May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and knowing the importance of Mental Health education and awareness, Lindisfarne Productions is always more than happy to work with the team at the Mental Health Foundation. This year, we were asked to create an awareness video to highlight an important new innovation in Mental Health treatment and care in Alberta.
This year, the Mental Health Foundation asked Lindisfarne to create a video highlighting the exciting innovation of rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) therapy.
rTMS is a non-invasive treatment that utilizes a magnetic field to change electrical activity on the surface o the brain. Repeating this over time, the function of the targeted area can improve, which can reduce the symptoms of previously treatment-resistant depression.
In January 2019, the Alberta Hospital in Edmonton received 2 brand new rTMS machines to use in the treatment of their patients. These new machines are a huge boon for mental health treatments in the province. In the past machines were only available for patient access at the Alberta Hospital in Ponoka or in private clinics. These machines were all that was available to patients from across the province who were in desperate need of rTMS treatments. Now, with more machines available, more patients have access to this life-changing care.
Our team spoke with Sharon Siba, one of the first patients to benefit from the use of the new machines funded by the Mental Health Foundation and in use at Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Sharon shared the story of her lifelong struggles with Mental Health and how having access to rTMS treatment has allowed her to enjoy the life she always wanted and finally move forward.
To find out more about rTMS and the difference it is making for Albertans struggling with mental health, watch the full awareness video here: