Safe Hands
I felt I was in safe hands throughout my TMS treatment
Darren and Kate are a very professional team who genuinely cares about your wellbeing.
They were quick to respond to my referral which I really appreciated, as well as being accommodating to my work and family commitments over the 9 weeks of treatment.
Kate was very kind, taking time to listen and making sure I was always comfortable during my sessions. I felt I was in safe hands throughout my TMS treatment, I was able to ask questions or request an assessment at any stage. I would highly recommend Equilibrium.
I chose to undertake a course of TMS when I was in a really dark and bleak place, unable to work and not sure at all that I could carry on. I had tried different antidepressants and none had worked, simply giving me unwanted side effects and leading to more hopelessness that I would never get out of the black hole I was in.
I found TMS to be completely tolerable. The first session was a somewhat odd experience, but not painful and I quickly got used to it, listening to music as I sat in the chair for 20 odd minutes each day.
One added benefit of TMS was checking in with Kate each day who was able to monitor progress and keep an eye on me. This alone was really worthwhile, as my mood did fluctuate over the course of the treatment and it was great to have someone who understood the issues to talk with.
At the end of the course of TMS, I didn’t actually think it had achieved anything and was somewhat disillusioned. However, objectively others, including those closest to me, had noticed a significant improvement and I had been able to resume work. As the weeks went by having completed TMS, I completely recovered and have been symptom-free for months now. I’m now not just “not depressed”, I am actually really enjoying all the aspects of my life.
I’d recommend TMS as a treatment to anyone who doesn’t experience quick improvement with antidepressants.
Completely Recovered
I’d recommend TMS as a treatment to anyone who doesn’t experience quick improvement with anti-depressants.
GRATEFUL
I can wholeheartedly, without hesitation, recommend them to anyone wishing to try TMS as a treatment for depression.
To say I am grateful for the exceptional care, support, professional expertise & guidance I have received from the team at Equilibrium Rotorua can only be described as a major understatement. From my initial assessment with Dr Darren Malone I had the very strong sense that I was giving myself the very best chance of treating a worsening and crippling condition that had plagued me for years, medication wasn’t helping, and I had tried plenty. Exercise, diet, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) certainly helped to manage my depression, but more and more with a lessening effect. Depression can be brutal, and only those who truly experience the depths of its lows know how horrible and disabling it can be.
Dr. Malone offered hope and amongst his treatment considered me a good candidate for TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). I jumped at the chance to receive this treatment and was then introduced to the other half of this dynamic team, Dr. Malone’s wife, Kate. Kate Malone is a registered nurse, primary mental health nurse counsellor, and trained TMS technician who administers the TMS treatment. Kate made me feel completely at ease and was 100% invested in my treatment and recovery, Kate was wonderful, and I always enjoyed and looked forward to my TMS sessions with Kate. I could not have wanted a better health professional to partner with me through my TMS, and Kate was a gem!
It is early days as I have only recently completed a full initial course of TMS, but I have not felt this great in years. My genuine love of life and sense of humour has returned for which I am so very grateful and can only put down to the benefits of the TMS treatment. I am truly indebted to Darren & Kate Malone and can wholeheartedly, without hesitation, recommend them to anyone wishing to try TMS as a treatment for depression – I am so glad I did!
My experience with TMS has been very positive. Last year I was in a very dark hole with depression.
Darren recommended I try TMS, I had the full 20 sessions of treatment. I found it very calming and even managed to fall asleep with the sound of a woodpecker tapping. Along with medication, I become more in control of my feelings.
After 3 months I had a backward step and had a further 10 sessions which pulled me up again. It is now 10 months since my last TMS and I’m in a good space with the help of some medication. My opinion is that TMS formed an important part of my road to recovery.
Recovery
My opinion is that TMS formed an important part of my road to recovery.
Similing Again
Being a health professional meant that I wanted to be sure that TMS has been shown to be effective in clinical research.
My journey with TMS started when my long-standing anxiety disorder led to depression. The depression wasn’t responding to the medication I was taking, and I was keen to try something different. Being a health professional meant that I wanted to be sure that TMS has been shown to be effective in clinical research. I did some reading, talked to Darren, and was satisfied that TMS was an evidence-based treatment that had a reasonable chance of being effective for me.
The first 7-8 treatments were pretty difficult. There is a coil over the front, left area of your skull that delivers electrical stimulation in bursts of about 30-40 quick pulses, followed by a 30-second pause, then the pulses again – and that goes on for nearly 40 minutes. The pulses feel like a woodpecker tapping intensely on your skull. It sometimes causes some muscle contractions across the eye and forehead. For those first treatments, I would feel tired and headachy afterwards. I found it helpful to take paracetamol an hour before my treatment, and I also listened to music or podcasts during the treatment.
After the first 8 treatments, I found it became much easier to tolerate and I didn’t feel so headachy or tired afterward. About 5 days after completing 20 treatments I found that my depression lifted. Instead of crying every day I found I was smiling again.
