Deep TMS Therapy to Treat OCD

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, TMS therapy could be the right way to manage and overcome the symptoms. This is a serious condition that can negatively impact your quality of life. You may struggle in daily living and being with other people. Fortunately, with an effective treatment method, you can cope with this illness and feel well once more. You can first learn about this treatment and how it works.

Breaking down OCD

Many people have certain routines they stick to. Also, people often have things that cause anxiety and worry. When these anxieties significantly affect the person’s thoughts and behaviors, obsessive-compulsive disorder may be the cause. A person with this disorder will have repetitive thinking, feeling an obsessive need to do, maintain, or avoid something.

Another component is the development of ritualistic behavior. This is a coping mechanism to regulate the person’s anxieties or obsessive thoughts. Common OCD issues include the need to keep the individual’s environment clean and worrying about disastrous situations. A person with severe OCD will have difficulty having relationships and holding down a job. Enjoying life can be a challenge for such a person.

An understanding of deep TMS therapy

Traditional therapy and treatments may not be successful in helping a person manage OCD. In this case, the psychiatrist may recommend deep TMS. This stands for deep transcranial magnetic stimulation. To do it, a technician will attach electromagnetic coils to the person’s brain. Then, a magnetic pulse goes through the coil into certain areas of the person’s brain. The therapy aims to stimulate activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex.

The process is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Before starting the process, the technician will give the patient earplugs. There can be a humming or thumping noise under the coils, but there is no pain or discomfort. The process takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The patient will go through it five days a week for four to six weeks.

Goals of this treatment

This is a non-invasive treatment and one that does not require the patient to have a local anesthetic. TMS targets neural activity in areas believed to be related to OCD. By stimulating the brain cells, the treatment can improve OCD symptoms. Some people report having less significant symptoms within a few weeks of starting treatment.

Other treatment methods with TMS

Medication and traditional therapy can also help the patient manage the effects of OCD. The psychiatrist may start with a prescription drug. Counseling the patient and talking about how OCD behavior affects them and others will also occur. Using TMS in conjunction with these strategies is effective.