YORK, Pa. — Twenty-six-year-old Sierra Johnson is a hit wherever she takes her newborn son, Asher.
"Everybody wants to say hi," she said. "He changed my life for the better, he really has. I'm really happy because he came at a time when I needed him."
The new mom says she couldn't be happier. That happiness, though, is a stark contrast to just a few years ago, when she underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, to treat her severe depression.
"I had to force myself to get out of bed, and I didn't wanna get out of bed," she said. "I had to force myself to commute in the rain, bad weather, bad mood—I had to force myself to do it, and one thing I told myself was, 'you are doing this for you.' And I had to advocate for myself."
Johnson came to WellSpan Health for her TMS therapy. Patients go five days a week for 20-minute sessions for at least 30 days. The treatment stimulates brain tissue that is underperforming, essentially waking it up—and in turn, boosting a person's feel-good hormones, serotonin and dopamine.
Doctors say it's perfect for people like Johnson who have tried antidepressants without success, and she agrees.
"My relationship with my family has improved, and now that I'm a mom, it's given me a chance to be me, and it's given me the chance to—I feel like I can be a good mom," Johnson said.
It's a sentiment she wasn't sure she would ever feel, but is grateful she does.
"It taught me how to be humble, I'm really happy; it brought me closer to a lot of people in my life," she said cheerfully. "It brought people that I haven't seen in a long time back into my life."
She says if you are struggling with severe depression, don't hesitate to consider TMS.
"Look into it. Do your research. It's something I wouldn't change. You won't regret it," Johnson said.
For more information on TMS at WellSpan, click here.