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I have had 32 sessions and now feel worse than I did before having TMS. Around the 5th week of treatment, I started to get more anxious. TMS has made my anxiety skyrocket to the point that I have been out of work for over 2 weeks. I constantly feel anxious. After one of my treatments, I had a 2hr panic attack. I was never told that the TMS treatment could actually make me feel worse. Has anyone else experienced this side effect? I also now have insomnia. I never had trouble falling asleep before. Also, a new problem I am having is when I wake up in the morning, I feel panicked. I don’t know whether I should continue or stop before the TMS does more damage. I need to be able to get back to work.
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This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by
TMS+You.
Hi lunarafire:
Are you having bilateral treatments? My experience with bilateral treatments was just the opposite. Anxiety is treated on the right side of the brain and depression on the left. When having bilateral treatments my anxiety diminishes about 90% and I rarely need anxiety medication. There is a vast improvement.
What does your doctor say about an increase in anxiety?Hello,
I was having bilateral treatments. Because of the increased anxiety, on session 27, the doctor stopped doing left side treatments and is now only doing right side treatments. He believed that would help. That did not. The end of last week, he said it was because I was menstruating the previous week. The increased anxiety continued and today he said my thyroid was to high. I called my thyroid doctor and my blood test came back normal. So every reason he has given me so far has not panned out. I even tried calling Neurostar to see if someone could check to see if I was getting the proper treatments. They said they could not help. They were completely useless. I now need 1mg anxiety medicine multiple times a day. Before TMS I only would take .25 mg at night before I went to sleep for night terrors. I went from having social anxiety to constant anxiety. I need to be able to get back to work on Monday. Getting TMS has been the biggest regret of my life.lunarafire,
My anxiety got worse during my tms sessions too. It also messed with my sleep. I had such a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. After I finished my anxiety became much less. It went back to what it was before.
I finished in the middle of May and feel just as crappy as I did before tms. They say that there can be a delayed effect and that results show up weeks or months afterwards. Wish they would have told me that in the promising pamphlet I was given.
I understand how you feel like this is such a big regret. It’s a total let down as well. So here I am back where I started with even less hope than before.
I’ve been praying that tms will somehow work for me and all those who are trying it.
Keep_Hoping,
How long did it take before the anxiety lessened?
I have having such bad panic attacks. I would welcome how I felt before. At least I was functional before TMS.
The FDA needs to take TMS off the market. I truly believe it wasn’t tested appropriately.lunarafire,
Anxiety is the absolute worse! I think I felt less anxious the first week I was completely finished.
I agree that the FDA needs to do more testing. It’s the same problem with the antidepressants – they aren’t testing for long enough to see long term outcomes. They take the highest percentage with the best results and only report on that. Some of the drug companies are including the ‘good’ results from people who took a placebo and adding that into success rates. Unbelievable.
Are they telling you that there may be a delayed effect and you may feel better in weeks or months from now? I feel like I was ripped off. I owe thousands of dollars and still feel terrible.
I hope your anxiety will improve and you will feel be one of the people this works for. Blessings.
One thing that might be worth considering (though it is an off-label indication) is altering the frequency of the treatment waveform.
One study (although a very small one) seemed to indicate that patients who responded well to high frequency rTMS responded poorly to low-frequency, and vice versa.I don’t know if this is something your doctor is willing to consider; but I’m a bit concerned if they’re attributing your mood changes to your menstrual cycle. If you have already established with your doctor that yes, you have mood swings or anxiety associated with menstruation, then perhaps that is a valid explanation; but if not, I think your doctor is speculating instead of assessing.
Hashmael
Do you have a reference to that study that you referred to just above my post? I would be interested in reading it.
ThanksI too have been having incredible anxiety like none I have experienced before. I am 73 and am just finishing the TMS tapering…have had 31 total sessions. I actually think that the TMS helped my depression but it left my anxiety alone which probably ended up increasing my experience of it. I never had bilateral treatments because the VA where I get my TMS is not doing any off label treatments. The psychiatrist who is treating me has been wonderfully supportive but I remember her words when we started – that she hoped my depression would be helped and had some fears that I might be left with anxiety. Well that is the outcome.
I absolutely dread evenings because I know that I can go to sleep only to awake in panic in a couple hours and be stuck in panic all night…then exhausted during the day.
Has your anxiety dissipated over time? I still have 2 weeks of tapering treatments and cannot imagine surviving for that long.
AnonymousI am currently receiving TMS treatment and I can say that it has improved my depression, but has sent my anxiety out of control. The biggest issue for me is that anxiety causes me to have suicidal feelings and thoughts far more than depression, because anxiety makes every bone and muscle in my body ache. The doctors have said on multiple occasions that they will do some Anxiety protocol on the right side of my head, but that never gets communicated to the nurses and never happens. I take 1mg of Clonazepam daily, but that is not in the ballpark of a big enough dose to control my anxiety.
I was so stressed out this morning that I was actually hearing noises in my head. It continually sounded like someone was sweeping in my office; it bothered me so bad I walked all around the building looking for someone sweeping. At that point I took 2mg of Clonazepam and finally calmed down to the point that I could function.
The next step in all this is Ketamine Infusions. The doctors tell me that if I undergo 4 – 6 Ketamine Infusions soon after TMS that the anxiety will go away. I sure hope they are right as I cannot live this way much longer – it’s not worth it.
I cannot continue to spend thousands of dollars to try and get better for my family, but then still feel bad and somewhat avoid my family. My family deserves better – rather its with me or not.
I’m starting to think that a certain amount of the population is meant to be miserable so that the happy people don’t become unbalanced. The scales need to stay straight.
My stress and anxiety has caused me to stop going to the treatments. I had 7 sessions. My tech was just unsupportive and I didn’t trust her to know what she was doing.
After she applied the helmet, she would strap one side and then let go to strap the other side so the helmet would move quite significantly. When I asked her if this was okay, she said she didn’t think moved but if it did- its not a problem. I told her that I was feeling very anxious and doubtful about everything but she just said that I’d get used to it.
I was getting Brainsway Deep TMS. I’m very upset and the depression came back so strongly today that I took the day off from work after I left the voicemail that I couldn’t go in for the treatment.
The anxiety is much worse than before I started the therapy. Maybe I’ll check eventually if there are any other options in this area. I realize that office staff is very important to my success of this treatment. I hope that no permanent damage was done during the 7 sessions. I would never embark on this path again without meeting the tech first.
Thank you for listening.Hi abqcyco70:
So sorry to hear about this. Something to keep in mind is that when TMS successfully treats Depression it can reveal co-occurring conditions that the Depression previously hid — Anxiety being a common one.
It may seem a little cliche to say “it’s a process”, but it really IS a process. If your depression symptoms are relieved this may be the opportunity to work out your Anxiety issues next. Your doctor will best guide you through that and it’s good to see you are working together to map your path forward.
A clear, focused, and optimistic mindset may feel impossible at the moment, all the more reason to let your family and your support network lift you up right now. Keep working with your doctor, trust the process before you, and rely on your network for support.
TMS worked for your Depression and that’s really big, now it’s on to the other parts that need attention. You can do this!
Did anyone have this anxiety caused from TMS treatment dissipate? I was thinking about doing the treatment before I saw this. That is terrifying…
texast9018:
I have undergone this treatment for depression and minor anxiety. I think the post above yours from Dave W. speaks well to what science is supporting. This is a unique treatment, and relatively new to the treatment regime being offered more regularly by psychiatrists. With that said, sometimes there are misunderstandings as to the effects of the treatment. Some patients will address what they think are effects of TMS such as interrupted sleep and anxiety. Dave’s explanation coordinates with my doctor’s input when we are discussing these issues. There is no scientific evidence that TMS causes anxiety or sleep disturbances. My doctor reports quite the opposite – improved sleep and decreased anxiety (with bilateral treatments). TMS is like lifting the cover off of other issues as depression symptoms are improved. Then we can address those issues on our journey to improved mental health. As Dave said, which is on point, this is a process and it can be a tumultuous path. The brain needs time to settle into a new energy state. Talk with your doctor about what she/he is observing with their patients. That is where you can gather lived experience information. Also if you visit neurostar.com there are recent patient testimonials that may be helpful.
Keep in touch,
Colleenbarbm I replied another of your posts. Your experience is exactly what i am dealing with. My Dr. uses the Brainsway TMS. The techs are not experienced enough. They don’t seem to take this procedure seriously. I have stopped at 10 treatments because i do not feel they are qualified. I’m convinced we are using the same Dr.
Hi jfletcher72,
I live in Western Massachusetts but looking back, I really feel it was the condescending and careless attitude of the first tech that totally stressed me out. That is the person you see everyday and is instrumental in creating a positive experience. After I switched to the other office (there are two braches within 10 miles of my house), got a different tech and my appointments scheduled at 7pm as I originally requested, things got much better quickly. The new tech was older and had a very professional yet friendly demeanor. When I asked a question, he seemed to have a pretty good answer and interacted with me too. We watched nature videos together and he wasn’t just on his computer with his back to me. He also offered me a twizzler after one of my first sessions with him and it became a little routine after each session, etc. Stuff like that as well as never making me feel like a bother about anything even though I knew I was his last patient each day. When I finished all 36 sessions, I was actually sad about not going anymore.
I went back for my 2 month follow up in Dec with the Dr and I mentioned the situation with the first tech and how I probably wouldn’t have finished if I stayed with her. I guess they all get certificates from Brainsway(like a few days of intense training w/ a company rep&the Dr) but that doesn’t change someone’s personality or make them retain the info- there has to be chemistry and trust between you. I feel very fortunate that I could change offices.
I feel the treatments helped me mainly because the chaos in my mind has really calmed down and my memory has definitely gotten better. I can focus without as many intrusive thoughts of “why bother” etc. I’m still not social but I feel like I’m out of the unending dark abyss. I only spend maybe one or two days a week in that place and it’s not as deep. I have stayed on my meds throughout.
I’m very happy I spoke up-that’s out of character for me to be honest. I hope your situation is somehow resolved. I still feel that she(the first tech) didn’t place the helmut correctly because she didn’t hold it in place while she tightened the strap and I could feel it move a little. Maybe you should ask for remapping and see what the Dr does because you’re not feeling confident about things. I wish you very much luck because if I hadn’t finished, I may not feel better now.Hello everyone! I had 17 sessions of TMS Brainsway. My treatments were always 12:30pm. I was set to an intensity of 100% (positive effectiveness range 100-120% intensity). Within the first few treatments, the tech set it to 105% intensity. I did not tolerate that well. Headache! I spoke with the Psychiatrist and he said no better outcome if higher. Positive outcome 100 to 120% range. Later, I went in for a usual treatment. After the treatment, I had a good headache coming on. I got up to leave and was walking a bit sideways. I asked the tech if something had changed and he told me that he had set it at 110% ! Why? I complained to Psychiatrist who didn’t say anything. Since then, my anxiety went from workable to being bedbound most every day. I had my first ever full on (I am nuts!) panic attack with nausea and vomiting that landed me in the ER. I no longer am going for TMS there obviously. Anyone else have a similar experience or bad reaction? I cannot get my anxiety under control to save my life. I also have noticed a yellowish/red halo in the left part of my left eye. It comes and goes. Thank you, anyone, for help!
Hello again! I read the post above mine and was wondering if most offices have someone in the room. The tech would start the machine, give me a buzzer and walk out. A few times, I had to push the buzzer when the treatment was finished to call him back in. On one treatment the helmet wasn’t snug/secure so I called him back in to tighten it because it moved.
Barbm: it’s been a while, but did your anxiety let up or did it stay as a lingering side effect? Tse
Hey, I agree with you TMS can cause anxiety and depression in some of the people. One of my friends was suffering from depression and anxiety and he was on medication for a log time, someone suggested him to get more info from the voyance pure reader who helped him to get a new zeal in overcoming from anxiety. The collective efforts from the therapies can be really beneficial.
I’m so sorry for your experience. I am currently in TMS induced anxiety hell. After 12 treatments, my heart rate was elevated high. Bad. Just had an EKG and blood work. I’m ok, but have to follow up with physician. I’m not going back. They were going to treat the right side tomorrow to reduce anxiety. I’m going back to an energy practioner. Energy work is gentle, reduces anxiety, puts you back in your body, and does not tax the nervous system. TMS is scary. I think it’s detrimental….
JLC. I am so sorry to hear about your anxiety. At treatment 13, I fell apart. A terrible panic that has not left me and brought about nausea and the feeling of wanting to throw up in the mornings, when my anxiety is at its worst. My anxiety has never been so bad–these are truly new symptoms. I worry…which I figure is the most commonplace of all worries….that maybe TMS is just not for me. Did your elevated anxiety pass? I have not been back and am reconsidering.
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This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by
mhick321.
Curious if all the people who are stating TMS “gave” them anxiety were treating bilaterally i.e. on both the left side for depression and the right side for anxiety? I originally sought TMS for severe depression, that I believe was triggered by Lexapro. I had an immediate response to TMS but after my first 3-4 sessions I ended up with ragging anxiety, which I had never expeirenced. It was so bad I was unable to fall asleep until 2a and would then wake up in a horrible panic a couple of hours later and lay in bed in terror for hours. I’d rather be depressed than deal with that level of anxiety.
My psychiatrist said that as the TMS was successfully treating the depression and, as it was dissipating, there was underlying anxiety that had come to the surface. Since then we’ve always treated bilaterally and it’s been successful. BTW, I’ve since been diagnosed with PTSD by a psychologist and when I asked my TMS psychiatrist how he would treat PTSD with TMS, he stated bilaterally. PTSD is, at it’s core, an anxiety disorder with depression.
And for those of you stating you have doctors ignoring you or stating technicians are being careless or unkind, I’m so so sorry to hear that. Mine have been incredible and have gone above and beyond for me. But the one nurse technician I did have who I found frankly annoying, I was vocal about not getting treatment from her and the office manager completely understood. You are taking a lot of time out of your life for this treatment (it’s 3 hours a day for me due to commute), your putting a lot of hope into this, and the TMS doctor, staff, company are all making a lot of money off of you. They are employed because of your situation. Don’t be complacent if your not getting the care you deserve or feel bad about speaking up.
I hope you are fine now!!
I just had my 6th session of TMS with the NeuroStar this morning for depression/anxiety. They are doing it on both left and right sides of my head. I’m so sorry to hear the comments above with people saying they are quitting treatments because of the severe anxiety they are experiencing. I was made well aware that there was a possibility that this could happen and if it did they would re-evaluate my motor threshold and re-adjust power to lesson symptoms. Every morning the tech asks me how my depression and anxiety rank on a scale of 1-10 and I meet with the TMS Psychiatrist once a week (met with him second time this morning and he increased my power from 85% to 120% but are doing it slowly over 3 days). I have read and been told it’s common to have “dips” in mood or “roller coaster” of moods and hope if that happens to me they are tolerable but I’m determined to finish this treatment as this is my last resort and lucky that my insurance is covering most of it. I just think it’s so important to communicate with the TMS staff and SHAME ON THEM if they are dismissive, that is unacceptable!
I have had 10 left side treatments and anxiety has now become prominent. It seems to be making my arthritis pain even more pronounced, which I think has been the source of my depression. The psychiatrist recommended that I take Neurontin for the arthritis pain and that only made my depression worse. It has not helped that the weather and length of days are changing too. I’m basically sitting still to avoid any stress. My body doesn’t tolerate any medications at this point, so I have had high hopes for Neurostar but my provider has only been addressing treatment on the left side so I am encouraged to hear that bilateral treatment might address this situation. I’ve come so far and hate to quit but this seems daunting if my treatments are not addressing anxiety at the same time.
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This reply was modified 6 years ago by
paw_pal. Reason: brain fog
My psychiatrist informed me that bilateral treatments are considered off label in our state and that he will not be able to accommodate right side treatments so I would suggest anyone with anxiety to check whether right side treatment is an option before committing. I don’t know what I’m going to do now since I haven’t been able to tolerate medications.
I just finished #24 and am having anxiety – can’t sleep, heart racing, shaking and headaches. I understood that bilateral was not tested. They attach the machine and leave the room. No one is in there with me. I have no buzzer. And concerns I have are blown off. No one ever asks me how I feel. Three times they have handed me a sheet and asked me to fill it out answering 5 questions about how i’m Feeling. I’m convinced they throw it away. No one answers the phones or responds to emails. They are not even filing my insurance correctly but if I ask this big man with a t shirt on comes and yells at me. There are no other providers of TMS close to me – 40 minute drive one way. I have only seen a doctor once and he never asked me a question, explained anything and I never received any literature on this. This office claims 100% success with TMS. I don’t believe that this is how the inventor intended – or NeuroStar – for the equipment to be used.
Paw-pal, my psychiatrist said doing the right (anxiety) side is off label. The FDA allows off label us of medications, I know this from being a nurse for 30+ years. He felt since I had known anxiety disorder I would probably benefit from right brain treatment. (My anxiety was better after 2 treatments). So maybe it is up to a physician’s preference if they will do right brain treatment also. He is not charging for the anxiety treatment.
I am not getting treatment with NeuroStar, but a newer, deeper penetrating machine. I am getting positive feedback from my family. I feel better, they see an improvement. But I have to say every now and then I feel a suge of anxiety and today found myself talking too fast. Mania comes to mind. I am going to talk to the tech about it tomorrow.
I cannot imagine being in an office that is unresponsive. We are paying out of pocket as my doc accepts no insurance. But if this helps it will be worth it. I have had 11 treatments so far.I am new to the forum and currently wrapping up the taper sessions. I too had overwhelming anxiety after 3 weeks of treatment (left side only). I honestly started feeling ALOT better after less than 2 weeks so the anxiety was a bit disconcerting. When I mentioned it to the team, they started doing bilateral treatments. I started feeling worse – mood drops in addition to the anxiety and started feeling better 1 week ago. It certainly has been a roller coaster. I’m still not feeling as well as I did towards the beginning of treatment and really hoping things right themselves. For those of you experiencing anxiety during the TMS treatments, was there any improvement at the completion of therapy?
It is very concerning to read all the people who have posted that TMS has left them with dibilitating anxiety. Does anyone have any idea what these people have in common? Somehow it is affecting them differently than others. I cannot imagine what you are going through!
So sorry MHick – I just now saw your comment. I really hope you are feeling better. I am still having anxiety attacks – not as bad, but I know it’s because of that TMS treatiment. Before TMS, I would have a three minute panic attack with heart palpitations. Now, my heart rate is off for 30 minutes, I feel like I am going to freak out (whereas before TMS, I would tell myself calmly, “This is just a panic attack that will go away quickly.”) . TMS induced anxiety is terrifying and I am not exaggerating. You know the difference – anxiety before TMS versus after. Because of TMS causing me to have a scary elevated heart rate that would wake me from sleep, I went to acupuncture for months, and saw an energy practitioner. They helped me a lot. I thought I was better, and did not see them in January that was a mistake because I’ve had at least 4 panic attacks in January, so I will return to acupuncture. I can’t believe this fraudulent, dangerous TMS treatment is available to innocent people seeking relief. I hope TMS gets banned. I can’t help but think psychiatry equals quackery and greed.
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This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by
jlc.
Well, what we have in common is the TMS treatment. TMS induced anxiety is horrifying and as all the people posted, there is a massive distinction. We know the anxiety we had before TMS – we know that anxiety very well. TMS induced anxiety is extreme and leaves you feeling terrified for a long period of time. Whereas anxiety before TMS, just caused me to feel panic for a mere three or four minutes. I hope a lawsuit is brought against TMS Solutions. I am praying that my brain and heart heals from that TMS. I sat in the lobby of that TMS place and heard that tapping sound (someone in treatment) and realized that cannot be good for the brain and that sound has to also cause hearing damage for those in treatment. Something is way off regarding this treatment.
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This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by
I hope those who have suffered because of this TMS are healing and feeling better.
I was told the exact same thing — that there was no way that the TMS could have increase my anxiety and caused my heart palpitations (racing – it was so scary). But they are lying. It is the TMS that is causing everything you are going through now. You can heal. It just takes time.
Hi Springercali–I typically don’t respond to this thread and after my brief experience with TMS, even getting alerts from this site caused me a bit of…anxiety. If it helps, whatever issues your TMS caused should pass. I was treated for moderate depression/anxiety. I had 13 sessions, like yourself, and at that marker, one horrific panic attack. I had never had one before. Every side effect you are describing, I experienced. It did pass. It took time. TMS is not for everyone, and there is as of yet, no formula for guaranteed successful treatment. (I felt like an experiment at this very well respected graduate school doing a ton of research on the device.) IF it is not working for you, if it is making you feel worse, stop. Be gentle with yourself and allow the time to return to your baseline state. Let your family know, your GP, and gather all the support you can, but do know that what you are feeling is not permanent.
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This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by
mhick321- your post has a lot of validity. TMS is not for everyone,if you are experiencing TMS induced anxiety, etc. it shall pass. Bottom line is know your not alone and that others are on a similar journey and sharing your experience can help others. TMS is hard work and not a miracle cure. Your statement “Be gentle with yourself and allow the time to return to your baseline state.” is a good thing to keep in mind. Best to you and all who are on this journey.
AnonymousFor some reason everything I posted on this thread got deleted but I just saw a functional neurologist and I failed a bunch of tests he gave me, showing that my fight or flight system is really messed up. I guess this doesn’t prove that it was from tms, but there is physical evidence of how horrible I’ve been feeling
I’m gonna start a rehabilitation program, maybe others who have had a bad reaction to tms can do this as well. I would suggest googling neuroplasticity specialists in your areaWonder if it was deleted because you posted a helpful link to report a complaint to the FDA on this TMS quackery. Glad you found an actual medical professional to help. Best wishes.
I had 30 treatments which I ended up with panic attacks and very bad anxiety, last treatment will be 3 weeks ago. can anyone give me hope that will stop. My whole body is like pins and needles.
AnonymousI think we’re all trying to figure out how to make it stop
I did have some anxiety around #22-34. It finally seemed to start working around 36! And it can even take effect after #36. But after 50+ years of depression and a strong family history, it worked for me! I pray it works for you!
Sunnybrook- So glad to hear it worked for you. Enjoy your life. Your success gives me hope.
gig- Sorry to hear your treatment led to the panic attacks and anxiety, has your TMS Dr. offered any help with your outcome? Have you tried any medication for your anxiety?
Although it worked for me, this kind of comment makes me concerned to recommend it. Had I read these before I did TMS I would probably not have tried it. Have those who have developed anxiety grouped together to find out why and what may work to give you relief? I had anxiety before and it is so debilitating! A very serious condition. Since it can be made worse, perhaps there is a medical concern that can make it better?!
I finished my TMS at the beginning of Dec. The last two weeks really became a struggle because the anxiety was so severe. I ended up getting only right sided treatment the last two weeks. At the same time, my doctor started me on wellbutrin. Three weeks after tms ended, I felt like a new person and the anxiety had gradually diminished until I felt like ME again. That period lasted for 2 weeks until the anxiety returned, which my doctor contributed to the wellbutrin. I came off of it and felt much better. I do think the TMS worked for me. The same anxiety occurred to my friend, and she too felt better a few weeks after completion. When I spoke to my doctor, he did mention that a few of his patients reported relief weeks after they finished TMS. But he did say patients like us are in the minority. He said most patients, about 70 percent, will feel better before completion of TMS.
The doctor put me on medication for the anxiety, but I did not need it before, Trying to find out when this will stop
Gig, try Chinese accupuncture, and their herbal recommendations. That’s a good start. Also try some form of energy work that helps calm the nervous system. Meetup.com has groups that meet for energy work, if money is a concern.
jlc- great recommendation for gig. Meditation and anxiety therapy may help also. Getting a handle on anxiety issues is difficult as I know and have suffered with anxiety also.
gig- hope something from what has been suggested helps you.
gig- I am feeling a little calmer, and seeing a doctor the anxiety, and do meditation relaxation. Thanks for all the advise.
gig- happy to hear you are feeling calmer and hope that it does nothing but improve over time. 🙂
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This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by
The topic ‘TMS cause constant Anxiety?’ is closed to new replies.