Tapping into hope

For years, Phillip Dailey suffered from depression.

“I was always a little predisposed to depression but it really triggered in the military,” the Eden Prairie man recalled. “When I first started having serious problems I was sleeping 20 hours a day and struggling even to function. I was having suicidal ideations and could not function at all. I could not get myself out of bed, or go to work, or do the things I wanted to do.”

His depression led to a myriad of challenges, both personal and professional. 

At one point, Dailey was volunteering at Union Gospel Mission in downtown St. Paul. He told the chaplain supervisor, “‘If I can’t get my depression and mental health under control, I’m going to end up right here.’ And a few years later, I was there, but I still didn’t get help right there for the depression. I just kept trying to tell myself I needed to be more disciplined or work harder. I made it a lot harder on myself than I needed to.”

Dailey struggled on his own for at least 10 to 15 years before seeking help.

“That started the ball rolling to try a bunch of different medicines and treatment programs,” he said. “I have been in three or four inpatient treatment programs that were three months long and numerous outpatient programs and probably easily more than a dozen medications for the depression alone.”

And even then, he still struggled – until he learned about NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy at Sonder Behavioral Health and Wellness in Minnetonka.

When he learned about TMS, he was curious and interested “because I had tried every medication under the sun and I was still struggling.” 

Dr. John Luehr of Sonder Behavioral Health and Wellness explained that TMS works by directing targeted magnetic pulses at a specific part of the brain that seems to be under-active in depression.

“If you look at them in the brain, the nerves look like atrophied muscles,” said Luehr, an Eden Prairie resident. “If we can get those stimulated, those rather surface circuits will connect to deeper circuits and eventually help with depression.”

At least 50 percent of people get a response from TMS, “which is more than any antidepressant that you take,” said Luehr. Even after the treatments end, people can continue to improve.

FDA approved the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in 2008, and the treatment is now covered by “virtually all insurances,” said Luehr, “including Medicare and Tricare.” It has also more recently been FDA-approved for the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxious depression.

According to Luehr, TMS is noninvasive, does not require sedation, and has none of the side effects associated with antidepressants. Patients sit in a comfortable chair while a coil administers magnetic pulses to the targeted area of the brain. They may feel a slight tapping, and any initial discomfort, such as a mild headache, usually dissipates after a short time. The sensation has been compared to a woodpecker or “a mouse with a jackhammer,” said Luehr.

Each session lasts only about 20 minutes. Since patients are awake and alert during the treatment they can immediately go about the rest of their days. A course of treatment is 36 sessions, so patients usually undergo the treatment five days a week for seven weeks.

A recent study showed that the more different antidepressants a person tries without relief, the less their likelihood for remission. Anyone who hasn’t felt completely better after trying multiple medications is a good candidate for the treatment, said Luehr. 

“An oncologist getting 50 percent of a patient’s cancer would not consider that a success,” said Luehr. “We should not accept only a little bit of improvement with depression.”

However, Luehr doesn’t advocate for stopping current medications or psychotherapy with the TMS. “The first step is to get better, then you and your primary provider may decide at a later date to cut back on medications,” he said.

An oncologist getting 50 percent of a patient’s cancer would not consider that a success. We should not accept only a little bit of improvement with depression.”

Dr. John Luehr

The TMS treatments started to work fairly quickly for Dailey.

“After about seven or eight sessions, people began to notice that I seemed a little brighter, more talkative, more responsive,” he said. “And it just got better and better.” 

Nearly three years after his first consultation with Luehr, Dailey is still doing well. While some patients do return for additional treatment, results routinely last for well over a year and frequently much longer. 

“The good news,” said Luehr, “is that if it worked before, there’s a very good chance it will work again, and insurance companies are glad to pay for it again.” 

Dailey said perhaps the biggest change in his life is his increased social activity.

“I have reconnected with a lot of friends that I had cut off completely with. I have a very active very robust social life now,” he said.

Dailey has also begun writing fiction. “I spend a lot of time on the go, whereas before I spent most of my life sleeping,” he added. 

This is in stark contrast to the person who previously described his depression as the feeling of “carrying a 70 pound backpack on your back all the time.”

As a veteran, Dailey’s backpack analogy is apt. Depression affects many veterans “more than they want to admit,” said Dailey.

With mental health, you have to take responsibility for your own recovery. You are worth it. You have to fight for yourself and for your happiness.” 

Phillip Dailey

A chaplain in the military, Dailey worked with many soldiers who struggled with depression, suicide, and drug and alcohol addiction.

“There’s a reluctance to get treatment,” he said. “They’re supposed to be the person that helps someone, not ask for help.”  

As Dailey learned from his own experience and that of fellow veterans, “sucking it up is not the way to deal with depression.” He also believes that self-advocacy is important.

“With mental health, you have to take responsibility for your own recovery,” he said. “You are worth it. You have to fight for yourself and for your happiness. You have to be willing to go after it for yourself because no one else will do it for you. No one else can do it for you.” 

Doctor’s mission to shed light on treatment

Over six million TMS treatments have been performed nationally. The Sonder Clinic has treated over 700 patients and administered over 13,000 TMS treatments.

“The more experience we get, the more we realize how safe this is,” said Luehr.

Yet, despite being a safe and effective treatment for years, TMS is “the best treatment for depression that no one has ever heard of,” said Luehr.

A recent NeuroStar survey revealed that only between 9 and 11% of people, including therapists, psychiatrists, and primary care doctors, have ever heard of TMS. But Luehr is on a mission to enlighten more people.

“My mom wanted me to be a preacher,” he said, “and I joke that I am an evangelist for TMS.”