Welcome to South Shore Neuropsychiatric Center's Blog

THE FUTURE OF MENTAL WELLNESS

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

The alarm shrills in the morning signaling you to get up. You hit the snooze button and hope that this may be the day you’re able to find some purpose, joy, or maybe a little excitement about anything. Anything besides that familiar feeling of numbed, inexplicable sadness.
As you lie there, you realize that this day is going to be like so many others before it.
You drag yourself out of bed and go through the motions, seeing people and places in a kind of
gray, dreamlike state while berating yourself for feeling the way you do. Family members and
friends are concerned. Some are kind, some tell you that there are others far worse off than
you, and still others tell you to snap out of it. You wish you could, but you don’t have the desire
or strength to feel any other way.
You have strange aches and pains. Headaches. Backaches. Joint pain. You’re moody,
anxious, worried, and angry. Your physician can’t find anything wrong with you. You describe
your symptoms and she/he prescribes an antidepressant.
You try one, then another. In the meantime, you may suffer through a period of
increased or decreased appetite, insomnia/drowsiness, increased anxiety or lack of sexual
desire or function. Some of these effects may go away, others may not. You learn about
neurotransmitters and chemicals of the brain; serotonin, dopamine and how certain medication
affect these. But what is wrong with yours?
Depression and the Complexities of the Human Brain
Depression. It manifests itself in a number of ways. Some of the greatest artists,
writers, physicians and everyone in between has suffered and suffers from depression. The
1950s brought Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) that
relieved some sufferers, but posed numerous and dangerous side effects.
In the late 80s, the Mac Daddy of antidepressants, Prozac, was released and millions
benefitted from it. Prozac was the wonder drug; a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
(SSRI) and the grandfather of the ones that came after; Zoloft, Paxil, and Effexor, to name a
few.
SSRIs increase serotonin, a chemical in the brain that affects mood. Studies suggest
those suffering from depression have a chemical imbalance whereby serotonin stops between
the synapse, the gap between nerve cells in the brain. Simply put, antidepressants are
purported to stop receptors from “turning off” serotonin.
Antidepressants do not hone in on a specific area of the brain. They alter the entire
biology of a person, including the nervous system which uses those same transmitters. The
result is those less than desirable side effects.
Our brains are what makes us who we are; our own unique selves. Our behavior,
moods, feelings and a myriad of functions and emotions are tied into the sophisticated
magnificence of this amazing organ‐‐it runs the show.
A seven‐year study, the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression
(STAR*D), conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that when
medication was used for depression a third of patients got better; a third received some
benefits, and others received no benefits at all.
For those two‐thirds of patients that continue to suffer from depression, the statistics
seem bleak.
The Future for Treating Depression
In 2008, the FDA approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to treat adults with
major depression. NeuroStar TMS Therapy® is a system whereby patients sit in a comfortable
chair (much like a dental chair) and a magnetic coil is placed against one side of the scalp. Using
focused magnetic impulses to the left prefrontal cortex (area of the brain believed to regulate
mood), this outpatient procedure takes approximately 30 minutes and is similar to an MRI scan.
During the procedure, the patient is monitored continuously to ensure correct position
and comfort level. Some patients watch television; others talk to the clinician and others opt to
drift to a state of total relaxation. The patient and clinician are in control and the procedure,
painless and non‐invasive, is free from the adverse systemic side effects associated with
antidepressants. The patient can resume regular activities immediately after each session.
Through followup sessions each week for three to six weeks, patients have reported
significant improvement in depression symptoms. In clinical trials, one out of three
experienced complete symptom relief at the end of a six‐week period.
The Experts
Dr. Edward Fruitman, a nationally‐recognized expert in the field of Psychopharmacology,
is the first psychiatrist to use TMS therapy in the Five Towns area of Long Island and is among
an elite few in Long Island that uses this procedure as part of his methodology. Dr. Fruitman’s
approach to mental health is treating the whole person as a unique individual.
“We cannot treat all patients with one neurobiological set of rules. What we know now
through the study of human behavior, nutrition neurotechnology, holistic treatment and the
complexities of the human brain is that we must focus on the whole person and gear our
treatment toward his or her’s unique psychological and physiological makeup. TMS is not only
the future for treating depression, but may also be very beneficial toward treating other
neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer, and migraines.”
The Lecture
Dr. Fruitman’s lecture will focus on the benefits of using TMS therapy and mental
wellness. He has conducted hundreds of sessions using TMS therapy. You’ll learn not only
about the latest treatments, procedures and medications to treat depression, but holistic
methods you can start using immediately. You’ll receive a free copy of his publication, “Healing
the Mind‐‐Ten Steps you Can Take to Improve Your Mental Wellness and Mood.” The lecture
also includes an intensive question and answer session.
Learn what you need to do in order to improve your life. Take the next step toward
relieving your depression, once and for all. Schedule a free consultation with Dr. Fruitman and
his staff to find out what your therapy should be in order to live the life you deserve‐‐fully, and
with limitless possibilities.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
..
Dr. Edward Fruitman is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He has
a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of
Michigan, and received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Michigan State University, College of
Medicine. Dr. Fruitman is a nationally‐recognized speaker with over 700 lectures and
presentations to his credit at medical conferences and educational settings. He has served as
Medical Director for a large non‐profit agency with outpatient psychiatric treatment centers in
New York for 15 years and treats private patients by appointment at his private practice, South
Shore Neuropsychiatric Center, in Hewlett, New York.
To learn more, visit http://www.southshoretms.com/ or call 516‐295‐4867

By Brigitte Surette

Tags: major depression, psychiatry, tms, transcranial magnetic stimulation
Posted in Article | No Comments »