During the course of our lives, we are affected by various occurrences and circumstances which cause us to become angry, fearful, bewildered, joyful and sad. It is normal and expected that we will experience each of these emotions from time to time. It is not unusual for us to go through an entire range of emotions within the same day.

But when any of these emotions linger for an inordinate amount of time or appear to have become inescapable, there is a good chance that a potentially serious mental health issue exists.

Depression is the most common mental illness, affecting millions of people around the world. It is a condition that carries symptoms such as prolonged sadness, an inability to concentrate and feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and despair that are at times intense.

Fortunately, approaches to depression treatment have become more refined over the years, helping many get back on their feet and live productive, fulfilling lives. But conventional treatment such as medications and talk therapy do not necessarily work for everyone, especially those suffering with severe depression.

TMS: An Effective Alternative

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a treatment technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This relatively new form of treatment is non-invasive and requires no medication. The patient sits comfortably in a specially-made chair while a device is placed over their head. This device creates a magnetic field which is targeted toward the prefrontal cortex; the mood-regulating area of the brain. TMS treatment stimulates activity in this area and decreases activity in surrounding regions of the brain.

After having undergone a series of TMS therapy treatments, many patients have shown marked improvement and a significant diminishment of their depression symptoms. The long-term effectiveness of TMS is not yet known. However in the short run, it has proven to be successful where other treatment methods have failed.

Call 513-536-HOPE (4673) or 888-536-HOPE (4673)

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This blog is written and published by Lindner Center of HOPE.

 Mental health problems are the leading cause of disability in the U.S., costing our society countless hours of productivity each year.

The types of mental illnesses are wide-ranging and are classified according to symptoms and characteristics.  It is not always easy to pinpoint a specific mental disorder. This is in part due to similarities between some of the symptoms of various illnesses. Although many established treatment methods have proven to be effective, approaches to treatment are continuously evolving and depend upon circumstances and contributing factors that are unique to each individual.

The Most Prevalent Types of Mental Disorders

Nearly nine percent of Americans suffer from some form of depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Depression falls into the “mood disorders” category and can range from relatively mild depression to potentially debilitating “major depression.”

Other mood disorders include manias and manic disorders — which are indicated by abnormally elevated moods and elation — and bipolar disorders, which carry symptoms such as fluctuations between mania and depression or “mood swings.”

Personality disorders are another common category of mental illness. These are indicated by unstable and socially abnormal behavior patterns and include disorders such as schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Mental illnesses such as OCD and various phobias are often also categorized as anxiety disorders.

The statistics on mental illness in our society are sobering. But the good news is that expertise in the areas of OCD treatment, depression treatment and overall mental health treatment continues to advance. Innovations in research, medications, psychotherapy, behavior modification techniques and the advent of technology such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS treatment) are resulting in increasingly positive results in the treatment of a wide spectrum of mental disorders.

Over 45 million Americans have some form of mental illness. Roughly 25 percent of these individuals have disorders considered to be serious, according to a recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study. With the number of Americans suffering from mental illness and substance abuse problems on the rise, caregivers and treatment facilities throughout the country continue to work to meet increasing demands.

One way this troubling trend is being addressed is through the creation of comprehensive mental health treatment centers. In recent years more focus has been placed upon the consolidation of mental health services that were once spread throughout a city or region.

Mental Health Centers are All-Encompassing

Many of the newer mental health centers are universal in their offerings. They provide inpatient and outpatient services for a wide range of mental health issues and are staffed with a diverse array of experienced therapists and psychiatric specialists.

These types of facilities will often contain separate areas for children, adolescents and adults. ADHD treatment, adolescent depression treatment, eating disorder treatment and treatment for anxiety and bipolar disorders are among the services that can be performed under one roof.

Some mental health centers also contain short-term residential units, such as Lindner Center of Hope’s “Sibcy House” near Cincinnati, Ohio. Sibcy House staff members specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of those with complex mental disorders, addictive disorders and those who have experienced a mental health crisis.

The Lindner facility is also one of the few mental health centers in the country to offer both ECT and TMS treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are used in severe depression treatment and to address conditions for other types of treatment that have failed. These devices are located in Lindner’s new state-of-the-art Neuromodulation Center.

The centralization of services in modern-day mental health centers has been a positive development in a number of ways, including making treatment more accessible to patients and communication between caregivers more convenient. This is especially the case in situations where multiple modes of treatment may be necessary.