TMS Therapy for OCD
Struggling to find a treatment that is effective can be difficult for some people. TMS Therapy for OCD is a great alternative to traditional talk therapy and prescription medication.
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OCD: Obsessions and Compulsions
:Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that millions of people across the United States experience.
This disorder causes people to struggle with obsessions and compulsions that can be very difficult to manage. These obsessions and compulsions cause fear, anxiety, avoidance, and acting on impulse.
There are a variety of treatment options for OCD. Medications, different types of therapy, along with specialized inpatient and outpatient programs. While these treatments help people manage and treat their OCD, some people sadly find little relief.
OCD is made up of two factors: obsessions and compulsions. These both cause anxiety and can take up most or all of someone’s day.
Obsessions
Obsessions are thoughts that cause fear and anxiety. These obsessions cause people to have trouble going about their day without anxiety.
While people without OCD can experience some kind of obsession, they are eventually able to get over it more quickly than people with OCD. Obsessions can be any thoughts that cause distress.
- Examples of obsessions:
- Contamination
- Taboo behaviors
- Harm
- Perfection
These are just a few of the many obsessions that people suffer with.
Compulsions
When someone wants to relieve these obsessions, they may complete a certain action, which is the compulsion.
Compulsions are typically repeated to find relief from whatever obsession the person is dealing with.
Types of compulsions:
- Checking compulsions
- Mental compulsions
- Repeating compulsions
- Cleaning compulsions
- Symmetry and ordering
Any behavior that someone acts out to get rid of fear from an obsession is a compulsion.
The Never-ending Cycle
OCD has a cycle:
- Obsession: What the person constantly thinks and worries about.
- Anxiety: This comes from obsessions.
- Compulsion: This is to find relief from the anxiety.
- Temporary relief: Anxiety goes away, but eventually returns.
Then this cycle repeats itself, as OCD always finds something for the person to obsess and worry about.
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Benefits of TMS Therapy For OCD
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a treatment used to treat depression, OCD, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
This treatment is non-invasive. A coil is placed on the patient’s scalp, and this coil sends the magnetic pulses. Patients are not sedated and experience little discomfort.
TMS comes with few to no side effects. The most common side effect is pain near the spot where the treatment takes place.
Because this treatment is non-invasive, patients can go about their day right after the sessions are completed. These sessions typically last anywhere from 18-25 minutes, sometimes longer.
This treatment is FDA approved for OCD and depression.
How It Works
TMS works by sending magnetic pulses to areas of the brain that are playing a role in an individual’s mental disorder. These areas of the brain are stimulated, treating the activity in the brain.
For OCD, TMS targets the specific parts of the brain that play a role in OCD and how it affects someone.
Parts of the brain that TMS can target:
- Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
- Orbitofrontal cortex
- Pre-Supplementary Motor Area
When these parts are stimulated, OCD symptoms have been reported to decrease in severity.
What To Expect
Before starting your TMS sessions, you will have a consultation to discuss your medical history and whether or not TMS is right for you. Once you have decided this OCD treatment will be a good option for you, a treatment plan will be created to fit your specific symptoms.
A full TMS treatment consists of 36 sessions. Your first session will be the longest. During your first session, the staff will find the best place to apply the treatment. This session maybe 60-90 minutes.
After your first session, the rest of them will be much shorter.
You will wear earplugs during each session. This is because there is a clicking noise that comes from the machine. Once you have your earplugs in, the coil is then placed on your scalp. During the treatment, a tapping sensation is common to feel but is typically not painful to most.
Our team strives to make your sessions as comfortable as possible for you. These treatments take place in a chair. During your treatment, you can read, listen to music, or watch television.
Financial Coverage
You may be wondering how expensive this treatment is, luckily insurance coverage is available.
Because this treatment is FDA approved and has helped many people, many insurance companies do cover this treatment.
Our goal at ClearWave Mental Health is to help you with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the most efficient way possible. We provide flexible payment options to make treatment more affordable for our patients.
Find OCD Relief Today
OCD is a debilitating condition that can be difficult to treat for some people. Finding OCD treatment that works can be frustrating and difficult.
If you have tried multiple treatment options and have not found much success, TMS for OCD may be right for you. Schedule an appointment today for a consultation.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this treatment, feel free to contact us. Our goal is to help you improve your symptoms and we are happy to be a part of that process.
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Valhalla, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
Clearwave Mental Health is the premier psychiatric and TMS treatment center servicing Poughkeepsie, Valhalla, Westchester, New York and the Hudson Valley. Our mission is to provide compassionate, personalized, individualized, and effective mental health care for our community.