Hi, I'm Alanna, an actress/writer/acting coach/ and development professional. I'm also a trans woman living with depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder. For the last five years I've been working on improving my mental health through talk therapy, EMDR, and medication management. Despite all my efforts, my depression has persisted.

My care team recently referred me to a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) clinic in San Francisco. TMS is a non-invasive medical procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain regions to improve symptoms of neurological and psychiatric conditions. It's very safe and clinically proven to help with depression.

Luckily my insurance covers this treatment, except my copay. (Curse you capitalism, *shakes fist*)

My copay for each visit is $30. TMS treatment plans typically run twenty minutes a day, five days a week, for six to nine weeks.

$30 x five days a week = $150

$150 x six to nine weeks= $900 - $1350

The clinic has quoted my share to be around $1080

Which sadly is outside my current financial abilities.

I, like most adults in this day and age, hate asking for help, and hate feeling pitied. Especially when there are so many tragedies filling our feeds daily. The world is constantly on fire and I know my problems are just a small part of it.

But I've realized the bravest thing to do in a world intent on silencing people like me is to ask for help when I need it, and I do. What's more, I can help others in the long run by putting my own mask on first and paying it forward later.

Any donation is helpful If you have the means. Thank you for your time and consideration.