The Alpha-Stim device has been around for a while but many people are only beginning to hear about it now. The use of anti-depressants is commonly recommended by most psychiatrists for overcoming depression. By searching online, you will also find many alternative methods of healing from depression. Many of the hubs I've written about depression offer emotional and cognitive solutions for improving your mood and state of mind. In this hub I will briefly discuss a biochemical approach to depression that doesn't involve taking a pill every morning.

It's not a tablet

The Alpha-Stim device connects to your ear lobes and sends small burst of electricity to areas of your brain thought to be responsible for mood and Serotonin production. This device differs from traditional electroshock therapy by delivering a burst of electricity that is over a thousand times less powerful than the electroshock treatments administered in hospitals. The Alpha-Stim device is said to operate at an electricity level that is similar to the activity already happening in our brains.

The Alpha-Stim treatment lasts from 20 minutes to over an hour. The Alpha-Stim manual explains that you cannot use it 'too much' because once the depression subsides the treatment no longer has any effect at all. Some individuals are said to require more treatments than others, with individuals suffering from anxiety disorders (either combined with depression or not) finding the fastest results.

There are minimum side-effects found

The side-effects of Alpha-Stim treatments are described on their website as a low possibility of mild burns around the earlobes due to skin sensitivity, mild dizziness during use, and mild headaches on the first few uses. These side-effects are described as short-term and transitory. Overall, the Alpha-Stim was found to be about 4 times more effective than all the most popular antidepressants, and 8 times safer. See the Alpha-Stim website (link at the bottom of this article) for efficacy studies that discuss these results further.

You may not have to use it for the rest of your life

Unlike antidepressant tablets that require ongoing use to receive results from them, the Alpha-Stim is commonly described as requiring ongoing use every day for the first few weeks, then part-time use, and finally only requiring use rarely. The device is thought to actually treat and repair neurotransmitter problems, unlike many other antidepressants which merely induce Serotonin production in the brain as a one-off each time the tablet is taken.

Some psychiatrists are now even 'prescribing' the Alpha-Stim device because of its excellent results in helping with depression. However, the Alpha-Stim is an over-the-counter product that anyone can use without even seeing a doctor or a psychiatrist. There is some irony here that many anti-depressants psychiatrists study for 9 years to be able to prescribe have been demonstrated to be far less effective overall than the Alpha-Stim, an over-the-counter product.

The Alpha-Stim device is available with international shipping options from the Moeller Medical website.