Psychiatrist Begin Training About Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression


The manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator has begun face-to face meetings with psychiatrists nationwide to educate them about vagus nerve stimulation therapy, how it works and for whom this treatment is indicated. It is very important that both you and your psychiatrist fully understand vagus nerve stimulation therapy so that you can make an informed decision together about this ninety-minute out-patient implant procedure.

Three-hundred thirty representatives and case managers are participating in this nationwide education process. In addition to the face-to-face meetings with psychiatrists, the awareness and education process will include:

• Satellite Broadcast Event in 50 cities for 1,750 psychiatrists
• Fifty nationwide symposiums for 3,200 psychiatrists
• One-hundred Regional Symposiums for 2,000 psychiatrists
• Ninety teleconferences
• Continuing Medical Education Monograph (CME Credit)-7,000 psychiatrists Psychiatric Society Meetings

Don't get frustrated if your psychiatrist has not yet been informed or trained about vagus nerve stimulation. The results of the studies have been accepted for publication in prestigious peer reviewed journals such as Biological Psychiatry and Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. I know it has been a long, agonizing waiting game for you and your families. The most critical item has been completed; FDA approval of vagus nerve stimulation therapy as an adjunctive treatment for chronic depression.

I attended a Conference about VNS Therapy last week. The speakers included the nation's leading psychiatrists in treating the most severe depression. I will report on their very positive findings in my next article.

Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. He was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator in April of 2001. He chronicles his journey from the grips of depression thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy in his book:

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

The book is availalable on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, 1-888-VAGUS-88 and on his web site.

He is the founder of the http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com Web Site

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Depression Information:

Related Articles

New Treatment for Depression to be FDA Approved by Late June
With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to issue its final approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. The approval of vagus nerve stimulation will be the first ever FDA approved long-term treatment option for the four million desperate Americans( and their families) who have not had an adequate response to traditional anti-depressants.
Major Depression and Manic Depression - Any Difference?
Countless number of patients and their family members have asked me about manic-depression and major depression. "Is there any difference?" "Are they one and the same?" "Is the treatment the same?" And so on.
Depression
The 'experts' have tried to evaluate me as a sufferer of this but found no such evidence or behavior. The same was true for all other mental or medical conditions, so they think 'witch' covers my condition in life; because I refuse to participate in the materially managed environment any more.
The Patients Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
INTRODUCTION Everybody has a story. My story is the one I know best and can write about.
Depression: Based on a True Story
"Ring, ring." The crisis operator answers the phone to a woman pleading to let her daughter know that she loves her.
Are the Benefits Worth the Costs?
Schizophrenia suffers around the world have benefitted greatly with the discoveries of modern medicine. Certain medications have been found to regulate and balance brain chemistry giving an individual suffering from schizophrenia a seemingly normal life.
The Cost of Giving Up
I'm sure at times of deep crisis many of you have considered thoughts of "giving up". What is the cost to you of entertaining such thoughts? Well as one client with a progressively deteriorating illness I was working with stated "it's like having one foot out the back door".
Depression: Bringing Yourself Down
Sometimes it's hard to see the forest from the trees. Sometimes its hard to see how much you can bring your self down.
Learn To Take Control of Depression
While depression is a growing epidemic in western society, it remains to be one of the most treatable as well. While the medical profession looks first to medication, I believe only the most severe cases require any long-term medical treatment.
Seven Steps to Good Mental Health
Psychological well-being is something that we all have a right to. However, for a variety of reasons to do with upbringing, life experiences, physiology, environment and so on? we often find ourselves with a mind-state other than what we desire.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant DepressionAbout Vagus Nerve Stimulation(VNS)VNS is not brain surgery, although it is a treatment that affects the function of the brain. Vagus Nerve Stimulation uses specific stimulation of the vagus nerve to send stimulation to specific parts of the brain that are involved in mood.
Depression in Teenagers: Now What Can We Do?
No doubt you have seen the recent news headlines about a federal panel that recommended to the FDA that anti-depressant medications carry the strongest possible warning label for use in children and teenagers. This recommendation to the FDA shook the medical community, especially those who work with depressed young people.
Can You Overcome Depression?
There are many things that happen within the body when depression occurs. It is not only a feeling, but a disease that is often caused by an imbalance of chemicals within the brain.
Raise Your Feeling Frequency with a Loving Smile
In every moment of our life we have the choice to think any thought we like. Sometimes we forget that we have the freedom to choose what we think in any moment.
Depression in Long Term Care Heart Patients Often Goes Untreated
Cardiologists, other doctors and long term carestaff might be missing the big picture as one survey suggeststhat only a third of heart disease patients with serioussymptoms of depression or anxiety get any treatment.The findings are significant because psychological problems havebeen linked to poorer health and higher death rates in heartdisease patients.
What's Causing My Depression and Fatigue?
Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Depression are absolutely systemic in our society today. Recent studies done by the AMA and CMA purport one in four people in North America are suffering from some form of chronic fatigue or depression and it's expected eight out of ten of us will experience similar afflictions in our lifetime.
Aromatherapy and Depression
When artiste Leslie Cheung committed suicide, he left behind a trail of speculations amidst sighs of regret. News of his "depression" arose.
Depression and Procrastination: Twins in the Job Search
My definition of procrastination is that a person delays and delays actions that are required by a job or actionsnecessary to accomplish somethingin everyday life.Depression is a mental state that"almost freezes" a person into noaction at all.
Depression is a Choice
There is one very simple reason for all emotional depression.In a recent article entitled "Intelligent Emotions" I discussed how the feelings of "happiness" and "saddness" emerge spontaneously from within one's Self with every decision one makes for themselves in their lives.
Your Daily Struggle With Depression
If you have been diagnosed with depression or feel that you are dealing with depression on a daily basis, you may feel that depression is consuming your life. You worry about everything.