SHOCK THERAPY

Can a wearable neuromodulation device that delivers small electric shocks banish anxiety?

- by IAN TAYLOR

There are many things I dislike about anxiety, but one of the worst things is that it's an ambush predator.

I can be having a good day, week or month and then, all of a sudden, I'm not. Anxiety strikes and for no obvious reason, the panic attacks return and my mind scrambles.

I've had generalised anxiety disorder for nearly a decade. I've tried the antidepressant sertraline, cognitive behavioural therapy, herbal remedies, exercise, meditation, rhythmic breathing and sobriety. The anxiety is manageable, but it's never fully left and sharper episodes occur every few months. I'm resigned to living with it, but recently I've tried something new: mild electric shocks.

A clip round the ear

As I write this, clipped to my left ear is a small electrode, which is attached to a device about the size of an iPod (remember those?). The device is a Nurosym. It has a few simple controls that let me adjust the strength of the electric shocks. It's a weird sensation. Not a burn, but not a tickle either – it's a buzz. It feels like a current, probably because that's exactly what it is: a mild electric current that's finding its way from my ear to my brain via my vagus nerve.

Maybe you've heard of the vagus nerve. It's become something of an anatomical celebrity, piquing the interest of researchers and wellness enthusiasts alike. The nerve, sometimes described as a superhighway between the brain and other organs, plays a key role in the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls our 'rest and digest' mode - the opposite of fight or flight.

To put it simply, the vagus nerve calms you down.