.  I also once had a stint in the high dependency unit (HDU). There were many more times where I was coerced into treatment and told I would otherwise be put on an order. 

The Effects

Involuntary treatment restricts you in autonomy, you feel like you are not being listened to and have no rights or say in your treatment. It’s as if you have done something wrong and are trapped in this often prison-like environment. Hospitals can be terrifying at times, and being there does not always mean you receive treatment. There is no therapy and often no programs. You are left staring at a wall or tv all day with no way to keep occupied. Due to my diagnosis of BPD they won’t admit me for more than 48hours and this is complicated because there have been times that by the point where they withdraw the order, I am begging for help but they won’t keep me.

‘I think there is no point in being locked in as nothing is happening there, this isn ‘t any direct care. It is on the whole only storing away’ (Olofsson & Jacobsson, 2001).

Being admitted resulted in me having to pause my univeristy studies and stopped me from being able to enter the workforce. It prevented me from making further progress in therapy. I had nasogastric tubes forced down my throat with nurses holding down my arms. The majority of the time I still had control over what medications I took but there were times I was persuaded to take pills that oversedated me and left me unable to do anything but sleep. I was threatened with an antipsychotic injection and they forced me to take a sample in tablet form but I didn’t like how it made me feel so I refused the injection. Luckily, I found out that because I wasn’t psychotic they had no legal right and their words were just threats but it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Tribunals

I’ve had to undergo two mental health tribunals and that was the worst part of this whole experience. You sit next to your health professional while they read out a list of all the reasons why you are incompetent and unable to make decisions for yourself. It’s degrading and you feel like your trust has been betrayed. If you know this person well, then it’s exceptionally difficult because you may have liked them and believed that they were helping you and now here they are saying all these negative things about you. That was the point that I lost all trust in the mental health system. I was also refused my right to see my files with no explanation as to why. I no longer wanted to attend appointments. It felt like everyone thought I was a hopeless case and I was scared of being readmitted at any time.

‘If I encounter another crisis, it wouldn’t even occur to me to seek psychiatric help again. For a long time, I didn’t even dare to visit the GP for physical things, out of fear it could lead to another sudden and totally incomprehensible admission’.(Kirsten: Nyttingnes, Ruud, Rugkåsa, 2016)

Reflection

Looking back, there are times when admission was necessary. It prevented my suicide and my death from starvation. I know the intentions were honest but I wish there had been another way. I would have preferred access to acute community services where they check up on you every day. I have it written in my notes for staff to ask me multiple times if I will go voluntarily before being made involuntary. This is because I am not always thinking rationally so it may take a while for the situation to sink in, but I would much rather go in on my own free will. There is the possibility of having an advanced statement or nominated person and this may help to uphold your rights but it is something I have no experience with, primarily because I feel like I still won’t be listened to.

I believe there are appropriate times for involuntary treatment but that the hospitals need vast improvements to make them into therapeutic environments, otherwise, what’s the point?

‘If they had a system of mental health that was really helping people, they probably wouldn’t have to lock the door‘. (Mike: Floyd, 2013)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Earlier this year, I underwent a round of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for my depression. It’s a relatively new option (since the 1980s)  and here in Australia is only available privately.

What is it?

TMS is a noninvasive treatment for various mental health conditions, involving mild brain stimulation. A magnetic coil is used to generate electrical currents in targeted areas of the brain cortex. Repeated stimulation then alters brain activity.

TMS is recommended for patients whose depression is treatment resistant and has not responded to antidepressants. It can also be used for other conditions such as anxiety.

It is thought to be effective at reducing depression.

Source: tmsaustralia.com.au

 

The Process

Before beginning the treatment, you undergo a session where they stimulate the brain region that controls the movement of your hand. This is so that the correct intensity of the pulse can be determined. When they stimulate this region, it often causes the contralateral hand to twitch and I have to say it’s an odd feeling!

Source: http://www.tmsneuroinstitute.com

At the start of each session, time is spent measuring up your head to find the correct location. Then a coil (or two if you are doing bilateral) is placed against your head, usually near the front of your brain. There is a  loud clicking sound and if you listen carefully, you can hear the water being cooled. They start the strength slowly and gradually increase it over the session, and then consecutive sessions. It isn’t supposed to hurt, however, I did find each click slightly painful but more uncomfortable. As I got used to it, it began to hurt less and near the end, it didn’t hurt at all. Sometimes I also felt my forehead twitch. During the session, I wasn’t able to use my phone but could watch a tv on the wall. Unfortunately, I couldn’t wear my glasses so I spent most of the time trying to sleep.

Everyone’s protocol is different but I underwent repetitive-TMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This consisted of 40 minutes of stimulation daily for 40 days. Many people will also have to undergo maintenance sessions.

Source: tmsaustralia.com.au

Side Effects

These include; discomfort, possible headaches, and rarely-seizures. It should not be used if you have a history of epilepsy, a pacemaker, metal implants or are pregnant

Unlike ECT, patients are awake, there are minimal side effects and no memory loss.

My Results

Unfortunately for me, I don’t think it really worked. The nurses said I was more sociable and seemed happier, but I think that was more with acclimating to the ward. It has been suggested that TMS is more beneficial for people with mild to moderate depression, but I do know people with quite bad symptoms who found it effective! I am glad that I tried it. Luckily a med change meant that I am doing better now but if I go through another severe episode, the suggestion has been to try ECT instead.