The answer to that question is quite complex. Given the significant amount of stress we have all faced together as a society during these COVID pandemic, we are seeing an increase in Mental Health Service needs. I think no one could have foreseen how long this COVID pandemic would last, and how it might affect our emotional states long term. In my practice, I frequently see patients who had struggled with mental health issues in the past but were stable for sustained periods of time.

Then COVID came.

The emotional distress brought on by the COVID pandemic (not having as many outlets to manage our stressors given imposed restrictions, not seeing our loved ones for extended periods of time, etc.)  has taken a terrible toll on our society’s emotional health. Many of our patients have struggled significantly as society evolves, facing different demands in all spheres including both our personal and professional lives.  It has been emotionally challenging to keep “balance” and manage the surmountable amount of changes we have endured over the past year and a half.  It will be a matter of time until our society truly appreciates the long term effects of this pandemic, especially on our children’s emotional and academic development.

For those patients who have not responded to medication in order to manage their depression and other mental health needs, we have Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS) as a treatment modality to manage many psychiatric conditions.

I will be blogging about how TMS helps manage psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, PTSD and Chronic Pain Syndromes over the next few weeks.

If you have any questions that you would like to have answered by us, please send us an email at info@tmsservicesofvancouver.org.

Elia Gonzalez-Rodriguez, M.D
TMS Services of Vancouver