Mood Disorder Therapy

TMS Treatment for Mood Disorders

We all have ups and downs, but are they severely affecting your daily performance? A mood disorder is not simply feeling sad or very happy. It is a more complex problem that often requires a combination of medical treatment and psychotherapy.

Affective disorders are pervasive in our society, but they are often not diagnosed. Let’s talk about a few of them and then focus on TMS treatment. This therapy has no side effects and can effectively treat various mood disorders.

What are Mood Disorders?

The term 'mood' defines an internal feeling that modulates a persons behavior and views. Mood disorders are psychiatric problems featuring marked emotional changes. We can break them down into several types, including:

• Bipolar I Disorder: It features a cycle of elevated mood called mania, followed by depression. These patients display a significant range of mania symptoms.

• Cyclothymia: Also known as cyclothymic disorder, it is similar to bipolar I disorder. However, people do not experience the complete list of symptoms. They have depressive and hypomanic cycles for two years or more.

• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: This occurs in children and adolescents, who experience uncontrollable and extreme bursts of irritability and anger.

• Premenstrual Mood Dysphoric Disorder: It is an extreme emotional liability occurring one week before the menstrual period.

Symptoms of Mood Disorders

As noted, mood disorders are varied, and their symptoms depend on the subtype. For instance:

• Bipolar I Disorder: Features a depressive phase with fatigue and negative emotions, followed by hypomania, which includes extreme euphoria and fidgeting.

• Premenstrual Mood Dysphoric Disorder and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: Feature irritability and emotional liability.

Compared to bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder does not have a complete array of symptoms.

Can You Treat It with TMS Therapy?

Depending on the mood disorder, treatments may include different medications and psychotherapy, along with mood stabilizers. There are also significant positive experiences with TMS treatment in various mood disorders.

TMS helps with depression and anxiety and is also a suitable treatment option for bipolar I disorder and similar mental health conditions. The FDA has approved this treatment for depressive symptoms and it is considered a coadjutant treatment to speed up recovery.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses electrodes on the scalp to send signals to the brain. Neuron connections change and fire differently, leading to improvements in brain chemistry and relief from mood disorder symptoms.

What Does the Evidence Say?

Depression symptoms reduce significantly after using TMS. Studies show improvement in 30 to 40% of patients. The evidence was enough for the FDA to catalog TMS as an approved treatment for depression.

Similarly, it works in bipolar depression and reduces the symptoms of cyclothymia and dysthymic disorder.

A recent study on the neurosciences of TMS shows some insight into how this treatment works. It stimulates a node in the prefrontal cortex that regulates emotion. Improved cognitive control of your emotions will lead to a better mood.

Conclusion

Mood disorders are alterations in the usual variation of emotions. There is a wide range of mood disorders, including various types of depression and bipolar disorders. TMS treatment is an FDA-approved therapy for depression and is known to speed up the recovery of patients. It is a non-invasive treatment with minimal or no side effects. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in TMS treatment for mood disorders, especially if mainstream therapy is not working as intended.