ROCHESTER, NY (WROC) — Even when the sun was shining, Nancy Wheatley woke up in the dark in her Fairport home, searching for happiness, often without success.
And some days were worse than others.
“I don’t see a reason to be here when I’m thinking of ways to hurt myself,” Ms Nancy said.
The recession began decades ago.
She has worked hard to get it back.
“Multiple, multiple, multiple drugs,” she said.
Fearing memory loss, Nancy shunned traditional treatments that cause brief seizures.
Then she heard that a relatively new treatment was being offered at the Rochester Community Medicine.
Dr. Adrian Liebowicz is a psychiatrist at RRH who uses a treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
“This is a form of non-invasive electrical stimulation of targeted areas of the brain,” said Dr. Leibovich.
Dr. Liebowicz argues that TMS could be a game-changer for patients with severe depression who have failed previous treatments.
“I think in 1987, drugs like Prozac came out. Basically, more people would seek treatment,” he said.
Earlier this year, Nancy began treatment that included dozens of short sessions over four to six weeks.
“It sounds like a woodpecker poking your head, but you don’t feel anything,” she says.
Her son, Colin Wheatley, has already noticed the changes.
“Communication with my mother alone has improved overall,” he said.
As for Nancy, she says the dark thoughts are gone and the light is back.
“It’s nice to wake up in the morning and I love hearing the birds chirping in the morning,” she said.
TMS has several potential side effects, including slight tingling, skin irritation at the point of contact with the magnetic coils used for treatment, and discomfort due to pulse noise.
If you are interested in treatment, you can refer us from within the RRH system.