If you’re considering Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy for depression, you’ve likely wondered about the time investment required. Many people assume that any serious mental health treatment demands hours out of their day, making it difficult to balance with work, family, and other responsibilities. The good news? The TMS time commitment is far more manageable than most people expect.
At Advantage TMS, we understand that your time is valuable. That’s why we’ve designed our program to fit seamlessly into your busy schedule while still delivering the life-changing results you deserve. Here’s everything you need to know about the actual time commitment for TMS therapy and why it might be the most convenient depression treatment option available.
When we talk about TMS time commitment, we’re referring to two key aspects: the length of each individual session and the overall duration of your treatment course. Let’s break down both elements so you can plan accordingly.
Each TMS therapy session at Advantage TMS takes approximately 19-37 minutes, depending on the specific protocol your doctor determines is right for you. That’s about the same amount of time it takes to grab lunch or run a quick errand. Unlike other treatments that require sedation or lengthy recovery periods, TMS allows you to remain alert and comfortable throughout the entire process.
During your session, you’ll sit in a comfortable chair while the TMS device delivers targeted magnetic pulses to specific areas of your brain. The treatment is non-invasive, requires no anesthesia, and involves no downtime afterward. This means you can drive yourself to and from appointments and immediately return to your normal activities once the session is complete.
A typical course of TMS therapy consists of sessions four to five times per week over approximately six to seven weeks. While this might initially sound like a significant time commitment, consider that you’re looking at just 20-40 minutes per weekday for a treatment that has the potential to transform your mental health for months or even years to come.
When you compare this TMS time commitment to the cumulative hours spent managing depression through traditional methods—doctor appointments, pharmacy visits, dealing with medication side effects, and the lost productivity from untreated symptoms—the time investment becomes remarkably efficient.
At Advantage TMS, we’ve specifically structured our practice to minimize the impact on your schedule. Here’s how we make the TMS time commitment work for you:
We’re open from 8 AM to 8 PM Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 6 PM on Fridays, and we also offer Saturday appointments. This flexibility means you can schedule your TMS sessions before work, during lunch, after work, or on weekends—whatever works best for your lifestyle. You don’t have to take time off from your job or rearrange your entire schedule to get the treatment you need. We are very flexible and can move your appointment to a different time that day with a quick phone call from you.
One of the most frustrating aspects of seeking mental health treatment is often the wait time. At Advantage TMS, we offer same-day free consultations to learn about TMS, and you can typically start treatment within 5-7 days of your initial consultation. This rapid start means you’re not spending weeks or months waiting for relief—you can begin your path to better mental health almost immediately.
Perhaps the most significant advantage of the TMS time commitment is what happens after each session: nothing. You don’t need recovery time. You won’t feel groggy or disoriented. You can drive yourself home, return to work, exercise, spend time with family, or engage in any other activities you choose. The treatment doesn’t extend beyond the appointment itself, which is a major distinction from other depression treatments that can leave you sidelined for hours or even days.
To truly appreciate how reasonable the TMS time commitment is, it helps to compare it with alternatives:
Taking antidepressants requires daily administration, regular doctor check-ins, potential blood work, and pharmacy visits. Medication can take up to eight weeks to start working. When side effects occur—weight gain, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, nausea—you spend additional time managing these issues or trying different medications. Over months and years, this adds up to significant time and effort, often without achieving the desired results.
While therapy is valuable and we incorporate it into our comprehensive approach, therapy sessions typically last 45-60 minutes weekly or biweekly. For treatment-resistant depression, therapy alone may not provide sufficient relief, leading to prolonged treatment periods without resolution.
ECT requires general anesthesia, meaning you need someone to drive you to and from appointments, and you’ll need recovery time after each session. The procedure itself is more invasive and comes with memory-related side effects that can impact your daily functioning well beyond the appointment time.
In contrast, the TMS time commitment offers effectiveness without the extensive recovery periods, side effects, or lifestyle disruptions associated with these alternatives.
At Advantage TMS, we don’t just focus on the magnetic stimulation itself. We’ve created a comprehensive program that makes every minute of your time commitment count:
While you’re already dedicating time to your TMS sessions, we offer free group therapy and coping skills sessions during your treatment period. This means you’re getting multiple therapeutic benefits in one visit, maximizing the value of your time investment. Our Licensed Clinical Social Worker guides you through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques that complement the biological changes happening in your brain.
We provide fitness trackers to help you monitor lifestyle goals, nutritional guidance, and discussions about mindfulness and relaxation—all integrated into your treatment experience. Rather than requiring separate appointments for these wellness components, we incorporate them into your existing TMS schedule.
Your time commitment to TMS doesn’t just end after six weeks—it continues to pay dividends. As an alumnus of our program, you have access to complimentary maintenance sessions, monthly events like sound bowls, painting, and yoga, and ongoing group therapy. We also conduct monthly follow-ups to ensure you maintain your progress.
When evaluating the TMS time commitment, it’s important to think beyond the initial six weeks. Clinical studies show that approximately two out of three patients who respond to TMS therapy maintain their improvement for at least 12 months. Additionally, only about one in three patients need to return for maintenance sessions.
This means that your concentrated time investment over six weeks can potentially provide relief that lasts for a year or longer. When you consider it from this perspective—investing approximately 20-30 hours over six weeks for potentially 12 months or more of relief—the TMS time commitment becomes one of the most efficient uses of your time for mental health treatment.
If the TMS time commitment still feels uncertain, remember that we offer same-day free consultations where you can discuss your schedule, concerns, and specific situation with our team. We’ll work with you to create a treatment plan that fits your life, not the other way around.
Depression has already taken enough of your time—time spent in bed unable to face the day, time lost to lack of motivation, time consumed by negative thoughts. The TMS time commitment is an investment in reclaiming all of that lost time and living your life to its fullest.
Contact Advantage TMS today to schedule your free consultation and learn more about how this efficient, effective treatment can fit into your schedule and transform your life.
Ford, H., Hahn, L., Clarke, P., Gill, S., Carnell, B., & Galletly, C. (2021). A comparison of 15 minute vs 30 minute repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation sessions for treatment resistant depression – are longer treatment sessions more effective?. Journal of affective disorders, 282, 974–978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.009
Kelly, M. S., Oliveira-Maia, A. J., Bernstein, M., Stern, A. P., Press, D. Z., Pascual-Leone, A., & Boes, A. D. (2017). Initial Response to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Depression Predicts Subsequent Response. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 29(2), 179–182. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.16100181
Our office is closed Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10, 2024, due to the storm. If you have any questions or urgent requests, please email us at info@advantagementalhealth.com.
Please fill out the form if you have a patient interested in learning more about TMS treatment. We appreciate the referral and partnership.
Next Steps:
• Our TMS Coordinator will contact the patient to schedule a complimentary information session.
• If the patient decides to seek TMS treatment with Advantage TMS, we will communicate with you when necessary and the patient will continue to work with you while receiving treatment.
Questions?
• Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 727-600-8093 or info@advantagementalhealth.com
