Is This Really “Treatment?” Clinics Are Selling Brain Shock Gimmicks to Struggling Adolescents
A mental health treatment called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is rapidly spreading across psychiatry, promoted as a “safe, non-drug” solution for depression, anxiety, OCD, addiction, and other conditions. But the reality raises serious concerns: TMS replaces mind-altering medications with targeted electromagnetic pulses to the brain without clear evidence of what it is actually correcting.
AbleChild observed these issues firsthand in Wyoming, where a psychiatrist with financial ties to TMS opposed a simple reform: mandatory post-mortem drug testing in violent deaths. Legislators were considering a bill to check for psychiatric medications in cases such as the murder-suicide of Tranyelle Harshman and the Covenant school shooting in Nashville. Without accurate data on drug levels in deceased individuals, experts cannot definitively determine whether these medications helped, harmed, or contributed to violent behavior.
The psychiatric establishment pushed back. A state coroner and medical examiner told lawmakers that patients who follow their prescribed psychiatric medication rarely die, then shifted to discussing stigma instead of presenting scientific evidence. AbleChild stood alone in publicly challenging these claims, insisting that testing blood levels is necessary to verify whether psychiatric drugs are truly protective. That Wyoming hearing revealed a critical choice: either allow evidence to speak or let the industry continue making unproven safety claims.
TMS itself is far from a simple wellness device. During sessions, a coil placed against the scalp delivers rapidly changing magnetic pulses, forcing neurons in specific brain regions to fire repeatedly. Sessions are repeated daily, and patients can experience side effects including headaches, scalp pain, facial twitching, dizziness, fatigue, and seizures. The risks are higher for patients already taking multiple psychiatric drugs or with other medical or neurological issues. Experts cannot yet predict what repeated brain stimulation means for adolescents whose brains are still developing, yet clinics often advertise TMS with reassuring terms like “non-drug” and “non-invasive.”
The FDA has approved TMS for teens aged 15 to 21, but only as an add-on to therapy or medication. Any use in younger children is off-label. In practice, TMS is frequently marketed to teens labeled with “treatment-resistant depression” after drug regimens fail—a label that shifts responsibility onto the patient rather than examining misdiagnosis, polypharmacy, drug-induced agitation, or risky medication changes. The next step often becomes additional drugs or devices like TMS.
This context helps explain why a psychiatrist with TMS investments might resist thorough toxicology testing of mass killers. Blood-level analysis could reveal dangerously high or interacting doses of antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilizers at the time of violent acts. Such findings could indicate that medication or treatment played a role in aggression or disinhibition, rather than simply untreated mental illness. Accurate data would highlight systemic failures in prescribing practices, rather than leaving blame solely on the patient.
The financial stakes are significant. TMS is driven by a global medical device industry and branded clinic networks such as Stella, which package TMS alongside ketamine and esketamine into high-cost “treatment-resistant” programs. These networks profit from each step of a patient’s journey through multiple medications and brain interventions. One major TMS manufacturer reports nearly $150 million annually in revenue from its devices and clinics.
The influence of this industry extends into public life and government. AbleChild reported a TMS technician attending the Charlie Kirk investigation site, demonstrating how deeply these practices are penetrating high-profile arenas. At every level, the industry resists transparency that could clarify whether psychiatric drugs and brain stimulation sometimes contribute to the very tragedies they claim to treat. The solution is straightforward: conduct proper testing, report the results honestly, and allow the evidence to guide policy and treatment.
AbleChild, a nonprofit organization, has worked on groundbreaking legislation in Tennessee that sets a national precedent for transparency in mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety.
Families and concerned citizens can take action: advocate for federal hearings and donate to support AbleChild’s work. Every contribution helps ensure children’s mental health is approached with accountability, safety, and respect.
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