“ I am happy now ” – Man says how the new treatment of mental health helped him

By Kaley Conner
High plains mental health center

When Triston Albert was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder resistant to treatment. At that time, Albert said that the image painted for him seemed a little dark. He understood that the condition could be long -term or for life and accepted the reality that he probably needs to be on drugs for the rest of his life. But even the most recent and the best prescriptions were not enough to alleviate difficult symptoms.

Quick advance of about 11 years, and Albert, and now representing individuals at the service of the Hautes Plains mental health center, was among the first to learn a new innovative treatment option.

The High Plains Mental Health Center has become the first community mental health center in Kansas to implement transcranial magnetic stimulation, non -invasive treatment and without clinically proven drugs to reduce symptoms of depression resistant to treatment.

Albert became one of the first residents of northwestern Kansas to finish a treatment lesson, and the results changed their life.

“My first reaction was skepticism. Because it’s new and it plays with my brain, “said Albert. “But I cannot challenge the result. The facts are irrefutable and I would recommend it to anyone may need it. »»

TMS generally requires 36 treatments, which is provided Monday to Friday for about seven weeks. TMS uses magnetic impulses to stimulate specific brain areas involved in mood regulation. Albert, a resident of Hays, began treatment in August 2024 and finished his last session in October.

Since then, he estimates at least a 60% reduction in his depressive symptoms. His memory is clearer and he can more easily concentrate and make decisions.

His ability to manage time and money has improved, and for the first time in many years, he wants social interaction and wants to be with other people instead of isolating at home. It is also very important that he no longer feels suicidal thoughts, he said.

Albert said he was more self-motivated, has much more energy and, for the first time, does not experience the worsening of depression in winter due to seasonal emotional changes. He is able to maintain healthy weight and stick to a coherent sleep schedule. Overall, he says he feels better than he has ever been.

“I wouldn’t even say that I have more major depressive disorder resistant to treatment. I would just say that I have experience with a major depressive disorder, and I would say that I have a slight depression, “he said. “I am happy. I am very happy.

Albert has held a newspaper detailing all of his treatment sessions and the effects he noticed – both positive and negative.

The negatives were rare, he said, noting how he occasionally felt a minor headache, a topical discomfort on the top of his head, or slight contractions in the eye or jaw. All side effects were short-lived for him, without lasting beyond the day of treatment, he said.

The positive points were more pronounced and more durable – it continues to see the advantages every day.

“After a week to do it, I could feel that my brain was corrected through the treatments. The first week, I felt a weight removed from me, ”said Albert. “In the second week, I really felt a change in my personality. … Things I didn’t like, I appreciate now.

While the fog of depression was starting to raise, Albert said that it had taken him off guard when he started to experience a wide range of other emotions. He had been depressed for so long, he realized that he had to learn to identify and manage other feelings that generally appear in everyday life, such as joy, anger or excitement. In this way, said Albert, it was a bit like being a teenager.

By reflecting on his adolescence, Albert remembers the difficulty of navigating at that time of his life while suffering from a serious depression. He finally abandoned the school and won a GED.

TMS is approved for treatment in people 15 and over, as recommended by a psychiatrist. Albert said that was one of the reasons why he initially supported technology as a member of the board of directors of the Hautes Plains mental health center. If TMS was at his disposal during adolescence, this part of his history could have taken place differently, he said.

Albert is now able to work full time, going from a part -time position to a full -time management role with a local retail store. He likes his work, likes to work with people, makes new friends and plans to withdraw medical disability services for which he had applied to the height of his depression when he was physically and mentally unable to maintain a job .

He continues to take certain drugs and follow a treatment plan for the remaining symptoms, but was able to interrupt certain prescriptions and others could soon follow. Overall, he says, TMS has changed full game.

“The best words I could use to describe the TMS machine are revolutionary,” he said. “I really feel a feeling of debt, because it looks like a gift. I was given a gift.

Albert said that there was only one thing that he does not like in TMS – currently, Kansas Medicaid will not pay for the MSD, and it is an obstacle for some that could be eligible to treatment.

Other major insurers, including Medicare and Blue Cross, offer coverage for MSD. Albert is not the only one in his recovery journey – TMS was found very effective nationally, with 83% of patients reporting a reduction in symptoms and improving operation.

About 62% of customers improved to the point that they no longer met the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder.

Albert has learned to know other people living with a major depressive disorder, and he tries to give a good example and encourage others not to abandon. The key, he said, is not to stop trying.

“You can’t give up. As you abandon, you are on defeat and you cannot let depression literally train. That’s why that’s it, don’t let him do his job doing, “he said. “You can overcome it and manage it if you try.

“(Because of TMS) I feel really different, and I would recommend that to anyone may need it.”

TMS services are available to the main Hays of the High Plains Mental Health Center, 208 E. Seventh St. For more information or to plan a consultation, call 1-800-432-0333.

The help is always available by calling High Plains Meental Health Center at 1-800-432-0333, or by calling or sending an SMS 988, Kansas Suicide Prevention Lifeline.