Introduction

Today I received the Fisher Wallace Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation device in the mail. I’ll use it this evening and hopefully every night for the next thirty days and see how it affects my mood, anxiety, and sleep. I have used this device before for around sixty days, but it was during a very traumatic portion of my life and I was unable to discern what the effect of the device was. Hopefully this time around will provide some better data – though I’d still say I am under a lot more strain now than usual…and probably will be for months (years?) into the future.

[Note, I have marked the day as 2.1, this is to delineate it from the first run with the CES. Thus the 2 is for “Second Run” and the 1 is the day, so today’s is “Second Run, Day One.”

Conflating Variables

[I will not re-list these conflating variables in each post, I will only denote any changes in conflating variables as they occur]

• I am currently taking 60 mg Fluoxetine (Prozac), 300 mg Bupropion ER (Wellbutrin), and 20 mg Amphetamine Salt ER (Adderall).
• In addition, I supplement with a One-A-Day Men’s Health Formula Multivitamin, 4000 IU of NatureMade Vitamin D3, and 4000 mg of Coromega fish oil (1300 mg long chain, 700 EPA, 460 DHA).
• Today my car wouldn’t start and I had to spend a significant amount of time rectifying this issue, which did not lend to a positive mood. However, I did exercise for around three hours on a recumbent bike.¹While I have not seen the benefits of exercise in my illness, everyone says its supposed to help significantly.
• In general, I will be doing at least one hour of recumbent biking and (hopefully) frequently the 7 minute workout as well.
• Most days I consume one Shakeology shake.

Tracking Mechanisms

[This section will not appear in future posts, instead I’ll just include in a results section the data for these four measurements]

• I’ll be using my Zeo and Fitbit to track quality of sleep each night. The Zeo is more refined, but the sensor is a bit worn and I don’t trust it to work every night, so the Fitbit will serve as a backup.
• I’ll be taking Ivan Goldberg’s Depression Screening Test on a frequent basis.
• I’ll also be taking David Burn’s Burns Anxiety Test on a frequent basis.

Baseline

Today is essentially meant to serve as a baseline. The scores should provide some insight into my regular state before beginning use of the Fisher Wallace CES.

• Ivan Goldberg Depression Screening Test: 42 (Moderate/Severe Depression)
• David Burns Anxiety Test: 36 (Severe Anxiety)