Non-Invasive Treatment for Depression and Anxiety

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD can be an extremely debilitating condition. It affects 1 in 4 people at some point in their life.

Whilst traditional treatments with antidepressants and psychological therapies do provide benefit in 50% of people, a significant proportion of GAD patients do not respond adequately to such treatments.

To this patient group, treatment with rTMS can offer a much-needed alternative.

rTMS works on brain circuitry rather than simply modulating brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) as conventional antidepressants do and there is a good clinical evidence base supporting rTMS in the treatment of GAD.

Symptoms
include:

Symptoms mainly fall into two broad groups:

Cognitive Symptoms

Overthinking things
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling on the edge all the time
Inner tension/turmoil

Physical Symptoms

Palpitations
Rapid heart rate
Choking sensations
Hyperventilation
Sighing
Butterflies in tummy
Feeling nauseous
Irritable bowel/bladder
Diarrhoea
Headaches
Muscle stiffness
Twitching
Sensations of tingling or numbness
Dry mouth
Sweaty palms

Causes of
GAD:

Genetic

Family history of GAD is likely to make you more vulnerable to experiencing symptoms yourself. Genetic loading can lead to 25% increase in risk of developing GAD.

Biological processes

Dysregulation of chemicals such as Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and depletion of Serotonin in the amygdala region of brain has been postulated in GAD.

Psychological factors

Being shy or an anxious person by nature, can make you more vulnerable to experiencing GAD symptoms.

In certain individuals difficult life events at any stage in life, are likely to precipitate GAD.

Environmental factors

Exposure to prolonged stress can precipitate or predispose individual to have GAD.

Treatment

Options:

Psychological treatments like CBT have been shown to be helpful.
Medications – Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants have also shown benefit in treating GAD.
rTMS – This is a non-invasive, medication-free treatment with minimal side effects which has shown good success rates in treating GAD symptoms. Minimum 10 treatments (over 2 weeks) are required.

Recent studies by Morris et al (Nov 2020) shows the response rates for rTMS were 59.71% on the GAD7 questionnaire, and 67.42% on the PHQ-9 questionnaire which were higher than the response rates for antidepressant medications .

Testimonial From Happy Patient

Hello to everyone at Tranquil TMS.I just wanted to wish you a Very Happy and Successful year.I hope many more people like me get to experience the benefits of TMS as I have.I have have the best Christmas in approx 15 years.I was able to decorate the whole house and two Christmas tree's (now I'm showing off!) Mum said she has done it for the last 15 years as I haven't been able to leave my bedroom.I was able to spend the whole day with friends and family but more importantly to me I was fully present I didn't use alcohol or medication to suppress any feelings I couldn't cope with and I didn't disassociate once.I was real and alive and my family and friends were all able to see and feel that.I am excited to see not what 2020 brings but what I can make happen in 2020 because I feel I have a life and hope again.

Book Your Free 10 Minute Chat

To find out more about the potential benefits of rTMS treatment, or to book your first session, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team in Cheadle today. Whether you’re in Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, or further afield, we are here to help.