TMS
Transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS is a cutting-edge technology approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use in patients with depression. TMS is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic stimulation of nerve cells in the brain to improve the symptoms of depression. Repetitive magnetic pulses are administered under the supervision of a physician to improve the functioning of parts of the brain associated with depression and other mental health disorders.
Sahara Behavioral Health provides TMS to assist patients with treatment resistant depression move forward with happier healthier lives. Our team takes an integrated approach to your TMS treatment program and integrates physical and behavioral health provider recommendations throughout the process to ensure the best possible outcomes.
What is TMS?
TMS Therapy uses a magnetic coil helmet to generate highly concentrated, magnetic fields which pulse rapidly. These magnetic fields are the same type and strength as those produced by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.
The treatment coil helmet is applied to the head above the left prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is involved with mood regulation and impulse control. As the magnetic fields move into the brain, they produce very small electrical currents activating cells within the brain which are thought to release neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Since depression and other mental health disorders are thought to be the result of an imbalance of these chemicals in the brain, TMS can restore that balance and, thus, relieve depression and impulse related disorders.
What conditions are treated with TMS?
TMS is a FDA approved treatment for patients suffering from depression who have not achieved satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant treatment. TMS has been shown to improve symptoms for patients suffering Depression, Anxiety, Addictions, Bipolar, PTSD, Postpartum Depression , OCD, and for those who want lose weight.
Depression
Anxiety
Addiction Disorders
Bipolar
PTSD
Postpartum Depression
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Weight Loss
We can help…
TMS Therapy can be performed in our office, under the supervision of our MD. TMS Therapy is:
Non-invasive, meaning that it does not involve surgery. It does not require any anesthesia or sedation, and the patient remains awake, alert, and pain free during the treatment.
Non-systemic, meaning that it is not taken by mouth and does not circulate in the blood stream throughout the body.
The typical initial treatment course consists of at least 5 treatments per week over a 4-6 week period, for an average of 20-30 total treatments. Each treatment session lasts approximately 12-30 minutes, depending on what the doctor determines is the correct protocol.
PJ Ghuman
Director of TMS Programs
PJ will be there every step of the way throughout your treatment. He will provide education, support, and treatment working every day to help you reach your recovery goals. PJ is highly educated and experienced in TMS treatment and has dedicated his focus to this modality with great success in patient outcomes.
Patient Testimonials
“I started TMS around 2 months ago, PJ was the person who assisted me through the entire process, Dr. Purewal was there the first day of my assessment and I saw him for my follow ups. It has been quite a ride, the good thing about the experience is that I was never alone, PJ and Dr. Purewal were there for me, on my bad and good days, they were supportive, clear as far as the process and they were a big part of my healing. I will never forget the patience while I was struggling, I felt important and care for. I recommend if anyone is looking to start TMS to be confident that going to Sahara Behavioral will be the right choice.” - Vivian D.
“The TMS process was a life-changing procedure. I am a new person. It has begun my life over, to a happier time. I cannot day enough about how much this procedure and staff has changed my life for the better! PJ, the technician who is certified and administers the TMS was amazing. He has the counseling skills that enhanced the process to eliminate the lingering “thought processes” that kept me stuck. In summary, I received so much more than TMS treatment. I received a personalized counselor that walked me through “what” to do when old thought patterns surface. He gave me tools and blogs to help me stay on a positive track, after the TMS treatments ended. I encourage you to explore this option...TMS. It is life changing!”- Creative G.
“We feel extremely fortunate and blessed to have found Sahara Behavioral! Having suffered from depression for most of my life, and having been let down by my previous psychiatrist and winding up in hospital due to prescribed medication poisoning, I had to find another psychiatrist. Searching the web we took a chance on Sahara Behavioral mainly based on reviews of Dr. Purewal. After investigating the TMS therapy offered, and being accepted for the therapy, I decided to go ahead and do this. PJ was my TMS guide and he was absolutely wonderful! On a few occasions there was a follow up with Dr Purewal for the meds. The treatments are now completed. My husband and friends all tell me "what a difference!" . I am more active, more alert, driving again and involved in some community activities. Sure beats laying in bed all day staring at the ceiling, as was the case before my Sahara Behavioral experience. The staff, I had the pleasure of interacting with, were all wonderful and accommodating. Soon I hope to be free from depending on medications and living with side-effects. Thank-you Dr. Purewal, PJ, and the staff at Sahara Behavioral. I feel like I can enjoy life again!” -Phyllis H.
“I tried everything to get rid of my depression. Still that dark cloud stood over my head. Fear to move forward in my life. Stuck thinking the only option was to collect social security, accept defeat, and throw away my college degrees. Then I met Kimberly Nelson at Doctor Purewals office. And instead of offering me another medication she suggested to me TMS therapy. That is when my life changed forever. I started TMS therapy and dedicated myself to have a total of 36 treatments. Around treatment #20 I started to feel whole again. That dark cloud drifted away. I started posting my resume and landed a job. My perspective of myself has changed. The treatment experience was amazing. PJ helped me through from start to finish. He was there at every appointment and he helped me through some of my challenges through the beginning of my treatments. He was so supportive and knowledgeable. I’m so thankful for his company. Doctor Purwal was right, after treatment things and circumstances seem to improve. Life is not perfect but I can simply accept what happens in a more positive way. Thank you to Sahara Behavioral Health and TMS, you changed my life!!! God Bless!!!” - Louisa S.
“My depression and anxiety turned me into a disfunctional mess. I was emotionally crippled with little to look forward to. After a number of bad reactions to multiple medications, I found TMS. The journey for the first 2 weeks was the toughest, but with continued treatment and coaching from PJ, the TMS technician and companion, I made it through 6 weeks of daily treatments. TMS has provided me a mental repreive. I now have the ability to better process my thoughts and curb my emotions. Although I am still processing daily activities, I am doing them. I will never be who I was, but thanks to TMS I can begin my journey to who I will become.
Thank you Dr. Purwell, Sahara Behavioural Center, and especially PJ who advocated for me by working closely with my insurance to get the approval I needed when I could not do so myself.” Nancy N.
“The doctors and staff at Sahara Behavioral Health are absolutely amazing. I have made more progress under their care in the last year than I have anywhere else I have tried in the 10 years prior to my becoming a patient at Sahara. I just completed my 9 weeks of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy and I feel like a new person; more confident, happier, and better able to cope with life's difficulties. My depression is almost non-existent compared to where it was just 2 months ago. Before TMS, I was struggling with hopelessness, feeling like I, and the world, would be better off if I were dead, wishing I was dead, and just felt like a zombie, for a lack of a better way to express how I felt. I wasn't living life… Now, I am. My friends, family, and I started seeing progress after just one week of treatment. TMS therapy has been a blessing for me.- Emma S.
SAINT: Hope for new treatment of depression
Examining the Benefits of TMS
rTMS found to be “well-accepted” for therapeutic use in psychiatric populations