More than 1 in 5 adults live with a diagnosable mental health condition in Monmouth County, New Jersey. This mirrors national averages, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Behind that number are real people quietly struggling and trying to hold it together, often without the help they need.
New Jersey’s youth suicide rate is lower than the national average. About 628 people die by suicide every year, which is just under two people per day. But suicide is still one of the leading causes of death among teens in this state. That alone should be enough to make us ask: if the numbers don’t look like a crisis, why does it still feel like one?
It’s because the pain isn’t always loud. It’s tucked behind smiles, buried under work, passed off as stress or someone who’s “just going through a rough patch.” And when it doesn’t go away, when medications like antidepressants stop working, or never worked at all, people are left thinking this might just be how their life is now.
That’s the reality for many living with treatment-resistant depression. They’ve done what they were told—tried therapy, tried medication—and they’re still stuck. What’s worse? Many don’t even know that other options exist. There are newer, FDA-approved treatments, like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and SPRAVATO® treatment, that are helping people feel better, even after everything else has failed. They’re safe, science-backed, and available here, close to home.
Common Barriers to Care
Despite these sobering facts, many local families still suffer in silence. Long waits for care, reliance on medication alone, and persistent stigma often stand in the way of getting help. This is especially true for the roughly one-third of people with major depression who don’t respond to typical antidepressant medications. Barriers in Monmouth County include:
- Stigma and misconceptions. Many people feel ashamed to ask for help or fear being judged. This “silent” suffering delays care.
- Limited awareness of new treatments. Until recently, options beyond talk therapy and medication were hard to find. Many don’t realize innovative therapies are available locally (like TMS or esketamine).
- Access challenges. Even though Monmouth County has more mental health providers per capita than the state or nation, specialized treatments can be hard to schedule. Waitlists and insurance hurdles still leave many people behind.
- Reliance on traditional approaches. Standard antidepressants and counseling do help many, but for those with treatment-resistant depression, they often fall short. After trying multiple medications, about 86 percent of patients still do not reach remission.
Treatment Options for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Don’t let depression take over your life, especially when standard treatments haven’t worked. You have real, effective options: TMS and SPRAVATO® are now available through outpatient services in Monmouth County at our Red Bank clinic.
What Is TMS Therapy?
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive treatment for depression, OCD and more. Deep TMS™ uses a specialized device—a magnetic coil placed inside a helmet placed on one’s head—to send magnetic pulses deep into the brain. These pulses induce tiny electrical currents in specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation.
In particular, TMS targets and stimulates the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area linked to rumination and negative thinking in depression. This helps reset dysfunctional neural circuits and “rewire” the brain toward healthier patterns.
Deep TMS is FDA-approved for major depression, anxious depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), late-life depression and smoking cessation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first cleared TMS for the treatment of major depressive disorder in 2008. Since then, data has shown it can be highly effective for people who haven’t fully responded to medications or therapy.
Unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), TMS does not require anesthesia. Patients stay awake, seated in a chair, and the machine gently taps their head in rapid bursts. Each session is short (often about 20 minutes) and patients usually feel only a gentle tapping sensation. No recovery time is needed, so people can go home or back to work and resume their normal activities immediately.
TMS therapy is typically delivered five days a week for six weeks and tapers down from there. It acts directly on brain circuits rather than the whole body. Many patients experience only brief tingling or a slight headache. There are no systemic side effects like sedation or weight gain, as with many psychiatric drugs. In essence, TMS provides a targeted, device-based treatment for depression—a remarkable option for those who feel like they have “tried everything else.”
Spravato Treatment
SPRAVATO® (generic name: esketamine) is an FDA-approved medication for depression, delivered as a nasal spray. Unlike traditional antidepressants that target serotonin, Spravato works on the glutamate system, the brain’s most abundant neurotransmitter pathway. This novel mechanism allows Spravato to act very quickly. Remarkably, many patients feel symptom improvement within a couple of days, some as early as 24 hours.
Because Spravato is a controlled substance (it’s a form of ketamine), it’s administered under medical supervision at a clinic. Patients take the spray, then relax comfortably while staff monitors them for a couple of hours. This ensures safety as the drug takes effect.
Side effects like sedation or dissociation are possible, but these subside typically within 45 minutes after administration. The key point is that Spravato can provide rapid relief when patients have struggled for months, years, even decades. In recent trials, Spravato users saw significant mood improvements within four weeks, much faster than typical medications.
How Relief Mental Health in Red Bank Helps
At Relief’s Red Bank clinic, the emphasis is on patient-centered care. We understand how hard it is to reach out. Whether you’ve tried therapy and medications or are just beginning to seek help, our team offers a warm, nonjudgmental space to talk about your struggles. Relief provides full outpatient mental health services—you can continue working or going to school while receiving treatment.
In addition to TMS and Spravato, our psychiatrists and therapists offer medication management, talk therapy, and support for anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring conditions. This integrated approach means we can connect you to other behavioral health treatment services if needed, focusing on the whole person.
Importantly, Relief Mental Health’s Red Bank, New Jersey location makes the latest treatments accessible locally. We know it can feel isolating when “nobody gets it.” To break through that wall, we educate every patient about their options. If stigma or doubt has delayed your care, know that modern depression treatments like TMS and Spravato are legitimate, FDA-approved methods, just as real as any medication. You have the right to ask your doctor about them.
In practical terms, getting started at Relief is straightforward. We offer a consultation so you can learn about TMS, Spravato, or our other services without obligation. Our team will carefully review your history during this visit and answer all questions. If TMS is recommended, you’ll have a brief evaluation to tailor the treatment. If Spravato is appropriate, we’ll explain the monitoring process in detail.
For every step, we aim to make you feel informed and supported. Many patients say our caring staff and bright clinic space immediately put them at ease. You won’t feel like you’re in a sterile hospital—our Red Bank clinic feels more like a spa!
Remember that support is available at whatever stage of struggle you or your loved one is in. You are not alone, and there is no shame in asking for a new approach. Innovative therapies like TMS and Spravato have helped thousands reclaim their lives from depression.
