At 20, Kevin was at a loss as to what to do with his life.
Having grown up in Sullivan County, he gave up a lot to pursue his dance dream at a Manhattan performing arts college only to drop out after one short year.
He then found a retail job in New York City with the hope of supporting himself with honest work but quit again soon as he was battling severe depression.
The Epoch Times has agreed not to publish his last name for privacy reasons.
Anxiety, mood swings, loss of appetite, disinterest in everyday chores, and difficulty falling asleep overwhelmed him. At the worst moments, he thought of killing himself.
“I remember I was looking through the window of my apartment in the city, watching everyone parading around, partying, and having fun, and I was in bed, bored out of my mind and not able to do anything. I was literally like, ‘I kind of want to jump out of the window,’” he said.
He sought help from professionals and was quickly prescribed antidepressants, altogether three kinds, but strong side effects forced him to stop using them.
“It worked for two weeks, and then, all of a sudden, you were like, ‘Oh, my god, I feel worse than how I started,’” he said. “I felt things escalated, and I had more anxiety.”
In September, Kevin moved back to Sullivan County to reconnect with his family and old circles as a way of coping and took on jobs as a bartender and receptionist to support himself.
Meanwhile, he made an appointment with a therapist at the Northern Medical Center in Middletown.
Alternative Depression Treatment
Following conversations with therapist Michael Soto and psychiatrist Dr. Jingduan Yang, Kevin was introduced for the first time to an alternative depression treatment called TMS.Formerly called transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS involves placing a magnetic coil against the scalp near one’s forehead to activate brain nerve cells that regulate mood.
Dr. Yang, having seen patients suffer from side effects from antidepressants and always on the lookout for alternative treatments, was among the first doctors in the country to try out TMS when it was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration about a decade ago.
Unlike conventional medication treatment, TMS targets a specific brain area, not the entire body, thus resulting in fewer side effects; it also differs from invasive electronic shock therapy and can be safely done in a doctor’s office within half an hour, according to Dr. Yang.
TMS also generates results relatively quickly, according to Dr. Yang, who has introduced the treatment to about 500 patients as a board-certified psychiatrist.
About halfway through his treatment, Kevin already noticed changes in his behavior, including being motivated to clean up his room again and being able to talk to people more.
“I work as a bartender, and it was really hard taking orders when I didn’t want to talk to anyone,” Kevin said. “Now, I can manage those moments so much easier; I find myself enjoying those moments of ‘Hey, how are you?’ and talking with people.”
Comprehensive Care
Dr. Yang told The Epoch Times that as opposed to a standalone TMS center, Northern Medical Center offers an array of mental health treatments to achieve patient well-being.They include psychotherapy, neurofeedback treatment, and nutrition therapy.
For those who use antidepressants, the center offers medication management to adjust intake levels in combination with alternative treatments such as TMS.
“It feels like these people are going to fully take you under their wing and help you no matter what,” Kevin said of his experience at Northern Medical Center so far, adding that the caring center environment made him feel safe and relaxed.
Sometimes, it can be little things such as being greeted by his first name, he said.
“Patients care what their doctors know, but more than that, they want to know that their doctors care,” Dr. Yang said. “The value of Northern Medical Center, first and foremost, is to be caring.”
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