TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)

TMS has a documented success rate of 60 - 70%. This does not mean that 60-70% of people who try it experience full, long term remission but just that that percentage of people get some amount of relief. It's just simply not something that works for everyone, as well I know. For me, I get moderate relief for about three months each time I go back in for a tune-up. But importantly, it helped me to realize that FOR ME (not everyone) my treatment-resistent depression is a life-long illness, one that I have suffered since I was young. The good news is that this realization enabled me to stop blaming myself for trying everything under the sun (including various cocktails of medication, every single alternative treatment under the sun and decades of therapy, etc. etc.) to "recover" or "overcome" my depression without success. It made me feel like a failure. For me, it was a a relief to stop endlessly trying, trying, trying to "get better". Acceptance has played a big part in my relief, accepting that for me, that I will forever and always cycle through periods of depression and remission. I'll continue to work with the depression and continue to try various approaches but my perspective is different and it has led to my being able to live with my treatment-resistent depression with much less despair or feelings of defeat and much for compassion and patience.