Mental healthcare has come a long way in recent years. Care has improved and there is less stigma associated with mental health. However, stigma still exists and many people still don’t have a basic understanding of even the most common mental health challenges, like depression. Depression is also among the most commonly misunderstood mental health conditions.
In this article, we define depression and outline different types of depression. We reference a patient’s story about depression and discuss our exciting drug-free treatment option here in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
About depression
Mood disorders are a group of mental health conditions primarily characterized by a persistent and severe disturbance in a person’s emotional state. They last for prolonged periods of time and interfere with a person’s daily functioning.
Depression is one such mood disorder. It is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, emptiness, and loss of interest in daily activities. Many people don’t know that depression often manifests as physical pain, extreme fatigue, and intense irritability.
The Canadian Mental Health Association says that depression affects 1 in 8 Canadians at some point during their lives and women are at a higher risk.
Types of depression
Depression comes in several forms. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by persistent low mood. It often involves appetite changes, insomnia, low energy, poor concentration, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
Another type of depression is postpartum depression. Many people assume that this only happens after childbirth, but it can happen during pregnancy, too. It’s generally associated with hormonal changes.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of major depression triggered by changing seasons. It usually takes place during the fall and winter and causes persistent sadness, low energy, and social withdrawal. However, SAD can happen in the spring and summer, too.
Situational depression is a stress-related condition that occurs in reaction to a life event or trauma. People with situational depression experience many of the same symptoms as those with Major Depressive Disorder, postpartum depression, and SAD.
These are just three different types of depression. You don’t have to fit into one of these buckets to have depression. There are other types of depression and there are variations in how it affects people. If you know something’s not right and it’s affecting your daily function, it’s important to seek help.
A patient’s story about depression
This is a story about a woman who we’ll call Jennifer. Something in Jennifer’s life had changed and it caused her some distress. She was aware that her mental state and behaviour was also changing.
Jennifer had always been a high-energy pillar of her community. Instead doing things that brought her joy, like seeing friends and gardening, she found herself coming home from work and laying on the couch all evening. Her energy and mood were low, she started drinking more alcohol than usual, and her sleep became less restorative. This mental state and behaviour lasted for months.
Jennifer was raised to not talk about feelings or mental health. In her family, if someone was struggling, they were supposed to deal with it quietly on their own or just pretend it doesn’t exist. Even though Jennifer had been conditioned not to think about mental health, one day, she had an epiphany – she was depressed.
Jennifer knew she didn’t want to continue living in her current state. She had heard about an innovative treatment for depression that takes place in a pleasant and unstigmatized environment, and she decided to explore this option. That’s how this became our patient’s story about depression.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a drug-free, device-based therapy. The device uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is an area of the brain that controls mood and is generally underactive in people with depression.
More effective than medication, TMS re-activates neural pathways to dispel depression. There are no long-term side effects, such as emotional numbness or sexual dysfunction, which are often associated with antidepressants.
TMS has been an accepted treatment for depression for many years. However, most people who need treatment will never gain access due to the system’s treatment criteria, wait times, and treatment schedules. This is why Exomind TMS at Body Works Med Spa & Wellness is so helpful.
Exomind TMS therapy in Halifax
New to Halifax, Exomind TMS is improving access to treatment for depression. We do not require a formal mental health diagnosis, we accept self-referrals as well as referrals from medical professionals, and there are no wait times.
As an optimized TMS device, Exomind generally produces faster results compared to traditional TMS. It also offers a range of evidence-backed treatment schedules so that therapy fits into people’s lives. Treatments are generally comfortable, there’s no downtime, and patients can go about the rest of their day as usual.
Fortunately, Exomind TMS also helps with conditions that often accompany depression, known as co-morbid conditions. Two examples of co-morbid conditions are anxiety and insomnia.
Supervising the Exomind TMS program at Body Works Med Spa & Wellness, Dr. Christine McClelland is a psychiatrist, also known as a medical doctor and mental health expert.
How our patient’s story ends
Jennifer decided to do a short Exomind TMS treatment plan. With no wait times, she got started right away and found the treatments to be easy, quick, and entirely comfortable.
She felt a bit better after every treatment. In her historically typical high-energy way, she declared herself cured at the end of her treatment plan. Now, she’s delighted to share her personal experience with Exomind TMS in hopes of helping other people in similar situations.
The clinicians at Body Works Med Spa & Wellness are thrilled to have brought a happy ending to this patient’s story about depression.
Get in touch
If you’re interested in learning more about Exomind TMS, Body Works Med Spa & Wellness offers free virtual and in-person consultations. The purpose is to determine if Exomind TMS is right for you. Call 902-405-0858, email info@bodyworksmedspa.ca, or click here to book online. While Exomind TMS is not currently covered by MSI, it is tax-deductible and covered by some Health Spending Accounts.
