With heightened rates of depression, especially among the U.S. military, a new North County center to treat this common mental health condition is especially welcome now. That may be why the May 21 Open House event for CalTMS was well attended.
Business leaders, local officials, therapists and other champions of mental health participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony in downtown Oceanside. Scott Ashton, CEO of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, welcomed attendees who included Salome Tash, staff assistant to Representative Mike Levin (D-CA); Oceanside City Council members Christopher Rodriguez and Kori Jensen, and other dignitaries.
Yashwant Chaudhri, MD, CalTMS’s Chief Medical Officer, demonstrated on a volunteer attendee exactly how his clinic’s medical treatment, NeuroStar® Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy works. This procedure uses a targeted pulsed magnetic field, similar to the magnetic field produced by an MRI machine, to stimulate the area of the brain, which is involved in mood regulation, and has been shown to be underactive in individuals struggling from depression. TMS is a non-invasive, non-systemic, non-drug treatment for depression approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.
“For more than a decade, this inventive medical remedy has helped people who struggle with major depressive disorder, even after taking antidepressant medication,” Dr. Chaudhri explained to attendees. “This treatment helps activate the natural function of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Because TMS Therapy does not use prescription medication, patients don’t experience side effects such as those often linked to antidepressant medications.”
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, Angelica Tesoriero, expressed interest in the TMS Therapy. “Treating patients with depression can be a challenge,” she said. “Patients express depression as heaviness, without the ability to feel joy. From what I’ve seen here today, TMS could be a game-changer for those who have tried antidepressants with either no results or bad side effects.” Tesoriero specializes in treating first responders with First Alarm Wellness in Vista.
About CalTMS
For more than 35 years, California Medical Behavioral Health (CMBH) providers have served as leaders in behavioral and mental health care. CalTMS, is a division of CMBH with three offices in San Diego County: National City, Santee and now Oceanside.
For more information about CalTMS or TMS Therapy, please visit the website at https://caltms.com/ or call (800) 985-7580.###
