Ganimedez “Gani” Espinoza says he feels like he was not only born depressed but that he was also a “defective product” who easily could have wound up living on the streets.

“Some babies are born with deformities; I was born with depression. It is what it is, no big deal,” says the 44-year-old Hialeah father of two, matter-of-factly. Mr. Espinoza has struggled with his mental health practically his entire life. “I was wired to be a drug-addicted bum on the street. That’s what I’m supposed to do, I think, because every time I try to do the opposite – to better myself – I just get screwed.”

Learning Disabilities and Self-Destructive Behaviors

A quick review of Mr. Espinoza’s life to date reveals a man who struggled with learning disabilities and absenteeism in school and who has exhibited a lifelong pattern of self-destructive behaviors:

• Diagnosed with dyslexia, a brain-based learning disorder that causes difficulties with reading and processing written language, typically identified when children learn to read. “It made it hard for me to learn,” says Mr. Espinoza.

• Diagnosed later in life with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most common mental disorders affecting children, with symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. “Everybody just thought I was either lazy or I just couldn’t pay attention or I was too hyper.”

• Constantly underperformed in school and failed 10th grade twice before getting expelled. “I was never a good student. I just didn’t like school. The only good grades I had were in Art, Music and P.E.,” he admits.

• Sent packing by his father at age 18 to live with his aunt in Chicago. “He just got fed up with me. I didn’t listen, I was always a rebel doing stupid things. I was never a criminal or anything – I wouldn’t steal anything or hurt anybody.”

• Enrolled in video production courses at The Art Institute of Colorado to pursue his passion for filmmaking and was expelled after a year and a half. “I got kicked out for always being absent.”

• At 20, started abusing alcohol and cocaine. “That started me on a pretty dark path in my early- to mid-twenties,” Mr. Espinoza recalls.

• Struggled with depression, anxiety, anger management and other issues, leading him to see a variety of therapists and psychiatrists over the past 20 years. “They tried drugs and talk therapy and other things but nothing really worked for me.”

• Tried to commit suicide – twice – but was unsuccessful each time. “I couldn’t even do that right,” he says.

Today, however, Mr. Espinoza says he is in a better place, feeling more productive and taking things in stride rather than letting a minor setback or annoyance derail his day. He credits Rachel Rohaidy, M.D., a psychiatrist with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, and an advanced therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Rachel Rohaidy, M.D., a psychiatrist with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute

“Mr. Espinoza had multiple traumas growing up that negatively impacted his functioning as an adult and he just wasn’t able to get through his normal day-to-day life,” recalls Dr. Rohaidy. “He was quite depressed and not really functioning in his life or his work. Although he was very focused on being a good father to his two children, his relationship with his wife was suffering to the point where they were preparing to divorce.”

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression affects tens of millions of people in the U.S., significantly impacting daily life and functioning. Rates have risen sharply over the past decade, with especially high prevalence among youth, females and lower-income populations.

Understanding Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Prefrontal TMS therapy is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients whose symptoms have not responded to medications or psychotherapy.

“Roughly 30 percent of MDD patients don’t respond to medications, unfortunately, but TMS has been shown to control symptoms in a way that medications can’t for many of these patients,” Dr. Rohaidy notes. The innovative therapy uses electromagnetic induction to apply a series of short, targeted magnetic pulses to areas of the brain known to be associated with major depression.

“It feels like you’re being hit with a rubber band,” says Dr. Rohaidy. The treatment excites nerve cells that have otherwise fallen asleep in certain parts of the brain. After an initial brain-mapping session that takes about 90 minutes, the 20-minute outpatient procedure is repeated once daily for four to six weeks, for a total of 30 to 36 sessions. TMS can be repeated as needed, she adds. “I have one patient who gets treated once a year, which is what her insurance coverage allows.”

In addition to being used for treatment-resistant depression, TMS is also approved by the FDA for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and for smoking cessation, but neither of those is covered by insurance, according to Dr. Rohaidy.

Rapid Improvement, No Adverse Side Effects

Mr. Espinoza, who finished his TMS therapy a couple of months ago, says he started feeling a difference roughly halfway through his treatment. “After a couple of weeks, I noticed that when I got sad or depressed it wouldn’t last that long – I could get out of it in 20 minutes, before my depression or anger would just get the best of me.” The hardest part for him? “You’re supposed to just think positive thoughts while you’re on the machine, and that wasn’t easy.”

Not everyone responds to TMS the same way, says Dr. Rohaidy. “It’s different for everyone. I have some patients that feel a positive difference after six to 10 treatments and others who don’t really feel it until the end.”

Dr. Rohaidy says TMS is doesn’t have any adverse side effects except for maybe a brief headache during treatment that goes away by the time they get to their car. “Many patients do report increased sleep after their treatment,” she notes, “but that’s not so much a side effect as it is our first sign that the patient is actually getting better.”

Mr. Espinoza says that prior to his therapy, he was used to sleeping just four or five hours a night at the most. “TMS has definitely made me sleep a lot more. Sometimes I’ll get eight hours but usually it’s more like 12 hours.” But sleeping “too much” is better than feeling depressed all day, he acknowledges.

Now He Can Focus On What Really Matters

Mr. Espinoza says it was his wife, a registered nurse with Baptist Health Baptist Hospital, who convinced him to seek care with Dr. Rohaidy. She had grown weary after years of seeing his self-destructive behavior and until recently, he says, the couple had been contemplating divorce.

“In her eyes, every time I get ahead I always seem to sabotage myself for some reason,” he admits. “But I think she knows things are different now. She sees that I’ve improved and I’m more focused. And so, we’re willing to put divorce on hold for now and see how things go.”

If there’s one success in his life that Mr. Espinoza can point to, it’s his role as a father. “People say I’m a good father because I’m always involved in their lives and on top of their schedules and their medical appointments. And since I’m kind of a big child myself, I just love to play with them and make sure they’re having a good time.”

Mr. Espinoza is also better able to focus on the demands of his video production company that he started five years ago. “There was no way I could work when I was depressed and angry all the time, or so frustrated that I just wanted to punch a wall, and that seemed to happen every day” he says. “but now I’m productive and able to focus on my work.”

Grateful for His Life-Changing TMS Therapy

Dr. Rohaidy estimates that 90 percent of her TMS patients have reported improvements similar to Mr. Espinoza’s. “For many of them, TMS has been transformative, helping them to lead active fulfilling lives,” she says. For patients who may not be candidates for TMS, other non-medication treatment options are also available, including ketamine and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Mr. Espinoza calls Dr. Rohaidy “the best psychiatrist I’ve had” and says he is grateful to her for suggesting TMS. “It seems unreal that ‘zapping’ your head with magnets can change your life but TMS actually works. I still have to do my part, like exercise and eat healthy, but TMS has given me the little extra thing that I needed to be able to move on from a lifetime of depression. I always thought I was defective but now I don’t feel that way anymore.”