Fighting Debilitating Depression
Donation protected
I'm Shy, a self-employed artist from Ohio.
I'm pursuing TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) in hopes of gaining some relief from a decade of depression.
In December 2007, my father died after years of battling cancer; the following February, I had my first breakdown, and my life's been a mental roller coaster since.
Until that first break, I thought I'd lucked out of the familial disposition for mental illness; even in the years following, I pursued treatment with hopes that I could find some core hang up to resolve and be rid of it for good. The last couple years, my mental health has degraded to the point it's often difficult to function on basic levels, while my creativity feels to have been excised from my brain entirely.
I've had to accept the floodgates were not only opened, but completely blown off their hinges.
Since 2008, I've been in therapy for an accumulative 6-7 years, and have tried several courses of antidepressants without luck. I began researching and pursuing TMS and ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) early 2019. While ECT's reliably covered by insurance and has an excellent success rate, it's invasive, with potentially serious side effect, and requires putting my entire life on hold for at least 3 months. Running a small two-person business with my husband, being limited for 3 whole months is practically impossible.
TMS has relatively no impact in terms of side effects or life-adjusting accommodations, but I've been informed the criteria my insurance requires to cover TMS is severe; 5 antidepressants, of 2 different classes, at max dose, for at least 2 months each (or until side effects are intolerable). (Most insurer's only request 2-3 medications without a required dosage to cover TMS.)
Despite having tried several courses antidepressants over the past decade, not a single one counts under my insurance's strict criteria.
I'll be plain; my depression has been getting scary.
I worry how it might develop in the year or so it'd take to meet my insurer's requirements for TMS coverage. So much of myself has been dismantled by my degrading mental state in just the last couple years, from my daily quality of life to the complete disarmament of my creativity and self worth. I can't wait that long to step up my treatment; I need hope of getting some of myself back immediately.
So I'm paying for TMS out of pocket.
My hopes are that between this campaign and our shop I might be able to make up the immense sum this takes out of our finances before too long. It is incredibly difficult for me to ask for help publicly, but I'm at my limit and need help affording the next level of treatment.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Even if you can't contribute sharing is appreciated.
Shy
I'm pursuing TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) in hopes of gaining some relief from a decade of depression.
In December 2007, my father died after years of battling cancer; the following February, I had my first breakdown, and my life's been a mental roller coaster since.
Until that first break, I thought I'd lucked out of the familial disposition for mental illness; even in the years following, I pursued treatment with hopes that I could find some core hang up to resolve and be rid of it for good. The last couple years, my mental health has degraded to the point it's often difficult to function on basic levels, while my creativity feels to have been excised from my brain entirely.
I've had to accept the floodgates were not only opened, but completely blown off their hinges.
Since 2008, I've been in therapy for an accumulative 6-7 years, and have tried several courses of antidepressants without luck. I began researching and pursuing TMS and ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) early 2019. While ECT's reliably covered by insurance and has an excellent success rate, it's invasive, with potentially serious side effect, and requires putting my entire life on hold for at least 3 months. Running a small two-person business with my husband, being limited for 3 whole months is practically impossible.
TMS has relatively no impact in terms of side effects or life-adjusting accommodations, but I've been informed the criteria my insurance requires to cover TMS is severe; 5 antidepressants, of 2 different classes, at max dose, for at least 2 months each (or until side effects are intolerable). (Most insurer's only request 2-3 medications without a required dosage to cover TMS.)
Despite having tried several courses antidepressants over the past decade, not a single one counts under my insurance's strict criteria.
I'll be plain; my depression has been getting scary.
I worry how it might develop in the year or so it'd take to meet my insurer's requirements for TMS coverage. So much of myself has been dismantled by my degrading mental state in just the last couple years, from my daily quality of life to the complete disarmament of my creativity and self worth. I can't wait that long to step up my treatment; I need hope of getting some of myself back immediately.
So I'm paying for TMS out of pocket.
My hopes are that between this campaign and our shop I might be able to make up the immense sum this takes out of our finances before too long. It is incredibly difficult for me to ask for help publicly, but I'm at my limit and need help affording the next level of treatment.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Even if you can't contribute sharing is appreciated.
Shy
Organizer
Shy Custis
Organizer
Columbus, OH