There is no universal depression remedy. Often times, a combination of treatments is most effective. For those who have been struggling to find a solution, it may be helpful to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy and other treatments, such as meditation, for depression.
Mindfulness Meditation for Depression
What is meditation? Some may think it consists of quietly sitting with crossed legs and not much else. “Meditation is an active training of the mind to increase awareness, and different meditation programs approach this in different ways,” explains Madhav Goyal, M.D., M.P.H., who led a team of researchers studying the effects of meditation on various mental and physical conditions at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Goyal found that mindfulness meditation might even rival antidepressants in offering relief from depression and anxiety.
Mindfulness meditation emphasizes the importance of keeping your mind focused on your present experience while also coming to terms with that experience. MRI studies conducted by Judson A. Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., and his team have demonstrated that certain types of mindfulness meditation can reduce activity in the amygdala, the area of the brain that regulates how the body reacts to stress.
Mindfulness meditation can also help decrease mind-wandering, a type of thinking most people experience for about 50% of the time they spend awake in which the mind wanders through various trains of thought. Mind-wandering correlates with lower levels of happiness as well as activity in the default-mode network (DMN), a network between different areas of the brain associated with self-referential processing, anxiety, attention lapses, and clinical disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Meditation, therefore, could act as a powerful complement to TMS therapy when treating depression.
TMS and Meditation for Depression Treatment
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is a safe and effective treatment that stimulates specific areas of the brain to treat depression. It is a non-invasive, non-convulsive, and FDA-approved therapy for depression. At Mid City TMS, our specialists simply place a coil over your head to deliver small magnetic pulses to your brain. It is a painless process that should not interfere with your usual routine.
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If you experience side effects from antidepressants or have found talk therapy and medication ineffective, you might benefit from using TMS and meditation for depression treatment. Please contact Mid City TMS, conveniently located in the heart of Manhattan, today for a consultation. We are happy to provide you with comprehensive, attentive, individualized care to help manage and resolve your depression.