TMS helped Eli imagine a future
- brittaneycheck
- May 18
- 3 min read
At 17 years old, Eli is thinking about college tours, career plans and a future helping other young people facing mental health challenges. Not long ago, however, imagining the future was difficult for Eli.
“Before TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) [Therapy], I wasn’t really thinking of a future whatsoever,” Eli said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want one; it’s that I couldn’t picture one. I had been more focused on trying to get myself better or stay alive.”
A high school junior, Eli has lived with depression and anxiety since middle school. Over the years, he tried therapy, medication and experienced multiple hospitalizations.
“I have been experiencing depression since probably sixth or seventh grade,” Eli said. “I have gone through suicidal thoughts and self-harm. It’s just been a battle since then.”
A battle for better mental health
Every day life was hard for Eli to manage. School felt especially overwhelming. He often left early or missed days altogether, and this only added to the stress as he fell behind academically.
His mental health challenges also affected his relationships with friends and family.
“I had so many emotions that I was internalizing,” Eli said. “It would cause me to be a little irritable with my friends and family, and also just isolate from them in general.”
Eli’s mother said their family spent years trying different therapies, medications and treatment options while making sure Eli’s voice remained central to his care. She described Eli as mature for his age and a strong advocate for himself throughout his care journey.
“We were listening to Eli as far as what he was willing to endure and what he felt was his most important need. He knows what he needs, and he isn’t afraid to share it with us,” she said.
Finding TMS Therapy
Struggling with severe depression, including suicidal thoughts and self-harm thoughts, and with medications no longer helping enough, last year Eli’s psychiatrist recommended TMS therapy at Ascension St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton.
TMS is a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood regulation. Eli underwent treatment five days a week for several months.
At first, he felt nervous about starting treatment, but the care team quickly helped him feel comfortable, especially one nurse who talked with him each day during treatments. He is grateful for that nurse.
About halfway through treatment, Eli began noticing improvements in both his anxiety and depression.
“Before TMS, I had very severe anxiety about just about anything socially,” he said. “Now I found that I’m only anxious about very limited things. My depression also does not hit as hard as it used to. I do not suffer from suicidal thoughts or self-harm thoughts anymore.”
Connecting and looking to the future
As his mental health has improved, Eli has begun connecting with the people and activities he had once withdrawn from. Before treatment, he struggled to find motivation to do much of anything. Now, he spends more time with family, watches musicals, plays games and explores creative hobbies.
“I didn’t like spending time with anyone at all,” Eli said. “I would just sit in bed most of the day. [Since TMS,] I’m enjoying time with my family in ways that I wasn’t before.”
TMS was integral to Eli’s recovery, but he stresses the journey involved more than just one treatment.
“One thing I want to say to people who are thinking about TMS is that it isn’t just an immediate fix,” Eli said. “You have to do therapy and practice changing your mindset as well.”
TMS, alongside therapy to help change his mindset, led to the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, Eli thinks about his future.
“TMS and reaching the end of high school have helped me think about what I want to do next,” Eli said. “I have big plans to become a clinical psychologist and work with youth who are struggling with things similar to what I’ve struggled with.”
Eli's journey demonstrates that there is hope and relief for those battling mental health challenges. If you are in need of behavioral health resources, please click here to learn more.
