Man with OCD cured by transcranial magnetic stimulation

A man whose 28-year-battle with obsessive compulsive disorder saw him tormented daily thinking he had harmed others claims he has been effectively 'cured' through the use of magnets.

The condition drove Alex Jones to imagine he had run people over deliberately in his car and beaten up strangers.

The intrusive thoughts that invaded his mind daily would cause him great anxiety, as every trip outside would prompt him to spend hours retracing his steps to check for his 'victims'.

Alex also washed his hands up to 50 times a day until they were red raw. His behaviour also took its toll on his relationship with his wife, Paulette.

The architect, now 46, had tried various therapies but none had any effect and he was even told by his GP to 'pull yourself together'.

His OCD eventually led him to suffering a nervous breakdown.

Then desperate Alex discovered magnetic pulse therapy and claims he feels like a 'normal person' after just one session.

Alex Jones, from Portsmouth, saus he was tormented daily thinking he'd harmed others

Alex's condition was highly stressful and took its toll on his relationship with his wife, Paulette

HOW DOES TMS WORK? 

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is relatively new in the UK.

The non-invasive, medication-free treatment was approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression in 2008 and in 2015 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) deemed it effective and safe for the same condition in the UK.

Studies have also suggested it is effective in reducing the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, chronic neuropathic pain, drug addiction, PTSD and schizophrenia, among others.

TMS utilises pulses of magnetic energy that produce very small electrical currents through a treatment coil placed on the scalp.

It delivers a highly concentrated magnetic field which turns on and off very rapidly, the same type and strength as those produced by MRI.

It is applied to the area of the brain shown by scans to be most associated with the medical or psychiatric condition being treated, to stimulate or dampen down activity there.

Experts believe CD symptoms may involve communication errors among different parts of the brain, including the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex (both in the front of the brain), the striatum, and the thalamus (deeper parts of the brain). 

The magnetic field does not affect the whole brain, reaching about 2-3 cm in, directly beneath the treatment coil. 

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) utilises pulses of magnetic energy, to stimulate or dampen down areas of the brain known to contribute to psychiatric conditions.

Alex, from Portsmouth, said: 'I had experienced these obsessive, intrusive thoughts since I was a teenager. They were pretty much constant.

'I was in a perpetual state of anxiety and it was really mentally draining, and hard on my wife too.

'I had tried many therapies unsuccessful and believed I was stuck with this for the rest of my life.

'But then after leaving the clinic after mt first TMS session, I felt like a completely "normal" person.'  

OCD is 'more than just hand washing'

OCD is one of the most common psychiatric conditions with 3.3 million sufferers in the US and 750,000 in the UK.  

An example of a typical symptom is for someone to have an obsessive fear of their house being burgled, compulsively driving them to check all the windows and doors are locked several times before they can leave the house.

Others are the need for order or symmetry, such as obsessively alphabetically storing your CDs. Counting, tapping, repeating certain words is common too.

But perhaps a lesser known effect is the fear of harming yourself or attacking others. 

Paulette says not many people are aware that OCD can cause repetitive, intrusive thoughts

Paulette, 50, who has been married to Alex for nine years, explained: 'A lot of people are aware of OCD rituals such as hand washing or excessive house cleaning.

'But the general public are less aware about the aspect of OCD that causes repetitive, frightening and intrusive thoughts. I wasn't aware of this until I met Alex.

'It can really make sufferers lives a misery.

'And the ironic thing is Alex is such a lovely person, he's the least likely person to hurt anyone yet he would get convinced that he had.'

It's not logical 

Alex was 18 when he first began suffering symptoms.

'I started with the obsessive hand washing,' he explained. 'Then by the time I got to university it escalated and I began worrying that I'd harmed people.

'I would go for a walk and worry that I had left a trail of obstacles behind, such as tree branches and twigs that someone could trip over.

'I would have to go back and retrace my steps and check that I'd not done that. What was meant to be a half an hour walk would take several hours.

'It doesn't sound rational but the condition overrides logic and makes you behave compulsively.

During this period, Alex visited his GP for help several times but was fobbed off.

Then his parents took him for so-called 'exposure therapy', which again had no effect.

This is when a trained therapist guides the sufferer to approach the object of his or her fear without indulging in any compulsive ritual behaviours. 

Alex said: 'I didn't feel like listening to tapes of someone describing my worst fears had any impact. I was always back to square one. 

'I felt like my brain was wired this way and this wasn't changing that.'

Nervous breakdown  

Alex's OCD drove him to have a nervous breakdown in 2009

Alex's symptoms got worse over the years and additional fears and anxieties were added to the list.

'When Paulette and I were walking down the street, I would even worry that I had made passes at other women,' he said. 'She was always having to reassure me that I hadn't.' 

Then when the recession hit in 2009, Alex found himself out of work for eight months.

'My OCD spiked with the stress, leading to a crippling bout of depression. 

'I was given medication which had some effect to start with, but in the long term, it had little effect.'

Alex recovered and tried to get on with his life, but his intrusive thoughts continued to plague him. 

In 2012, he had cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), known as 'a talking therapy' that aims to help people manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.

Alex said: 'It didn't really work. I didn't feel like talking about my problems was enough to stop my obsessive thoughts.' 

Relief at last 

OCD IS GENETIC FINDS RESEARCH

The genes that could cause obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been identified by scientists in a breakthrough that could lead to a new form of therapy.

The condition could be treated with gene therapy after four were discovered to be involved, the first to be linked to OCD in humans.

Mutations were found in brain cells linked to serotonin – a chemical involved in emotions, low levels of which can cause OCD.

Experts have suspected it to be genetic for decades as it tends to run in families. This new research appears to confirm this.

It is hoped the findings will allow earlier diagnosis when drugs may be more effective, and even lead to preventing it altogether.

Then Alex read about TMS and felt he had nothing left to lose.

In July this year he visited a Smart TMS clinic in London, which was founded by consultant psychiatrist Dr Leigh Neal.

Alex was amazed by the results.

'I went to London, feeling anxious as usual being around people, afraid I would harm them.

'And I came out of the clinic, after one 30-minute session, feeling like my mind had been completely emptied of my obsessive thoughts.

'Paulette commented that as we travelled home, walking through hectic central London, that I'd not said anything. I'd not needed to ask her for any reassurance about anything.'

Alex had two more sessions as recommended and said that he has remained symptom free ever since, except for a minor relapse three months later.

'I started to get a few OCD like thoughts again – but not as strong as usual – but i went back for a few more sessions and I'm fine again.' 

Paulette said she feels like Alex is the real person he's supposed to be.

'I've only ever known Alex to have OCD and while it's been challenging at times I've always accepted it. 

'He's a great laugh and a really kind man and now we can live our lives without all the anxiety. It's made such a difference.'  

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