By Daniel Hageman
•
May 16, 2020
Every week, Dr. Steven Harvey, Greenbrook's St. Louis Regional Medical Director, discusses a wide variety of topics regarding mental health topics on The Medical Beat.Every week Dr. Steven Harvey, Greenbrook's St. Louis Regional Medical Director, discusses a wide variety of topics regarding mental health on The Medical Beat. This week Dr. Harvey had the pleasure of talking to his very own Greenbrook colleague, Virginia Regional Medical Director Dr. William Sauvé. Dr. Sauvé began practicing psychiatry in the U.S. Marines and later served as a Division Officer of inpatient psychiatry at the Naval Medical Center of San Diego. Dr. Sauvé started working with Greenbrook in 2014 and has since been providing TMS therapy throughout our Virginia centers.
On this installment of The Medical Beat, Dr. Harvey and Dr. Sauvé discussed TMS therapy-- specifically how TMS works, and misconceptions many have regarding depression and TMS treatment. TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation and is a treatment for those struggling with treatment-resistant depression and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). TMS is an FDA-cleared treatment that delivers magnetic stimulation to the parts of the brain known to be underactive in people with depression or OCD.
The doctors discuss at what point it makes sense for people to try TMS. Dr. Sauvé explains that although TMS can be used alongside medication ("TMS can fit in while people are trying medications") or as a stand-alone treatment, most times TMS is used in conjunction with their medication to help treat depression. The doctors also shared their experiences with patients who transformed after receiving TMS treatment. To hear more from these doctors listen to the full podcast below.