From Cigarettes To Cocaine
SheerLuxe investigated the potential of TMS treatment (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) for treating addiction.
The article says that TMS is “…a pioneering new therapy treating addiction for everything from cigarettes and gambling to cocaine and heroin.”
The feature includes the story of a patient who had TMS treatment to help her stop smoking.
The SheerLuxe article described the patient’s experience:
“We accompanied a patient who had been smoking for 25 years, and wanted to quit – they’d tried before, but with little success.
Firstly, she was assessed by clinical psychologist Aleks Srbinoski, who explained which part of her brain would be treated.
“The frontal lobe is the sector associated with decision making and impulse control. Stimulating that area, thus making more dopamine, allows the patient to feel better and have more ability to refrain from behaviours they would later regret.”
The treatment itself was far less scary than it sounded. The patient sat comfortably on a bed, and a Smart TMS technician placed a thin white cap over her head. Once the machine was set to the right frequency and the coil positioned correctly above the cap, it was turned on – making a clicking sound as it worked in short bursts.
“It’s not painful, but slightly uncomfortable,”
the patient told us, describing the sensation as
“like when you’re about to get an ice cream headache”.
“Even with the first treatment, TMS dissipated all my urges to smoke,”
the patient told us after her third session.
“It also eliminated all the nervousness and anxiety you get when quitting smoking – you’re irritable, you’re cranky – I don’t feel any of that.”
Two weeks on from her tenth and final session she had seen a marked improvement, going down from 20 to two cigarettes a day.
“The big problem is the habit,”
she said.
“You have to really work at that. Boredom is still a big problem for me sometimes.”
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Read the full article on the SheerLuxe website: https://sheerluxe.com/2018/03/22/cigarettes-cocaine-new-treatment-addiction
TMS for Nicotine Addiction
Find out more about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for smoking cessation treatment:
Aleks Srbinoski
Aleks is Clinical Psychologist at Smart TMS, a company whose UK and Ireland clinics offer Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – a non-medication-based mental health treatment – for addiction, depression and a range of other conditions.
Aleks is registered with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC) and is a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Smart TMS Clinics
Smart TMS was established in 2015, providing TMS treatment at their original South Kensington/Brompton Cross centre in London. The company opened a second clinic in Birmingham in September 2017 and also has an established base in Northampton. The first Irish clinic was opened in Dublin in October 2017. Smart TMS is planning further locations for Manchester and Bristol in 2018.
CONTACT US
For any other queries or for patients wishing to book an appointment at one of our UK clinics, please contact us:
- Tel: 0345 222 5678
- Email: info@smarttms.co.uk
Irish patients may contact Our Dublin Clinic direct on:
- Email: info@smarttms.ie
- Tel: 353 (01) 254 2514
- Website: www.smarttms.ie