New treatment for depression launched in Mornington By Liz Rogers

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Are you someone who has trialled two or more antidepressants and still have the symptoms of depression? Perhaps you find it difficult to tolerate the side effects of some antidepressants. Or maybe you don’t want to take them at all. Then transcranial magnetic stimulation may be for you. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Mornington councillor Rosie Clark have just inaugurated an innovative depression treatment here on the Peninsula that aims to help the one in four Australians suffering from mental health issues each year. TMS Australia is now operating from OPTIMIND Psychiatry in Mornington; it offers an alternative to traditional forms of treatment for depressive illness and is having excellent results with people who have had limited or no response to treatments previously. So how does it work? TMS uses controlled magnetic pulses to activate the positive mood circuits in the brain (by stimulating the underactive area of the brain associated with the emotional centre). It is a non-invasive and painless procedure that involves activating this area repeatedly to encourage performance at normal levels. Unlike antidepressants, which can cause side effects including insomnia, nausea, fatigue and weight gain, or electroconvulsive therapy, which can cause headaches, memory loss and confusion, known TMS side effects include temporary scalp discomfort and headache. That’s it. No hospital stay, no anesthesia. The procedure has been researched and used for more than 30 years without presenting any significant safety issues. As one of Australia’s leading TMS experts, TMS Australia co-founder and medical director Professor Paul Fitzgerald explains: “We are currently seeing a shift in the way depression is being treated in Australia and around the world. The development of TMS provides us access to a very well-tolerated, safe and very effective treatment for a substantial proportion of patients who have not responded to or can’t tolerate medication therapies. TMS can make a real difference to the lives of many patients with depression and their family and friends.” OPTIMIND principal psychiatrist Dr Jeremy Stone continues: “It is great to be able to offer this previously unavailable treatment to Mornington Peninsula residents.” If you’re searching for an alternative treatment for your depression, TMS may work for you where other treatments have failed. For the majority of treatment-resistant depression patients, TMS can provide relief within six weeks and last for one year as stated by TMS experts. Give TMS Australia a call to see if you may be one of them. TMS AUSTRALIA A: 303 Main St, Mornington T: 1300 867 888 W: tmsaustralia.com.au FB: tmsaustralia