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Treatment Experiences12d agoedited

TMS for anxiety (not just depression) — my experience

Most posts I see here are about TMS for depression, but I want to share my experience using it primarily for generalized anxiety disorder. I've had GAD since college. The constant knot in my stomach, racing thoughts at 3am, avoiding phone calls — the whole package. My psychiatrist was upfront that TMS for anxiety has less research than for depression, but said the results she'd seen were promising. We targeted the right DLPFC instead of the left (which is the typical depression target). The protocol was 30 sessions over 6 weeks. Results: My anxiety dropped significantly. Not gone, but manageable. I can actually sit through meetings without my heart pounding. I made a phone call yesterday without rehearsing what I'd say for 20 minutes first. The unexpected bonus — my sleep improved dramatically. I didn't realize how much my anxiety was wrecking my sleep until it got better. Anyone else done TMS specifically for anxiety?
M
Marcus T.
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Dr. Jennifer Patel, MD
Dr. Jennifer Patel, MDVerified Specialist
11d agoedited

This is a great topic. You're right that most TMS literature focuses on MDD, but there's growing evidence for anxiety disorders. The right DLPFC target your provider chose is consistent with current research for anxiety. We're also seeing interesting results with newer protocols that target both hemispheres in the same session for patients with comorbid depression and anxiety.

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J
Jennifer K.
10d agoedited

YES! I did TMS for anxiety + OCD last year. Similar protocol — right side targeting. The OCD improvements were slower but the anxiety relief was noticeable by week 3. My therapist said I was making more progress in CBT sessions after TMS, like it unlocked something.

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E
Emma S.
7d agoedited

I'm about to start TMS and have both anxiety and depression. Did your doctor discuss doing both sides? I'm trying to understand what to ask about at my consultation next week.

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Dr. Jennifer Patel, MD
Dr. Jennifer Patel, MDVerified Specialist
5d agoedited

Emma — bilateral TMS (treating both left and right DLPFC) is becoming more common for patients with comorbid conditions. Ask your provider about sequential bilateral treatment. Some newer protocols like intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) can treat both sides in a shorter session time. Bring up your specific symptom profile so they can tailor the approach.

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