Testimonials
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I am an 18 year old female who was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of five. I have struggled with rapid cycling mood swings, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. I have been taking medication for more than ten years, and I always struggled to find the right medications that would work for me.
When I started the TMS treatment, I could sleep very well. A few days into the treatment my sleep got worse, so Dr. Appleton gave me a natural sleeping aid to get my sleep back to where it was. After ten sessions, I saw a really big difference in my mood and my depression was gone.Today, it has been a week since I finished my 20 treatments, and I am better than ever. I sleep great. I see the world clearer. I have no anxiety. And most importantly, I don’t have any mood swings anymore. I have been stable for 3 weeks. I never been so happy in 18 years.
This is the first time in my life that I have been happy without making an effort. My mind is clearer and I am able to focus; my school work is better than ever.
Today, I am still changing, but in a good way.
Thank you, Dr. Appleton and Joanne for all your help. This treatment has changed my life, and I am so grateful that I did it!
Dr. Appleton was great about understanding my condition. He was very helpful and knew what I needed from this treatment. Joanne was very professional and she made the time go by so much faster.
Update,
I am doing great! my mood is great. My school work cannot be better. Thank you so much for all your help. I am stopping my mood stabilizer and my anti depressant.
Female Teenage Bipolar Disorder Patient, Miami, Florida
For those familiar with the condition, from its inception I inherited every symptom included, but not limited to, repetitive behaviors, somatic obsessions, specifically preoccupation with homeostasis. In fact, the only symptoms that I never experienced were those of scrupulosity and fear of homosexuality. By college my symptoms consumed all of my waking hours. After graduation from college, I managed to circumvent these ruminations and compulsions and worked for eleven years as a high school and middle school teacher of Spanish.
After a traumatic relationship ended in 2011, my OCD spiraled and slowly deteriorated to the point where I was no longer able to live any with any acceptable quality of life. In April 2012, my worst fear came to fruition when I had to subscribe to Social Security Disability at the age of 36. By September of the same year, the condition was such that I no longer desired to live and contemplated suicide several times. After three hospitalizations, and countless psychiatrists who tried conventional medications such as SSRIs as well as anti-psychotic medications and stimulants, I was convinced I would never be normal. Every minute of every day was torture and I looked forward to nothing but going to sleep.
In November things started to change. My mother saw a Dr. Oz episode that featured people with severe OCD. Dr. Oz told the audience of a new medical treatment called RTMS Repeated Magnetic Stimulation of the brain. I was too ill to investigate the matter and my sister in Florida discovered the BrainStim Health and TMS Center in Delray Beach Florida. I was still apprehensive but in my state I was willing to try anything. It is there that I met Dr. Darryl Appleton, MD, and Joanne Hochstadt, RMA and TMS Administrator. It was at that point that I remember a word called “hope”. After discussing my condition with the doctor, we decided to start treatment immediately.
rTMS is a painless process in which a magnetic, strategically placed on the skull, emits magnetic pulses to areas of the brain where abnormalities are found in patients with depression and OCD.
After six weeks of treatment with rTMS, I experienced a 70% reduction in my OCD symptoms. My ces-d depression scale went from a forty-five to a seven after twenty of the thirty sessions. I was a completely different person.
For the first time I could imagine myself going back to work and living a normal life. This would not have been possible without Joanne, in addition to her compassion, intelligence, and expertise in the Neuronetics machine, Joanne is obsessed (no pun intended) with making sure her patients are properly positioned and comfortable. She calibrates the magnet so that not one pulse goes without efficacy. Joanne stays in the room for the entire treatment every day and is the paradigm of optimism. It is rare in these times to find doctors and nurses in the medical profession who are truly interested in the treatment of their patients rather than in the money.
Throughout my treatment, Joanne was meticulous not just in calibrating the machine but in monitoring the weaning of medications (which I no longer take) along with giving me techniques such as diet and exercise that would increase my chanced of continued success and a complete recovery. I attribute the marked difference in my life not only to the efficacy of this radical new treatment that is promising for various psychiatric and physical ailments but also to the unwavering commitment, professionalism, and dedication of Joanne, who is assigned to every single patient. At the office of Brainstim Health Center of Delray Beach, the team treat every patient compassionately and tailor the treatment individually.
I unequivocally endorse Brainstim Health Center of Delray Beach for their treatment. I will be forever in their debt.
37 Year Old Male Suffering from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Wayne, New Jersey
I have been battling depression on and off for many years now. Within the last few months I have been receiving TMS on a daily basis. I have been extremely surprised and pleased by the results of this treatment.
I could not have asked for a better experience. Dr. Appleton and his nurse Joanne made each treatment enjoyable and kept me at ease. Joanne was always there with a smile and kind heart. She always kept me laughing and happy the ENTIRE time.
After years of trying every pill and doctor out there, I finally found something that works! I recommend this treatment to anyone battling the same issues, and the results will speak for themselves.
Major Depressive Disorder Patient, Delray Beach, Florida
Soy de Quito, Ecuador.
He realizado el tratamiento TMS con el Dr.Appleton en Delray Beach, Florida y mi experiencia ha sido maravillosa. Yo tenia depression por mas de 12 anos y este tratamiento en realidad ha cambiado mi calidad de vida. Hoy por hoy me siento diferente y en menos de dos meses y veo la vida de otra forma. Mi deseo de vivirla existe y con altas expectativas, ademas para mi la felicidad estaba negada y hoy puedo decir que soy feliz. Existe el sol, el mar, el agua, el viento, y todo es maravilloso. Mi anhelo es poder disfrutar por mucho tiempo mas de esta vida que Dios me regalo, junto a mis seres queridos.
Gracias a mi linda familia por estar siempre conmigo sin ellos nada hubiese sido igual. A mi esposo en especial que ademas me dio su tiempo para estar todo el rato junto a mi en esto que fue un sueno pero que hoy es una realidad.
Gracias tambien a Joanne (Medical Assistant) que a pesar de tener el limitante del idioma para comunicarnos me ha hecho sentir querida y comprendida en todo momento.
Si tienes depresion y puedes venir aca a Dr. Appleton, no dejes de hacerlo. Es algo dificil de explicar pero maravilloso para sentir y con resultados increibles.
Paciente con Depresión, Quito, Ecuador
Dear Dr. Appleton,
I wanted to express my deepest gratitude to you for your treatment of our son, K.D. He has shown an incredible amount of improvement in his depression from your professional support and treatment. I believe he feels that you have given him a new lease on life.
It's a wonderful thing for both K.D. and our family to have hope again for his future. As a mom, it's the greatest gift anyone could have given me......so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I also must tell you how thankful I am for Joanne, your Assistant and BrainStim Coordinator.
Since I live in Michigan, she has been the most wonderful support for me over the phone. I immediately felt like I was talking with someone who really cared about my son and who I could connect ‘mom to mom’.
I remember one particularly difficult day when I was wishing K.D. had some family down there and K.D. called and said he had the nicest conversation and lunch with Joann. That meant so much to me. Those phone conversations eased my mind greatly and her warm and caring attitude has been a gift. K.D. has spoken so highly of both of you and has expressed such appreciation for your caring attitudes. I will pray that he continues to move forward and appreciate that you will be following his progress.
Thank you again for all you have done,
Fondly,
G.D.
G.D., Mother of K.D., Major Depressive Disorder Patient
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
I am from Quito, Ecuador.
I have had TMS treatment with Dr.Appleton in Delray Beach, Florida, and my experience has been wonderful. I had depression for over 12 years and this treatment really has changed the quality of my life. Today I feel different. In less than two months [of treatment], I see life with different eyes. I have a desire to live and I have high expectations. Before, I did not have happiness. Now I can say I'm happy. There is sun, sea, water, wind, and everything is wonderful. My desire is to enjoy this gift of life that God gave me-- together with my loved ones.
Thank you to my beautiful family for always being there with me....without them nothing would have been the same. And especially to my husband who has spent the entire time with me and made this dream a reality.
Thank you to Joanne (Medical Assistant) for finding the way to make me feel understood and cared for despite the language barriers.
If you have depression and you can come here to Brainstim Health & TMS Center with Dr. Appleton, [Dr. Friedman], and Joanne, do not hesitate to [try this treatment.] It may be hard to explain, but it has been a wonderful experience with incredible results.
Major Depressive Disorder patient, Quito, Ecuador
“I first started treatment for depression and mild anxiety seven years ago. I had mediocre improvement with psychotherapy and medication. It was enough that I could usually function, but I was often still miserable.
Further improvement seemed hopeless until I tried Neurostar TMS therapy. I had a mildly uncomfortable sensation the first few sessions, but it was well worth it. I started seeing improvement almost immediately.
At first, I felt better only for a few hours after treatment, but soon the mood improvement lasted all day. At first my mood would dip down on the weekends during the two day breaks from treatment, but this stopped happening after a few weeks.
I’m in the fifth week now and the difference is unbelievable.
I am enjoying life and feel like myself again.
I am continuing to see improvement and have hope for the future.
Thank God for Neurostar TMS therapy. Psychiatrist Dr. Darryl Appleton and my TMS Coordinator and Medical Assistant Joanne Hochstadt have made my therapy an even more pleasurable experience. They both really care for and about the patient. You feel like they are really there just to get you better!”
Major Depressive Disorder Patient, Delray Beach, Florida
I know what happy feels like now, thanks to TMS. I wake up looking forward to the day and my mood stays constant. TMS is one of the best investments I've ever made. Dr. Appleton is a caring and reassuring doctor as is the TMS Coordinator, Joanne. Joanne was an important part of the process. She knew how to operate and adjust the equipment according to my needs and stayed in the room during each of the sessions, answering any questions I had and generally keeping me confident and reassured. I felt I was in capable hands throughout the process.
Patient diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Maryland
There are very few people in the entire world with which I’d be comfortable repeatedly spending time in a small room. As I am both people averse and claustrophobic, if it had not been for you, I do not think that I would have completed all of my sessions.
I find that you are so sensitive to my needs and so conscientious that it leads me to believe that you are equally sensitive to all who enter the sacred space of the treatment room. Thus, I imagine that the majority of the patients in your care feel as I do.
I truly am convinced that the efficacy of these treatments is enhanced by both your skillful application of the equipment and your genuine concern for those under your care. It is my opinion that in a situation involving mental health someone with your level of empathy and people skills is a crucial component of continual positive progress. I know it has been essential in mine.
Female Depression Patient, Jupiter, Florida
January, 2014
"I have had a significant depressive episode for which I sought treatment with TMS. The staff was incredibly accommodating, friendly, and professional. I definitely feel the course of therapy helped.
I would recommend a trial of TMS for anyone with refractory depression whose symptoms have not responded or stopped responding to medication."
Patient of Dr. Appleton's Jupiter, FL
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I was not sleeping for at least 4 weeks. Went to has clinic in Toronto for a sleep study then consult with Dr. Appleton. He was terrific. Gave me a medication plan which helped me sleep. He is helping me through reducing with the goal of eliminating the medications. nothing but good things to say about Dr. Appleton
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Patient from Toronto
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I cant say enough positive things about Dr. Appleton and his clinic. My sleep experience at the clinic was so relaxing and I must say even enjoyable.(Even with all the wires attached) The staff at the clinic are kind, gentle, professional and explained everything in detail. The rooms are like hotel rooms...very comfortable and inviting. I had been to another sleep clinic several years ago and it truly was a nightmare and absolutely useless. I highly recommend the clinic. As for Dr. Appleton, what a great doctor. He is such a compassionate and easy doctor to talk to. He went over my results from the sleep study in great detail. I truly feel like I'm finally going to get the help I need for my sleep problems. Thank you so much!!!!
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Patient rating from Ratemds.com
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Professional, personable, caring, punctual, truly caring. Comes across as genuinely interested in the patient's well being.
Antonio Sanchez - Rating from Ratemds.com
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My experience with Dr. Appleton has been life changing. Before seeing him, every day was a struggle. My sleeping disorder was taking over my life and the smallest tasks seemed hard to accomplish. I was at my wits end and decided to look online for a sleep specialist. I choose Dr. Appleton because of his good reviews and I've been truly thankful ever since. Once he reviewed my sleep studies, he was able to diagnose my disorder and gave me the necessary medication to make me feel like a "normal" person. The process did not happen overnight. It took a few months to find the right dosage and medication that best fits my needs. However, the patience paid off and my outlook on life has completely transformed. I know that my sleeping disorder has no permanent cure but it's such as relief to know that it can be controlled with proper medication. Thank you Dr. Appleton, I'm forever grateful!
-Michelle - Rating from Ratemds.com
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Dr. Appleton is proof that heroes do exist. I came to see him with a sleep disorder and several mental health issues. Like many people I found myself losing faith that I could be helped. My previous doctors all failed to truly help me. After my first visit with Dr. Appleton I felt a sense of hope. I finally felt like I found a doctor who cared about my well being and proper treatment. In the last year he corrected my sleep disorder and has helped me tremendously with my mental health issues. He has gone above and beyond for me. Dr. Appleton is a Top Doc, no he actually is a Super Doc. For those reading this who are thinking about seeing him, just do it. You will be happy you did.
Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
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Dr. Appleton is by far the best doctor I've encountered thus far. As anyone who has hunted for a decent psychiatrist knows finding the right fit for yourself can be a trying task. I'm very thankful to have found this website and to have seen all the positive ratings. Everyone here is correct in their assessment of his character, professionalism and overall sincerity and ability to treat the issues he encounters. Dr. Appleton is extremely considerate and has a very warm personality, and I've found it very soothing and satisfying discussing my problems with him. He takes as much time as needed to discuss the issues at hand and how to treat them, and also takes time out to further explore and assist his patients and their other personal troubles. He goes far above and beyond his professional call of duty. He makes every effort to make my sessions with him worth the time and expense. In the few short months I've known him I've accomplished a great deal with his help. Highly recommended!
Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
After a long search for a doctor with experience in treating narcolepsy, I found Dr. Appleton. He is sincerely kind, caring, accomodating and down to earth. Most important are his knowledge, research and patient experience in sleep medicine and psychiatry/neurology and pharmacology. I highly recommend
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Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
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Dr. Appleton is the best psychiatrist I have ever been to for many reasons, but the main reason is he really cares about your true well being. His knowledge about medicine far surpasses most doctors and so does his practicallity. I would recommend him to any one I care about.
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Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
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Thank you so much Dr. Appleton, for giving me the proper care and attention. My regular doctor just brushes me off, he has so many patients, and due to the shortage of doctors in my area, I couldn't get another doctor if my life dependend on it. As a result, I live with chronic pain. You were patient and attentive and made me feel like you were really listening and taking me seriously. I wish you were a GP! The world could use a few more like you!
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Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
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Dr. Appleton has been extremely kind and professional, and has helped me more in the past few weeks than I had ever hoped to expect. I highly recommend him.
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Patient Rating from Ratemds.com
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​Dr. Appleton is the best doctor I have ever been too. I have been a patient of his, in his Toronto Ontario clinic, for about 4 years. Throughout that time, he has been patient, caring, and a great listener. I am very grateful to him for taking the time to figure out exactly what was going on inside my head and I give him credit for finally making me feel like i can function, as I am meant too. I would recommend him with the highest regard.
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