Diana* believed that depression was something she was destined to live with. The eighth grade teacher battled the debilitating mental condition for more than a decade, regularly experiencing episodes of deep despair after she graduated college.
“Depression felt like I was…stuck inside a wooden box, buried alive,” the 32-year-old explains. “I felt as though I was trying to claw my way out, but was only tiring myself out more. I was underground in a pit.”
Like the 16 million adults who battle depression in the U.S. each year, Diana was overwhelmed with feelings of despair and hopelessness. She began to feel as if her life had no meaning.
“I struggled with day-to-day activities,” she recalls. “The only reason I had for getting out of bed was my job. On the weekends, or days off, I stayed in bed and slept or watched movies all day.”
Diana decided to try TMS therapy after having no success with antidepressant medications.
“I had been on several over the past ten years. While they seemed to work for a short period of time, I would go back into the dark abyss,” she says. “It was as though I would pull myself out of the pit long enough just to stumble back into it.”
For Diana, it was a life or death situation.
“I was desperate and felt as though I had no other option. I was willing to try anything at that point,” she says.
Diana believes she made the right choice. She was immediately impressed by not only the technology, but the support of the Transformations staff.
“One of the best experiences with TMS was getting to know the medical facilitator,” she explains. “We would spend the time talking about how things were going. If I had a bad day, I could vent to her about it. When I felt as though I were sliding back, she would have me go through a list of questions to see if it was due to depression or simply a situation I wasn’t interested in.”
Diana felt a difference after just seven to 10 sessions. Despite feeling a slight discomfort during some treatments, she describes the experience as painless.
Her friends, co-workers and family members began to notice a change in her behavior.
“I had a co-worker mention to me that I looked like I ‘wasn’t carrying around such a heavy weight,’” she says.
Today, Diana feels like a new person.
“I still have bad days, but there are fewer now. I became interested again in the things I had set aside for over a year, such as crafting, crocheting, writing,” she says. “I even started to become more present with my family and at my job.”
Transformations played a significant role in Diana’s battle with depression, and she hopes others will draw inspiration from her story and seek treatment.
“If you feel like you have nothing left to lose like I did, then it’s worth a shot to try,” she says. “I was worried about the time, dedication, and money, but when I decided to try TMS therapy, I truly was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to exist anymore. I figured that I could give it a shot and possibly feel better, or end up dying anyway. What did I have to lose?”
Diana* was like many people suffering with depression. She believed that it was something she was destined to live with. Read part of her story below:
Diana battled depression for more than a decade, regularly experiencing episodes of deep despair after she graduated college.
“Depression felt like I was…stuck inside a wooden box, buried alive,” the 32-year-old explains. “I felt as though I was trying to claw my way out, but was only tiring myself out more. I was underground in a pit.”
Like the 16 million adults who battle depression in the U.S. each year, Diana was overwhelmed with feelings of despair and hopelessness. She began to feel as if her life had no meaning.
“I struggled with day-to-day activities,” the eighth grade teacher recalls. “The only reason I had for getting out of bed was my job. On the weekends, or days off, I stayed in bed and slept or watched movies all day.”
Diana decided to try TMS therapy after having no success with antidepressant medications.
“I had been on several over the past ten years. While they seemed to work for a short period of time, I would go back into the dark abyss,” she says. “It was as though I would pull myself out of the pit long enough just to stumble back into it.”
For Diana, it was a life or death situation.
“I was desperate and felt as though I had no other option. I was willing to try anything at that point,” she says.
Check back next week to read more of Diana’s story.
