This is my second full day utilizing CES, I’m continuing my endeavor to keep a detail record of my experiences – especially regarding mood and side effects.

7/12 – 9:30 am Report

I had breakfast with my brother, Paul, and so didn’t begin using the CES device until around 9:30 am. Again, no side effects experienced. I slept extremely well (nearly 9 hours) and did not require any medication to ward off insomnia or overcome the side effects of restless legs (which I usually do).

Emotionally, I’m feeling somewhere between a 6 (Emotional Silence) and 7 (Emotional Neutrality).

7/12 – 11:30 pm Report

I had a productive day. Oftentimes I need two naps during the day to keep me going – I made it with one yesterday. Overall, I was satisfied with the results of my day – which is somewhat unusual for me, I usually feel that I could have done more/better. I did not feel any overwhelming pangs of anxiety or regret (mistakes, oftentimes from years or decades past suddenly flash before my eyes on occasion, overwhelming me) and did not feel depressed.

However, I did experience some very brief and minor vocal tics. These are “normal” for me (as in, I’ve had them for years, they weren’t caused by the CES device). But they were very minor.

I used the device at 11:30 pm while reading and then went to sleep.

7/13 – 7:15 am Report

I awoke before my alarm (this is unusual) but unfortunately cannot report that I slept well. I did not have insomnia in the sense of being up and about during the night, but I did toss and turn throughout the night – it was a very fitful sleep. Overall, this was still an improvement over the usual insomnia, but not nearly satisfactory sleep.

I am somewhat surprised by this since I took only one nap (early in the day), worked hard all day, and didn’t consume any energy producing foods later in the evening. Oh well.

Conclusion

It is still too early to tell if the CES is having a positive effect on my depression or anxiety. It does appear to be positively effecting my sleep – reducing insomnia and perhaps also my RLS symptoms. I am not experiencing any side effects. I remained emotionally silent (6) or emotionally neutral (7) throughout the day – which is a good day for me.

Appendix. Measurements

In addition to my ten point scale I outlined in my first post I have decided to use some formal assessment tools to monitor my emotional well-being. The first is the PHQ-9 by Pfizer which is widely utilized to determine depression. I currently score 19 out of a possible 27. 15-19 may indicate “moderately severe depression” while 20-27 may indicate “severe depression.”

The second is the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). I currently score 26 which places me in the 22-35 range indicating “moderate anxiety.” 0-21 would indicate very low anxiety and above 36 indicates severe anxiety.

I have been unable to find a digital copy of the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS), if anyone is aware of where I can (legally) obtain a copy, I would greatly appreciate it. The use of PIOS or a similar tool seems necessary, as my OCD is largely suppressed by medication (Prozac, 60 mg daily) but the scrupulosity related symptoms are more persistent.

I also am not aware of satisfactory self-assessments/inventory tools freely available for either insomnia or chronic pain. If you are aware of these, I’d appreciate a link, as I’d like to monitor these aspects of my health as well.