Illustration by Angela Krieg
At Brooklyn Minds, we specialize in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), an FDA-cleared treatment for people suffering from major depression, including Major Depressive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In our new column TMS Success Stories, we are sharing personal stories from our patients and their families who have found TMS to be an incredibly effective treatment for their depression. Today’s TMS story comes from Michelle Bruenn, our Practice Administrator at Brooklyn Minds, in which she shares the positive impact TMS has had on a loved one.
Working closely with Dr. Owen Muir at Brooklyn Minds I have witnessed many patients go through accelerated TMS treatments, known as SAINT treatments (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy). I have seen signs of our patients’ improvement such as becoming more talkative with staff, engaging in more eye contact, and projecting more energy. It wasn’t until my partner recently went through a SAINT treatment that I had a much more intimate view of how effective TMS can be as a treatment for depression.
My partner has spent years living with depression and has tried many forms of treatment including numerous antidepressants and ketamine infusions. He heard about TMS through my work at Brooklyn Minds and after months on medical leave due to his depression, he decided to take the step and attempt something new. Between the initial contact with the intake team and beginning the actual treatment his father passed away from cancer and with the combined burdens of grief and depression, he was struggling to function. We both were anxious about whether SAINT would be effective.
While at work, I first saw him on day two of his treatment while he was resting in an office between treatments and I felt a difference in him instantly. It was as though his pleasure at seeing me was on the surface instead of being buried beneath his depression. I didn’t comment on it that day but felt hopeful for the first time.
By the end of day four he was telling me that he was feeling better and on day five, the final day of treatment, the person who met me at the office was almost unrecognizable. His energy was totally different; he seemed joyful and walking home with him later that day he was almost glowing. We met up with his daughter who told him that she had started noticing a change in his text messages by day three—I agreed that he seemed more open and talkative, even through text messages. He was more able to simply ask for what he wanted without hesitation and a level of insecurity had lifted. Everything out of his mouth felt more decisive. The way he touched me even seemed more certain, as though there was no inner struggle over whether to fulfill a desire.
TMS doesn’t alleviate grief or dampen emotion in general but it does lift depression. Since the treatment I have seen my partner struggle with the loss of his father and with the things in his life that make him unhappy but he continues to seem happier overall and more able to both deal with these issues intellectually and experience his emotions fully. I feel closer to him without his depression constantly between us. It’s been wonderful to see so much change in someone over such a short period of time and I feel incredibly privileged to work for a company that offers this treatment.
