TMS · January 14, 2026 · 6 min read
Is TMS Right for Me? Six Questions to Ask First
TMS is a serious commitment — roughly 36 visits over nine weeks. Before you start, it's worth knowing whether you're likely to benefit.
1. Have you had an adequate medication trial?
Most insurers, and most clinical guidelines, expect at least two antidepressants tried at a therapeutic dose for six to eight weeks each. If a medication was stopped after ten days at a starting dose, that's not a completed trial, and there may be simpler steps first.
2. Is the diagnosis actually unipolar depression?
TMS is cleared for major depressive disorder, anxious depression, and OCD. If bipolar spectrum illness has never been screened for, that should happen before stimulation begins.
3. Do you pass the safety screen?
Non-removable ferromagnetic metal near the head — aneurysm clips, some cochlear implants — rules TMS out. A seizure history requires individualized review, not an automatic no.
4. Can you commit to the schedule?
Five days a week for six weeks is the part people underestimate. Sessions are short, but the daily rhythm has to fit your work, childcare, and commute realistically.
5. What will it cost you?
Get the number in writing before session one: prior authorization status, copay per session, and deductible remaining. A clinic that won't tell you is a clinic to be cautious about.
6. What are realistic expectations?
Roughly half to two-thirds of patients with treatment-resistant depression respond meaningfully and about a third reach remission. Those are good odds after two failed medications — and they are odds, not promises.