Bob_in_New_England
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I'm in my late 50s, and I've had a lifetime history of GAD. I've tried the usual therapies over the years: SSRIs, benzos, and cognitive therapy. Only benzos have had a meaningful effect on my anxiety, and I was on them (mostly lorazepam) for about 25 years. Two years ago, I made the decision to get off of benzos; mostly because of an out-of-state move. I didn't want to get into the whole difficult process of finding a GP who would reliably prescribe my lorazepam long term, and I figured that it was a good time to make the break. It was a long, difficult process that I wouldn't want to go through again, but within about eight months I was pretty much free of any kind of withdrawal symptoms. Then, I just lived with my anxiety, which waxed and waned depending on what was going on in my life.
Recently, I heard mention of vagus nerve stimulation using a TENS device (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). This is an inexpensive device that's available without a prescription -- for about $30! -- and it's helped me greatly. The idea is that the TENS device stimulates your vagus nerve and thereby causes your parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest") to dominate your sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight"). This causes a calming response -- and apparently a whole host of other benefits, such as the reduction of inflammation, which in turn helps a host of other maladies.
The TENS device attaches to your left ear with a clip electrode, and to your left shoulder with a sticky electrode pad. Then you turn it on and administer a mild electric current (which gives a pleasant tingling sensation) for a duration of 15 minutes to an hour.
When I complete my session, I feel like I've taken a milligram of lorazepam, and for hours I have none of my familiar "surge of cortisol" feelings. It's great!
When I found the Anxiety Community today and searched to see if anybody here has had any experience with tVNS (transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation), I was very surprised to come up with no search results.
If anybody wants to learn more about the TENS unit that I bought, my experience with it, etc., I'd be glad to help. And I'd like to hear about anybody else's experience with tVNS.
Please note: I'm not selling anything! The market for TENS devices has become so competitive, and you can find them on Amazon and many other places. Mine is called the "TENS 7000," and it seems to be very popular for tVNS. It's identical to others branded with different names. I guess that means that a Chinese manufacturer is rebranding these devices for a number of companies that in turn market them to the U.S.
Recently, I heard mention of vagus nerve stimulation using a TENS device (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). This is an inexpensive device that's available without a prescription -- for about $30! -- and it's helped me greatly. The idea is that the TENS device stimulates your vagus nerve and thereby causes your parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest") to dominate your sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight"). This causes a calming response -- and apparently a whole host of other benefits, such as the reduction of inflammation, which in turn helps a host of other maladies.
The TENS device attaches to your left ear with a clip electrode, and to your left shoulder with a sticky electrode pad. Then you turn it on and administer a mild electric current (which gives a pleasant tingling sensation) for a duration of 15 minutes to an hour.
When I complete my session, I feel like I've taken a milligram of lorazepam, and for hours I have none of my familiar "surge of cortisol" feelings. It's great!
When I found the Anxiety Community today and searched to see if anybody here has had any experience with tVNS (transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation), I was very surprised to come up with no search results.
If anybody wants to learn more about the TENS unit that I bought, my experience with it, etc., I'd be glad to help. And I'd like to hear about anybody else's experience with tVNS.
Please note: I'm not selling anything! The market for TENS devices has become so competitive, and you can find them on Amazon and many other places. Mine is called the "TENS 7000," and it seems to be very popular for tVNS. It's identical to others branded with different names. I guess that means that a Chinese manufacturer is rebranding these devices for a number of companies that in turn market them to the U.S.
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