Major depression is frequently recurrent, so many people have more than one episode. It is understandable that you might feel frustrated to improve, only to have another depression episode a few months later. Certainly, you should adhere to your treatment plan and keep your mental health provider advised of any changes. Despite doing this, however, some people have additional episodes of depression. VNS Therapy is a good treatment option for these people.

VNS Therapy has been shown to work in people with bipolar depression. Of the 205 people evaluated in the major clinical study of VNS Therapy in depression, approximately 10% had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The rates of response (getting better) and remission (getting well) for people with bipolar disorder were similar to those for people with unipolar depression and for the group as a whole.

Researchers are conducting studies to better understand the impact of VNS Therapy on anxiety, but so far, VNS Therapy is not approved for the treatment of anxiety. VNS Therapy rarely increases anxiety. Less than 5% of people in the yearlong study of VNS Therapy reported anxiety as a side effect.1 References: 1. Physician's Manual. VNS Therapy? Pulse Model 102 Generator and VNS Therapy? Pulse Duo Model 102R Generator.Houston, TX: Cyberonics, Inc.

VNS stands for vagus nerve stimulation. The vagus nerves are a pair of large nerves carrying much information from the body, up through the neck, to appropriate areas of the brain. In VNS Therapy, a device similar to a pacemaker is placed in the chest wall. It sends small electrical pulses via a wire up to the vagus nerve in the left side of the neck. Then the vagus nerve delivers these pulses directly to areas of the brain felt to be responsible in some ways for depression.

this point there is no known way to predict accurately who may benefit from any antidepressant treatment, including VNS Therapy. In a study of 235 people with chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression, 1 in 3 people who received VNS Therapy for a year experienced significant mood improvement, compared with 1 in 8 of those who received only other antidepressant treatments. Reference: George MS, Rush AJ, Marangell LB, et al.

In my experience, the number one side effect of VNS Therapy is voice change, usually mild hoarseness every several minutes when the device turns on. During these 30-second on-periods, the left half of the voice box may not work well due to the small electrical pulses going up the vagus nerve. This side effect usually diminishes over the first year of treatment, though it continues in a minority of patients.

VNS Therapy is added to your current medications. It is not a replacement for them. Some people in the clinical trials were able to reduce their medications over time. You and your psychiatrist will determine your ongoing treatment regimen. It is important to always follow your psychiatrist’s recommendations about your medications.

Mode of action. VNS Therapy works differently from ECT. ECT affects large parts of the brain. Through the vagus nerve, VNS Therapy affects specific sites in the brain—sites associated with the symptoms of depression. And unlike ECT, VNS Therapy does not cause a seizure. Time frame. ECT works quickly1, but often the effects wear off after a while2. The benefits of VNS Therapy improve over time and are sustained long term. 3 Side effects.

Each person’s experience is different. Some people experience meaningful changes within the first few weeks of treatment, while other patients may not experience significant benefit for 6 or even 12 months, and it may be very gradual. It is very important to keep your scheduled appointments with your psychiatrist and follow his or her instructions. In the clinical study of VNS Therapy in depression, many people experienced meaningful benefits in their everyday life.

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People have different response patterns to VNS Therapy. Some people respond very early and maintain their responses, while others respond much later. The design of the clinical study for FDA approval made it hard to relate the optimal dose to the response rates and to how long a person had had VNS Therapy. Clearly, while some people responded within 3 months of VNS Therapy stimulation, others first responded after 9 months or more.

People who've been depressed for a long time can find it hard to believe that anything will ever work. But VNS Therapy is one treatment option shown to succeed where other treatments have failed, even after many years of depression. The 205 people evaluated in the major clinical study of VNS Therapy had been depressed an average of 26 years over their lifetimes.

VNS Therapy is usually turned on about 2 weeks after the implantation procedure. Then the dose is typically increased once a week by a very small amount (0.25 milliamperes), as tolerated. Although we don’t yet know what the “best” dose is, 1.25 to 1.50 milliamperes is the suggested target dose, so it takes 4 or 5 dosage adjustments to reach the target. Research is still ongoing to determine the optimal dose of stimulation.

According to reports, the battery life with the current VNS Therapy pulse generator ranges from 3 to 8 years.1* Most of this experience comes from people receiving VNS Therapy for epilepsy, but people with TRD report similar battery life. The battery life is highly dependent on device settings. Because a person's VNS Therapy settings may change over time, the battery should be tested regularly, especially when the dosage is adjusted.

If you are unsure where to go for help, check the Yellow Pages under “mental health,” “health,” “social services,” “suicide prevention,” “crisis intervention services,” “hotlines,” “hospitals,” or “physicians” for phone numbers and addresses.

Recent studies show that light therapy can be helpful year-round for people who experience chronic depression, unpredictable recurrent depression, or bipolar depression, and the method has been effectively tested in patients using medication and even electroconvulsive therapy. The addition of light therapy to the regimen must be under doctor’s supervision.

Yes, VNS Therapy is effective in people who have had electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). And people who have VNS Therapy can receive ECT. VNS Therapy has been shown to succeed in people who have had ECT.1 Of the patients in clinical studies of VNS Therapy, about a third had had ECT during their current depression. Almost half had received it at some time in their lives.2-4 People who had received ECT were just as likely to experience improvement over time as those who had not.

Most of us are in search of a means to increase the brain's feel-good chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. To accomplish this, we look to nicotine, drugs and certain (usually unhealthy and fattening) foods. We begin to rely on these substances to maintain that 'feel-good' sensation. Colostrum is a natural and healthy means of stimulating the brain to release serotonin and dopamine and prolong their re-uptake. Lactalbumin in colostrum has been clinically proven to improve mood during stress.

First, don't dismiss or ignore their feelings and assume that they will go away. Depression is a real, serious medical condition, not just a bad mood, a desire for attention, or a character flaw. People with depression can't just "get over it." Ways to help: If you recognize the signs and symptoms of depression in someone you love, one of the best things you can do is to validate what they are going through.

Neural therapy was developed by two German physician-dentist brothers, Walter and Ferdinand Huneke, in the 1920s and '30s. They accidentally found that procaine—a local anesthetic—when injected into certain spots such as scars, can relieve pain in areas away from the place of injection. They also found that the pain relief lasts much longer than would be expected from the anesthetic effect alone. The brothers called these spots interference fields.

Each case is different, but most people are helped by weekly fifty-minute sessions. In cases where time is a factor (e.g., there exists an impending deadline or important event), or when a client desires to accelerate the benefits of treatment, twice-weekly sessions may be appropriate. Experience and research reveals that monthly or twice-monthly sessions are less effective, because too many events occur between sessions to be adequately addressed in any one session.

How long the mood lasts: A bad mood is usually gone in a few days, but depression lasts for two weeks or longer. How much it interferes with your life. A bad mood does not keep you from going to work or school or spending time with friends. Depression can keep you from doing these things and may even make it difficult to get out of bed.

Depressions are rather rare in children, and usually are caused by traumatic events such as bereavment or stress in school.

Fortunately, depression is a very treatable illness. Between 80% and 90% of people who suffer from serious depression can be effectively treated, returning to their normal daily lives. Treatment for depression varies widely by the individual, and is not "one size fits all." There are three general types of treatment: medication, psychotherapy or "talk therapy," and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).