Could At-Home Brain Stimulation Reduce Psychiatry’s Reliance on S.S.R.I.s?
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- Sophie Davies struggled with postpartum depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder after giving birth, leading her to seek treatment in a mother-and-baby hospital unit.
- Traditional medication adjustments were insufficient, prompting a hospital worker to suggest transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), a non-seizure-inducing electric therapy for depression.
- Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), tDCS uses a weak electric current and has milder, temporary side effects such as headaches and skin irritation, without causing memory loss.
- After researching tDCS and its safety profile, Ms. Davies decided to try the treatment as an alternative to more invasive therapies.
