How To Beat Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia With Electric Current To Your Brain

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On this episode of Anti-Aging Hacks, Kelly Roman and Faraz Khan dive into the benefits of applying electric current to your brain for the purpose of reducing anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Kelly Roman is the cofounder & CEO of Fisher Wallace Laboratories. For the past decade, Kelly Roman has helped lead the fields of neuromodulation product development, regulatory affairs, healthcare marketing and clinical trial strategy.

Prior to co-founding Fisher Wallace, Kelly graduated from Harvard and served as an award-winning executive in the digital advertising and SaaS industries. He recently served on the boards of two charter high schools in New York City.

What Got Kelly Interested In Electrical Stimulation To The Brain?

His brother is a research scientist and a professor of medical school in New York.
While growing up, he was exposed to research.
He worked in a rehabilitation center for abused kids.
He is really interested in the idea of using electrical stimulation to impact chemistry in the brain.
He uses the device himself and it works for him.

What Are The Benefits Of Electrical Stimulation?

There are two sides of research.
The first side of research is the mechanism of action which is about the function and how a device works.
The second side of research focuses on the effects of the device.
In Fisher Wallace Laboratories, they have done work in the mechanism of action side.
They have found that alternating current is effective in training brain wave state.
The device stimulates the brain for 20 minutes per treatment session and it’s once or twice a day.
For depression and anxiety, it is twice a day, morning and evening.
If you are treating insomnia only, you can just use it before bedtime for 20 minutes.
It’s very safe, gentle, and effective.
They have 80,000 patients now but there are no documented side effects and long-term medical effects.

The Scientific Literature On Causes Of Anxiety & Depression?

The rate of anxiety rose up to 400% since the pandemic.
In adults, anxiety alone went up from 3% up to 17%.
For conditions like bipolar and some other depression-related disorders, there’s an evident genetic disposition.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can happen in any abusive situation
Alcohol abuse and drug abuse can also cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
There is an incredibly wide array of reasons why people get these symptoms.

Are Frontline Drugs For Treating Depression And Anxiety Effective For Long-Term Use?

There have been a ton of long-term efficacy studies on pharmaceutical drugs.
They are effective in reducing anxiety but there are side effects as well.
A lot of patients get benefits from medicine in combination with The Fisher Wallace Stimulator.
Other patients use the stimulator to lower the dosage of their medicines.
There are a lot of patients who have no access to psychiatric care because it is expensive.
For those people who cannot afford health care access, The Fisher Wallace Stimulator is a great option.
Fisher Wallace Laboratory sends their device in rural communities with no health access and with low income.
The rural people use the device and if they are not satisfied, they can return it in 30 days and get the full refund.

Difference Between Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation And Vagus Nerve Stimulation?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses a high power magnet.
In TMS, an electromagnetic coil is placed against your scalp near your forehead.
This electromagnet painlessly delivers a magnetic pulse that stimulates prefrontal cortex area of the brain.
It activates the regions of the brain that have decreased activity in depression. TMS is expensive.
In Vagus Nerve System, there is a stimulating device that is applied to the neck.
It travels from the head down the body through the neck so you can stimulate it through neck.
This is the approach used in treating depression.
There’s nothing out there that treats anxiety disorders except for the fisher wallace stimulator device category.

How Do They Measure Levels Of Serotonin And Cortisol?

Right now, they use blood testing to measure these levels.
They plan to have an imaging device for the brain.
As they go to version 3 of their device, they will embed sensors to measure brain activity.

How Often Should People Use The Fisher Wallace Stimulator?

The consumer device (called Circadia) does not require prescription.
Next year they will be just focusing 100% on the prescription brand.
But for now, people can still buy Circadia.
It is recommended to use the stimulator for 20 minutes a day until symptoms go away.