Posted by Joe G on September 22, 2003, at 15:03:21
Hi All:
I have suffered with moderate to severe depression for the last 11 months or so. I tried self-medicating with alcohol and decided it would eventually have me, so I made an appt. with my doctor to try the meds route. Well after reading lots of posts on this site and spending several days on Effexor XR, I decided the side effects and withdrawal problems where worse than my depression.
Being depressed is not fun, but coming out of Wal-Mart and not being able to find my car because I don't remember parking it...well that is just the tip of the iceberg from Effexor...but you who have taken same or similar meds probably can relate. So I decided then and there that Effexor was not my answer.
I didn't end my search for depression-relief there however. In my research I read Jack Dreyfus' book about Phenytoin. For those who haven't heard of it, the book basically explains how Jack theorized an electrical problem in his body was causing his depression/anxiety and since epileptic seizures looked like an electrical shock...he had his doctor prescribe the medicine used for epilepsy treatment...and Voila! his anxiety/depression disappeared! Problem is, Phenytoin is a prescription drug and is not without its side effects...even though Jack avoids discussing them at length in his book.
But I was intrigued by Jack's idea of the electricity in your body being the problem. In our day and age of electromagnetic radiation coming at us from every angle...if our bodies are highly electrical...then the electricity in our bodies could get out of whack. (I sit in front of a computer monitor - emitting electromagnetic radiation - for 8 hours 5 days a week at least!) Pursuing that angle I came across a process called Cranial Electro Stimulation (CES).
CES is basically the process by which very minute currents of DC electricity are pulsed through your head/body. There are several companies that manufacture CES devices. Plus, there have been no known major side effects with CES for the last 20-30 years of major use. Problem is the units are FDA controlled and cost hundreds of dollars.
So I set out, with my electronic knowledge from being a teenage hobbyist, and built my own unit based on specifications I found throughout the Internet.
All I can say is "Wow". I have been using CES for 2 sessions daily for about 20-30 minutes each for about 7 days. Improvements in my mood and depression/anxiety were noticeable immediately. I have had better clarity of thought and less often at a loss for the right word. My sleep even seems to have improved...as well as my patience with my 3 wonderful kids (that's a miracle in and of itself!) Now I do have to mention that I have had a few occasions where I feel it may have caused me to forget something minor...but that could also have been due to lack of sleep (I have been working on some projects late into the evening recently.) But, overall, I would rate the experience very positive so far.
It is still new to me and I am still learning the best electrode placements, optimum duration and current strength. Hopefully, with continued success and even finer tuning of the process, CES can become an integral part of my depression remedy and a return to a more enjoyable life.
Has anyone else had any experience with CES? Anyone interested in finding out more information...or if you have questions, fire away.
Best Regards,
Joe G.
poster:Joe G
thread:262439
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20030903/msgs/262439.html