Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.

My name is Kathryn, I am 30 years old, and I have depression. While mental health and the topic of depression come up in the headlines a lot, many people still don’t understand what it is and how it affects different people. There is a huge stigma around having depression, and I am one of the few people who wants to help end that. I was chosen to share my story and a little about treatment options as a sponsored post on behalf of, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

How Finding the Right Treatment for Depression Changed my Life

I have talked about my struggles with depression here on the blog before, but I still see so many people not truly understanding why many people, including myself, choose to find a better treatment for their depression.

So many people are afraid of getting the right treatment for their depression because of the side effects and many ask me why I don’t use all-natural options to help with my depression. Here are just a few of the things people suggest:

• Yoga
• Natural Supplements
• Breathing Techniques
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Probiotics

While none of the above suggestions are wrong, for many people with depression, all-natural treatments are not enough to fully help. Before I started receiving treatment, I didn’t even have the energy to do any of the things listed above.

I was too tired to exercise, the breathing techniques that I had learned helped sometimes, but other times they made things worse. Once I was prescribed a treatment plan that worked, I finally felt better and was able to do the things listed above to help aid my healing and feel better.

For many people with depression, it’s hard to see how much it is truly affecting them until they find the right treatment plan. I remember pushing off getting help for years, afraid that people would think I was crazy or that the medications and treatment would change me.

Once I started on a treatment plan that worked for me, I did change for the better. I finally realized how much my depression was affecting me and with the help I was getting, I finally felt like myself, something I never realized I was missing. I had more energy, I felt better, and during those normally stressful situations, I was able to handle them better.

For me, finding a treatment plan that worked changed my life. Yes, some treatments for depression do have side effects, but when you work with a doctor to find what works for YOU, you will feel better instead of worse.

Thankfully, the treatment I’ve received has had very few side effects, and I thank my doctors for listening to me and finding a treatment plan that works for what I want and need.

Another Treatment Option

For some people, treatments such as medication may not be enough. For me, counseling, EMDR therapy, along with breathing techniques, yoga, and more have helped keep me stable.

Another treatment to consider during National Depression Awareness Month in October is something called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which is a safe, effective drug-free treatment for depression.

has treated more than 60,000 patients worldwide and is a safe and effective second-line treatment option for adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who have not had success with antidepressants. This is a great option for those who are worried about the side effects of taking medications long-term because this is a non-drug, non-invasive treatment without the systemic side effects of antidepressant medications!

Note: There may be temporary pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site during treatment. When this occurs it is temporary, and typically occurs only during the first week of treatment. (Janicak PG, et al. (2008) J Clin Psychiatry 69(2); 222-232.)

uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that are underactive in patients who have depression. It’s a great treatment option because of how widely available it is, the widespread insurance coverage and reimbursement (including Medicare and Tricare), and because of the convenience of scheduling a treatment that can be done in as little as just under 19 minutes (19-37 minutes depending on your doctor’s recommendation). It’s so quick, you could do that during a lunch break or before you go to work!

NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy is not an “experimental” or new treatment option for depression. It’s a safe and effective treatment option that was cleared by the FDA in 2008. It is backed with the most clinical studies for transcranial magnetic stimulation in depression and it is the first choice among doctors when prescribing a transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment.

After 4-6 weeks of treatment, 58% of patients with depression had symptoms that significantly improved while 37% of patients’ symptoms completely went away. [Carpenter 2012 Depression and Anxiety]

Note: NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy is NOT electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that are underactive in depression.

NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy: Patient Story

Meet Todd, one of the patients that had great success with NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy. Todd is a firefighter paramedic, husband, and a dad who no longer suffers from depression thanks to NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy!

He worked with his doctor for a while to try and treat his depression, but after trying 11 different antidepressants with many severe side effects, and no relief, his psychiatrist agreed that NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy might be a good fit.

Todd used NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy as another treatment option and it gave him another chance at life. He is more engaged with his wife, children, and friends, and is now a more active person. Watch the video below to hear his testimony.

If is something that interests you, ask your doctor if this treatment is right for you. Your doctor can give you a prescription and find a center that does this therapy.

For those that are on the line about getting help, don’t wait. I’ve witnessed what happens when a family member does not get the help they need for depression.

What about YOU? Are you seeking treatment for depression? Do you think NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy may help you or someone else you know who has depression?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NeuroStar® Advanced Therapy. For more information about safety and effectiveness of NeuroStar, visit www.NeuroStar.com