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South florida tms therapy in miami and boca raton

About Depression

Depression is a very real and very serious condition which affects millions of people in America every year. In fact, researchers believe that as soon as the year 2020, depression may grow to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. And yet for all the people who are afflicted with this disease, an estimated 4 million sufferers will not receive adequate relief from traditional treatments such as talk therapy and anti depressants.

 

There are many theories and believed causes for depression. However, leading research in the field of Neuroscience shows that depression manifests itself as an imbalance of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells.

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Whatever the cause or trigger for depression, these regions show drastic under performance in depression patients. Antidepressant medications seek to increase the levels of neurotransmitters through systemic interventions. It is believed that newly cleared TMS Therapy works by activating these same regions, but in a much less intrusive and more timely way. Learn about depression treatment options.

Facts About Depression

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  • Depression is a serious medical illness which affects more than 14 million American adults every year1. The symptoms of depression are often debilitating and can include a persistent state of sadness and interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and physical health. Learn more about depression symptoms.

  • There is also a very real economic cost with depression. In 2000, this economic burden was estimated at $83.1 billion in the US2.

  • Researchers estimate that by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide.3

  • Depression can be a lethal disease. In fact, each year in the US, over 30,000 people die by suicide, 60% of whom suffer from depression.4

  • Overall, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression; however, some experts feel that depression in men is under-reported.5

  • Depression has no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries.

  • About two-thirds of those who experience an episode of depression will have at least one other episode in their lives.

  • More than 4 million patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them. For these patients, they need a new way back.

References:

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  1. Kessler, RC, et al. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun: 62 (6):617-27.

  2. Greenberg, PE, et al. The economic burden of depressive disorders in the United States: How did it change between 1990 and 2000? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2003; 64 (12): 1465-1475.

  3. Murray CJ, Lopez AD. Evidence-based health policy – lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Science. 1996; 274 (5288): 740-743.

  4. Heron, Melonie, et al. Deaths: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57 (14). April 17, 2009.

  5. Kessler, RC, et al. The epidemiology of major depressive disorder; results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA. 2003; 289(23): 3095-3105.

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