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By Madison Avenue TMS & Psychiatry - Published on September 26, 2025
Last updated on September 26, 2025
A message from Dr. David Woo
Dr. David Woo
Founder & Head Clinical Psychiatrist at Madison Avenue TMS & Psychiatry
TMS has shown a remarkable ability to help patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression and are desperate to find a solution.
Take the following testimonial from Monica Densmore, a real patient at Madison Avenue TMS & Psychiatry. We’re giving her a pseudonym to honor her wish to remain anonymous.
Prior to trying TMS, she had tried years of cognitive behavioral therapy and several antidepressants, to no avail.
“Before receiving TMS, I hadn’t felt happiness, as an actual emotion, since childhood – maybe first or second grade,” she said. “The first time I completed TMS, I was 22 years old and in my final semester of college. Happiness felt totally foreign to me, like visiting a country that I had forgotten existed.”
Monica knows that depression can be an excruciating experience, but she wants people to know that “every single person deserves the chance to get better.”
As a reminder, if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, help is available by dialing 988, the 24-hour suicide hotline, or contacting a local crisis help line in your area.
Paralyzed By Despair
Monica Densmore had struggled with major depression since she was a young girl. Despite years of cognitive behavioral therapy and being prescribed antidepressants, nothing worked.
Her depression seemed permanent and unshakable.
“For me, depression manifested as constant background despair. I was only able to feel sad or anxious, which made it very difficult for me to connect with the people around me,” she said. “While I did have friends, I rarely felt motivated to reach out to them; when I wasn’t at work or school, I was in bed, staring at a wall and self-isolating.”
Densmore struggled with insomnia and thoughts of suicide, and she found it difficult to think clearly and complete even basic tasks.
“Depression created friction in every part of my life,” she said. “I felt like I had to drag myself through each day like a reluctant animal on a leash.”
Discovering the Power of TMS
Densmore tried transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, for the first time in 2012, when she was a college student. She was willing to try anything in pursuit of getting better, yet she secretly feared that, like all the years of talk therapy and medications before, TMS wouldn’t work.
Yet it did. The TMS protocol sent Densmore’s treatment-resistant depression into remission, and the results amazed her.
“The relief I felt was indescribably intense,” Densmore said. “Without exaggeration, it saved my life.”
Since then, she has returned for annual TMS treatment when she feels herself relapsing into depression.
Densmore, who teaches creative writing and literature at a local college, acknowledges that it can be challenging to fit her regimen of 36 daily TMS appointments into her busy schedule, but sees it as a non-negotiable: “I make arrangements and find the time, because I want to be alive, I want to be happy,” she said. “I don’t want to drag myself miserably through life when this miraculous alternative exists.”
If her depression begins to relapse, Densmore said she notices a positive shift toward remission two to three weeks into the TMS regimen.
“Going into remission feels like turning on all the lights again in a dark room,” she said. “My insomnia begins to abate, letting me sleep through the night again, and my mind clears, anxiety giving way to calm clarity.
“In general, my life just becomes easier. I call my friends, I go to work, I make art, I walk through the park – all of this without depression’s typical dread or drag attached. And, maybe more than anything else, I can experience genuine happiness.”
Help Getting Her Life Back on Track
Densmore has been receiving her TMS therapy from Madison Avenue TMS & Psychiatry for several years now, following a move to New York City and a change in her insurance coverage. She complimented the staff for its courtesy, warmth and responsiveness.
“So much of my experience in navigating mental health resources is fighting with insurance companies, but Madison Avenue TMS takes care of everything,” she said. “I’ve never had such a seamless experience. The staff takes on so much of the burden and clears the path to getting the care that I need.”
Densmore credits TMS for improving many things: her friendships, her relationships with her family, her career, creativity, education, sleep, and overall outlook.
“So much of what depression made feel impossible is now easy,” she said. “I can call and see friends, keep in touch with family. Even when my life gets stressful or chaotic, I can think clearly, make plans, and maintain a sense of hope while focusing on the future. I’m much more extroverted, proud of the work I produce, and just sharper in general.
“Even though I’ve treated my depression with TMS for over a decade now, this ease still feels surreal sometimes. I can’t believe, or even really fully describe, how much better things are now.”
Make an Appointment With Madison Avenue TMS & Psychiatry
For those struggling with depression or mental health, our team is here to help and support you. We want you to know – relief is possible. Call us at 212-731-2033 or visit our ‘contact’ page at madisonavetms.com to schedule an appointment.
(212) 731-2033