5 Things You Need to Know about NeuroStar Advanced Therapy for Depression

neurostar-advanced-therapy-depression

We are proud to partner with NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy to talk about their innovative approach to treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). All opinions are our own.

What makes NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy so innovative? Check out 5 things you really need to know about this incredible depression treatment option!

Depression affects more than 300 million people around the world, nearly 16 million of whom live in the United States. The World Health Organization lists it as THE leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression doesn’t care about your age, race, or gender. It costs employers over $1 trillion in productivity losses.

What makes NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy so innovative? Check out 5 things you really need to know about this incredible depression treatment option!
Sources: World Health Organization & Centers for Disease Control

I could spout statistics about depression all day long, but I don’t need to. I AM one of those statistics. I am also one of the many, many people who can’t tolerate antidepressants. That’s why I was really excited to hear about an innovative drug-free treatment option called NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy. Let’s talk about how it’s revolutionizing the way we treat MDD.

What is NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy?

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Just what is NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy? It’s an FDA-cleared treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the areas of your brain that are underactive in depression. I’ll admit, it sounds kind of scary when you put it that way, so let’s dig a little deeper. 

  1. It is NOT Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Let’s get something out of the way right now: NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is not ECT. I want to make that clear because, honestly, when I first read the description I thought it was some type of “shock” therapy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izin3jTKNik

 

NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses and is done without anesthesia. ECT is done under general anesthesia and IS an invasive treatment. You know how SSRI medications work by chemically tricking your brain into making more serotonin and other neurotransmitters more readily available? Well, NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy does it without the chemicals and without the nasty side effects. Which brings us to…

  1. Few Side Effects

One of the reasons that I can’t tolerate antidepressants is because of the side effects. I have some strange reactions to medications. The first antidepressant I was prescribed back when I was 18 sent me into a psychotic episode and almost killed me. Others over the years didn’t have quite as profound an effect, but they either just plain didn’t work or made me feel like I was auditioning for the latest zombie movie.

NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy, on the other hand, doesn’t have side effects like most drugs and other treatments. In fact, the most common side effect is temporary pain or discomfort near the treatment site, which typically lasts only during the first week of treatment. 

  1. It’s a second-line treatment option

There is a perception that you can only be treated with NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy if you’ve tried multiple different drug treatments without success. That’s not true at all. In fact, your doctor can prescribe it for you after just one attempt at treating your depression with medication. 

  1. It’s convenient and accessible

NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy was first cleared by the FDA nearly ten years ago. Since then, they’ve been working hard to make sure that more and more people have access to this innovative treatment option. It is also the first FDA-cleared transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment that can be delivered in under 19 minutes, depending on your doctor’s prescription. That means you can easily fit an appointment into your lunch hour if need be.

  1. A proven treatment with great results

That all sounds fabulous so far, but does it work? I’ve been let down by depression treatments before, so of course I’m skeptical. Here’s the thing: NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy isn’t a new treatment. You’re not a guinea pig in some sort of experiment. In fact, it’s backed by more studies and research than any other type of transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments.

What makes NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy so innovative? Check out 5 things you really need to know about this incredible depression treatment option!

A majority of patients see significant improvement within 4-6 weeks of treatment. In fact, 37% of patients were symptom-free at the end of those weeks. [Carpenter 2012 Depression and Anxiety] 

Let’s hear from a real-life patient!

If you’re like me, you can read about a treatment all day long but still be skeptical until you’ve seen it work on a real person.

Debbie is a mom, wife and arts enthusiast who dreamt of becoming a writer for most of her life. Thanks to NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy, she no longer has severe depression getting in the way of her dreams. In fact, she used her 19-year struggle with depression as inspiration and published her first book. It’s called Fragments of Hope and it intimately details her struggle with the disorder. Debbie credits NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy’s transcranial magnetic stimulation with saving her life, as she is now 100% depression free. Check out her story:

I can absolutely relate to Debbie, as I let depression get in the way of my dreams for a long time. In fact, I’m still letting it interfere. As much as I love what I do (and wouldn’t give it up for the world), I also have always wanted to write fiction. That was my first dream and it never went away.

My depression is one of my biggest road blocks. I want to write, to create a stunning world that engages readers and whisks them away on exciting new adventures, yet I can’t get past the curtain of “blah” that is blocking my creativity. It’s like depression is a giant wall keeping the stories buried deep inside my head. So, kudos to Debbie for getting past that, and kudos to NeuroStar Advanced Therapy for helping her get there!

NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription, so talk to your doctor to find out if it is right for you.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy. For more information about safety and effectiveness of NeuroStar, visit the NeuroStar website.

45 thoughts on “5 Things You Need to Know about NeuroStar Advanced Therapy for Depression”

  1. Can you stay on your current dose of SSRI s during the 6 weeks or do you need to go off of them before treatment?

  2. Hi, this sounds amazing, is it really available on prescription in the UK. I’ve suffered with depression on and off for 14yrs this episode has lasted almost 5yrs, some days are better than others and some medications are nicer than others but if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy could let me have honest real feelings it would be amazing.
    How do I find out more?

  3. Anosa Malanga VA

    Depression is something that people are sometimes not aware of. Good thing there is now this kind of advance therapy. I guess awareness about depression should also be addressed.

  4. Sounds a little scary to me. The brain is nothing to mess with however, it’s a much nicer option than others offered out there!

  5. Rosemary Anderson Palmer

    Depression can be overlooked so much and how it affects the whole family is sometimes hidden away. There’s many lives ended by depression.

  6. Neurostar sounds like a really interesting concept. This could definitely be helpful for people suffering from depression.

  7. I suffer from depression along with some other things and I too do not like the medication route. This sounds helpful but still would scare me.

  8. Always good to hear about new ways to treat depression, especially as an alternative option that is more natural. I hope this treatment helps a lot of people.

  9. Depression is a difficult situation that needs to be addressed right away. I know a friend who suffers from this and it’s devastating seeing her go through it. I will mention this to her.

  10. Seeing those numbers always breaks my heart. It’s so sad that so many people suffer with depression. This sounds super helpful though!

  11. It is so sad that depression is so prevalent in the world and so many are afflicted by this debilitating condition. Neurostar if it uses magnetic therapy must be effective and more safer than ECT about which I am aware. Hopefully this treatment should come in as a respite to the depression afflicted.

  12. I’ve heard a lot about this lately but admit I had no idea what Neurostar Advanced Therapy was. Sounds like a good alternative to medications that can have such scary side effects.

  13. I have never heard of this treatment before but if it helps someone who is depressed then I am all for it!! I love it when there are new treatment options available to people who need them!!

  14. What an interesting treatment option. It would be great if it works really well for many and becomes more wide known.

  15. Knew depression was huge but didn’t realize how big the numbers are. Having this done with a licensed person is important. Glad to know it is not electronic shocking

  16. Thanks for sharing your story about depression. I wish many more would share their stories so people could better understand symptoms and treatment available for those suffering from depression. Keep sharing. We NEED to hear these stories.

  17. Depression can be so overwhelming and crippling for some. It’s always interesting to learn about new treatments that are becoming available.

  18. I was shocked when I read the depression stats. I had never heard of Neurostar Advanced Therapy and it certainly sounds promising. Debbie’s story is one of hope and I’m so glad she is now 100% depression free.

  19. Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place

    It helps to try this especially if the medication isn’t working. I think it’s something that you can do alongside therapy. Good to know that people are getting more and more options.

  20. Wow this is an extremely important post! I know so many friends that suffer from depression and getting the help they need is so important.

  21. Depression is so common and I have heard of medication not working for many people. It is nice to know that there is an alternative treatment option available.

  22. I haven’t heard of it until now. I’m sure those who are looking for something to help are very happy you posted about it, if they haven’t heard of it yet either.

  23. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle

    I’ve never heard of this type of treatment for depression before. I’m glad to know that treatments are changing as our understanding of depression changes.

  24. I Have never heard of this before, but it sounds like a good option for some people who are suffering from depression.

  25. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle

    This is why talking about depression is so important. These numbers are so surprising because no one talks about it!

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