Victory Recovery Partners is a network of eight addiction-recovery centers on Long Island, New York. We provide outpatient services to patients who are suffering from addictions and substance use disorders. Operating under one roof, we provide total and complete care; this includes behavioral health, wellness, psychiatric, and medication-assisted treatment services. Being that many of our patients have co-occurring disorders along with their addictions and substance use, we have adapted to serve this population. Victory offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which helps treat depression and other psychiatric conditions.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) works by using electromagnetic pulses to activate various parts of the brain. This stimulation in the brain helps treat depression and psychiatric conditions. By putting a coil near the patient’s head, a pulse is sent through with the goal of stimulating or inhibiting nerve cells. The desired result is for the treatment to lessen addiction cravings.
There are currently studies in progress on the benefits of TMS. In fact, in Connecticut, there is a study of 40 patients who have either alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder. By the middle of August, these 40 participants will be analyzed to see if TMS helped them lower or eliminate their cravings and desires to use substances like alcohol or opioids. It has already been shown that TMS does help reduce nicotine use by reducing cravings. Additionally, Vaughn Steele, the professor behind the 40-participant study in Connecticut, has expressed that TMS has shown to be effective in treating those with cocaine use disorders.
There are still some unanswered questions around TMS, specifically about “what” TMS does to the patient. Our understanding so far is a bit limited, yet we do know that the electromagnetic pulses which create electric currents in the brain stimulate brain cells. By doing this process repetitively, the goal is to change brain circuits, leading to reduced cravings.
TMS is particularly useful for the population of patients who are not open to other forms of treatment. TMS has been shown to be safe, with very minor side effects. At Yale University, researchers such as Steele are taking a unique approach by aiming to treat alcohol and opioid use – specifically in the early stages.
At Victory Recovery Partners, we are always open to learning about new and successful forms of treatments to best serve our patients. Each patient is unique and requires different forms of treatment to succeed. By offering TMS, Victory is providing a unique form of treatment that may significantly help those suffering from addiction and substance use disorders. By keeping our motto in full effect, “No One Left Behind,” we ensure that each and every patient is provided with the best care possible, allowing them to recover and lead a better and healthier life. For more information on Victory Recovery Partners, visit our website.
