I bought this last year and It's taken me awhile to write a review because a device like this brings up a lot of issues and I wanted to be sure I shared my experiences carefully.
WHY DID I BUY THIS?
Like SO MANY OF YOU, I suffered for years from depression and anxiety that was eventually diagnosed as untreatable. Medications didn't work and in fact, over time, made things much, much worse. That is another story and this isn't the place for it, but the point is that I was losing hope and was desperate. My doctor approved me for tDCS therapy, but my insurance wouldn't cover it and I couldn't afford it. It is ridiculously expensive - tens of thousands of dollars (it's pathetic that the medical industry is all about profit) and I was left with no options - facing a hopelessness that I never thought I'd feel. I found this device and was skeptical, but at that point I had nothing to lose. I'm sure you understand the implications of that.
DID IT WORK?
Yes!
I used the F3 / Fp2 montage and by the end of the week I felt better than I had felt in more than 10 years. Again, this is not the place for opinions about doctors and the medical/insurance industries, but they had failed me and I lost more than a decade of my life. This device saved my life.
Then I messed up a little.
THE WARNINGS:
BE CAREFUL! FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! Please listen to this. This is electricity going through your brain. It is NOT something to experiment with! Because I was feeling so much better after just a few days, I decided to increase the duration of each treatment and increased the amperage. I tried a couple of other montages as well. But after a month, I realized that was experiencing dramatically increased symptoms of ADHD, and I was becoming confused and foggy-minded. I was forgetting words for common objects, etc. So I stopped using this device and it took a couple of months for those symptoms to diminish. Please, do NOT be tempted to overdo it. You do NOT experience additional benefits by continuing this treatment longer than suggested. If this treatment works for you, the benefits will last for a LONG time after you stop using the device. For some people, the symptoms never return. I am testament to that. The few times I have used this device since my first success about a year ago, it actually INCREASES my feelings of depression and anxiety, as well as symptoms of ADHD. tDCS isn't usually continuos treatment. I am sure of this, and it's one reason I took so long to write a review after purchasing this. I needed time to be sure of my experiences.
Because of the potential for damage, I am actually still on the fence about whether devices like this should be available to use without supervision. What SHOULD happen is that doctors be allowed to prescribe these devices and supervise their use. My doctors refused to help at all. I am extremely grateful for what it did for me, but am worried that it could hurt people. So again, PLEASE be careful and don't be tempted to exceed the durations and amperage that are appropriate for your treatment.
ANOTHER MISTAKE I MADE:
Like others who have reviewed this product, I had trouble keeping the electrodes positioned in the proper places. I have a shaved head, so I purchased some of the flat electrodes that adhere to your skin. Those worked fine, but the first ones I used were cheap and I literally burned a hole in my head! Yes, you can laugh, and no, I'm not posting a picture. LOL The conduction and adhesion wasn't good enough, and there must have been a bit of arcing. The electrical charge numbed any pain, so I didn't realize it was burning my skin. All I felt was a little tingle. It's common to feel a bit of a tingle at first, and during the last few seconds as the unit turns itself off. But if it tingles noticeably during the entire treatment, you are not getting proper contact. If you use anything other than the supplied foam pad electrodes, be sure you know what you are doing and get the good quality ones. I suspect that the manufacturer of this device doesn't even support using other electrodes. Pay attention to the instructions and to what other reviewers have said. And do plenty of research online. Be careful.
OTHER COMMENTS:
When I started feeling so much better, I delved on my own into cognitive behaviorial therapy based on Dr. David Burns' work. My psychiatrists had never suggested this ... but it works. Between the effects of this device and my own efforts to recognize and change my thinking, my depression and anxiety are only very minor parts of my life now. For anyone reading this who is suffering from depression and/or anxiety, THERE IS HOPE. You CAN feel better. Trust your doctors, but not blindly. Question them, and if you're not satisfied, do the research, but stick to reputable medical sources. Medications can help you tremendously, but they can also make things worse. You have probably heard of some medications causing an increased risk of suicide. I can attest to that. I am lucky that I recognized what it was, but the feelings felt very, very real. If you're suffering, my heart goes out to you. But I promise you there are answers. This device may be one of them. Use it carefully and wisely, and good luck.
| 包装尺寸 | 12.9 x 9.8 x 7.5 cm; 329 克 |
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