If you are looking for a non-drug option for treating depression you might consider one of three forms of brain stimulation: Electroconvulsive Therapy, transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). As with any medical treatment you need to talk to you doctor and your support network first in order for you to make the best decisions for yourself. The overview below however may help you compare these three techniques.
ECT:
How well does it work?
- Ect is among the best treatments for drug-resistant depression https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/struck-living/201306/tms-or-ect-mental-health-consumer-weighs-the-options
What are the side effects?
- Some transient memory loss but no evidence for long term issues https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894
How accessible are treatments?
tDCS:
How well does it work?
- Emerging evidence suggests it can very effective in some people https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/neuropsychiatry/current-status-transcranial-direct-current-stimulation-treatment-depression
What are the side effects?
- Very tolerable, just some tingling and itching during stimulationhttps://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S1935-861X(16)30140-1/abstract
How accessible are treatments?
- Depending on your location access to in-office treatments may or may not be available. tDCS is also sold direct to consumers for non-medical use. https://provider.neuromodec.com/tdcs.html
TMS:
How well does it work?
- FDA cleared for people where a drug treatments/interventions were largely ineffective https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625
What are the side effects?
- Some discomfort during TMS and a very low chance of seizures. http://tmsyou.com/tms-results/side-effects-of-tms/
How accessible are treatments?
- A good amount of providers exist in both hospitals and private clinics https://provider.neuromodec.com/tms.html
*All the information listed here is based on publicly available online resources from reputable sources. But this is information is provided as is without guarantee that this is all accurate. Talk to you doctor and care network.
In the end this comparison is not meant to be a competition between ECT, TDCS, and TMS to see what “wins” overall as the best form of treatment. Instead it is simply about getting treatments that work best for an individual, into the hands of those with severe depression.
