Nothing inspires hope like hearing from others who have walked in your shoes and come out the other side.
Here are a few of the real stories of veterans and first responders who have undergone eTMS treatment (in our partner programs) and experienced profound improvements. These success stories illustrate what’s possible and remind us why we do what we do. (Names have been used with permission or changed to respect privacy.)
Kayleigh M. served as an EMT and firefighter, a job that took both a physical and mental toll. After years of witnessing trauma on the front lines, she found herself in a constant state of anxiety and mental exhaustion. “I felt physically present but mentally stuck in a fog,” Kayleigh recalls of her life before treatment. She struggled with nightmares, irritability, and a sense of detachment that was straining her family life. Traditional counseling helped somewhat, but she still felt trapped by her PTSD. In 2025,Kayleigh enrolled in an eTMS program (similar to Hero Brain Health) in Florida. The results were transformative. “Now, it’s like a veil has been lifted,” she says, describing how her clarity and focus returned after a few weeks of personalized brain therapy. Her hypervigilance calmed to the point where she could relax at home and even in public places, something she hadn’t felt in years. “The treatment has had a calming effect on both my mind and nervous system. I feel more grounded, clear-headed and fully in control,” Kayleigh reports. She was able to reduce her anxiety medication and has rekindled her passion for her work and hobbies. Kayleigh’s story is a testament to how eTMS can quickly restore a sense of normalcy – turning the brain’s “alarm signals” way down and allowing the person underneath to shine through. Today, Kayleigh volunteers as a peer mentor to other first responders considering the therapy, eager to share her message: there is hope, and you can feel like yourself again.
Laura D. is a U.S. Army veteran who deployed twice to conflict zones. Upon returning home, she grappled with severe depression, panic attacks, and traumatic brain injury symptoms (migraines and memory lapses from a blast exposure). She had tried multiple medications and therapies over 10+ years with limited success – nothing seemed to fully break the cycle of despair and cognitive fog. When Laura heard about an EEG-guided TMS program launching in Missouri, she admits she was skeptical but desperate for relief. She became one of the first veterans in that state program in late 2023. Just weeks later, Laura describes the change in one word: “lifesaving.” “By week two, I was feeling the change – and no medications at all,” she says, still a bit amazed at the rapid turnaround. The heavy cloud of depression began to lift; she found herself smiling unexpectedly and having the energy to leave the house in the mornings. Her nightmares and flashbacks reduced in frequency, and she started sleeping a solid 7 hours per night, something she hadn’t done in years. Laura’s family noticed the difference immediately – “It was like I came back to life,” she recalls them saying. Importantly, her neurocognitive symptoms also improved: her headaches subsided, and she was able to concentrate and remember details much better than before (her follow-up EEG showed more normalized brainwave activity, correlating with her cognitive recovery). Now volunteering at the clinic that treated her, Laura often speaks to veterans groups about her experience. She tells them that while no single treatment is a magic wand, eTMS came as close as anything ever had for her, giving her a second chance. She encourages others not to give up: “I got my life back from this. It’s never too late to feel better.” And when asked about side effects, she just laughs and says, “A slight headache for an hour once in awhile – that’s a trade-off I’ll take to not feel miserable every day!” Laura’s journey highlights how quickly eTMS can create positive momentum in one’s mental health recovery – in her case, turning around a decade of struggle in a matter of weeks.
John D. is a 25-year Navy veteran who sought help through an eTMS program to address chronic insomnia and anxiety. After his last combat deployment, John found himself sleeping only 3–5 hours a night, plagued by hyper-alertness and middle-of-the-night panic episodes. “I’d never slept more than five hours for like nine years,” he says of that period. The lack of sleep amplified his depression and made everyday functioning a battle. John was treated with eTMS in 2020 as part of a pilot on the West Coast, and then again in 2025 with the refined protocols used today. The difference was remarkable – John now regularly gets 7–8 hours of sleep per night. “Before I went [through eTMS], I was getting 3–5 hours… Now things start lining up again and it’s easier to stay there,” he explains, crediting the treatment with breaking his insomnia cycle. With better sleep came better days: his mood stabilized, he felt less on edge, and he could engage with his family without the constant irritability that used to shadow him. John refers to the treatment as “lifechanging” – not just for him, but for those around him. He uses apebble-in-a-pond analogy: “I treat you, you treat your family better… your family treats their coworkers better… the ripple effect [of this treatment] is huge,” as one program manager put it. John witnessed this firsthand; as he healed, his improved interactions rippled out to strengthen his marriage and friendships. Now retired and living in Florida, he sometimes stops by the local eTMS clinic to share his experience with new patients. His main message: don’t underestimate the brain’s ability to recover. He’s hopeful that these services will expand nationwide so that all his brothers and sisters in arms can access them. John’s story shows that even issues like long-term insomnia and hyperarousal can be reversed, allowing a return to a healthy, balanced life.
Not all success stories are solely about PTSD or anxiety – some involvebreaking free from the grip of substance use. One such story from our broadereTMS family involves an Army veteran (we’ll call him “Mike” to protecthis privacy) who suffered a physical injury in the line of duty andsubsequently developed a dependence on opioid painkillers. By the time Mikefound eTMS, he was consuming the equivalent of 180 milligrams of morphinedaily – an extraordinarily high dose – just to ward off pain and withdrawal.He also battled PTSD and depression, creating a vicious cycle of pain (bothphysical and emotional) and drug use. Traditional rehab attempts failed, as hiscravings and trauma symptoms overwhelmed him every time. Mike entered an eTMSprogram as something of a last resort. Over four weeks of treatment, as hisbrain activity began to rebalance, something unexpected happened: his opioidcravings dramatically diminished. In fact, by the end of the eTMS course,Mike found he no longer needed any opioids at all – his pain was manageable andhis brain was no longer “stuck” in the reward-seeking loop. He voluntarilydiscontinued opioid use entirely. What’s even more astounding is that, withcontinued support, he remained sober for over seven years and counting.During a check-in, Mike shared that for him, eTMS “reset” his brain in a waythat made it possible to implement all the coping skills he’d learned intherapy. It quieted the constant urge that had derailed him before.Additionally, he saw improvements in his mood and cognitive clarity, which gavehim the strength and hope to stay on a clean path. Mike has since become anoutspoken advocate for neurological interventions in addiction treatment,emphasizing that addiction isn’t a moral failing, it’s a brain condition –and the brain can be healed. His story illustrates a crucial benefit ofeTMS: by modulating brain circuits related to addiction, it may significantlyreduce substance cravings (studies show 50–70% reductions in cravings foralcohol and opioids in eTMS trials). For Mike, this meant freedom from alife that had been dominated by drugs and despair. He’s now working full-timeand rebuilding relationships he once lost. For others facing similar dualstruggles of trauma and addiction, Mike’s journey is a beacon of hope, showingthat it’s possible to reclaim control and start anew.
These are just a few of the many success stories emerging from eTMS programs like ours.
Each person’s journey is unique, but common threads run through these narratives: relief from suffering, restoration of normal life, and a profound sense of gratitude and hope. At Hero Brain Health, we are dedicated to creating more stories just like these. Our greatest reward is to see a patient’s transformation – to see someone go from darkness to light, from merely surviving to truly thriving.
If you’re reading this and struggling with similar issues, we want you to know that a better future could be closer than you think. These individual stook a courageous step in trying eTMS, and it paid off for them. We invite you to be the next success story. We’ll be here to welcome you and walk with you on your path to healing.
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Hero Brain
Health, LLC
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Somerville, MA 02143