Jamie-Lee kindly shared her journal with us, allowing us to summarise her journey through an initial course of TMS and her decision to participate in our 'Continuous Care' maintenance program. We hope this story provides patients with a clearer understanding of how this process works.
“I struggled to leave the house without feeling intense anxiety and had become depressed, meaning I just wanted to curl up in bed,” she recalls.
Her condition reached a breaking point when she missed her daughter’s 10th birthday party—a moment that made her realise how much she was missing out on life. Despite trying multiple medications, nothing seemed to help. Then, in 2018, she discovered Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at Smart TMS, a treatment designed for those with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety.
A life-changing treatment
Jaime-Lee’s treatment journey wasn’t always easy. There were good days and bad days, but overall, her progress was undeniable.
“Throughout treatment, there were ups and downs, but my clinician confirmed that I am now in remission—which means I’m officially no longer depressed!”
This milestone marked a turning point. She was able to wean off antidepressants, participate in her children’s school events, attend family parties, and even take on new challenges like cooking Christmas dinner—something she never would have attempted before due to her anxiety.
With the positive changes also came healthier habits—less alcohol, better eating choices, and weight loss. Most importantly, she was finally able to return to work, regaining the sense of purpose she had lost.
Maintaining progress with ongoing TMS
Determined not to slip back into old habits, Jaime-Lee began monthly maintenance sessions at Smart TMS.
“I’m so happy with my progress that I don’t want to become depressed and anxious again,” she explains. “Abie, my therapist, is really supportive, and it’s great to catch up with her. She always notices little changes in me that I don’t see for myself.”
By January of the following year, she had completed her first holiday season without feeling overwhelmed. If anxiety crept in, she was able to remind herself that it would pass, rather than letting it consume her.
She also achieved another major milestone—traveling into central Manchester alone, something that once would have triggered severe panic.
“I used to be terrified of public transport and traveling in the car. But I was able to go into the city and be back in time to pick up my kids from school—something most people take for granted.”
Though she initially worried about reducing her treatment frequency to once per month, she trusted the team at Smart TMS who reassured her that it would be enough to maintain her progress.
For the first time in almost a decade, she was free from antidepressants.
Five years later: a complete transformation
Looking back, Jaime-Lee describes 2018 as the year that changed her life.
“In roughly 2018, I had what I can only describe as a mental breakdown. I had suffered on and off with depression for most of my adult life, but then the anxiety crept in. Everyday tasks that I once took for granted suddenly became impossible.”
She was signed off work for six months, unable to function. When medication failed to help, she was close to giving up—until she found TMS treatment.
“I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. How could placing a magnet on my head help when medication wasn’t even working? But it was the best thing I ever did!”
Within two weeks of treatment, she started to feel a difference. She was pushing herself more and finding the courage to reclaim her life. The treatment itself was not painful—just a mild headache at first that soon passed.
Now, five years later, she has a new job as a lead dental nurse, something she never thought she’d be able to achieve.
“I work full-time, manage my home life well, and even though I still have the odd down day, I know now that it will pass.”
For anyone unsure about trying TMS, Jaime-Lee has one piece of advice:
“Do it! It was literally the best thing I could have done, and it completely turned my life around.”
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