If you have been following me on LinkedIn or Tiktok, you know how much I talk about this product. For those of us who hate medications, it is a huge relief!
If you are a Service Member or a Veteran with a mental health diagnosis OR have chronic pain, you owe it to yourself to ask for one. The truth is, most VA doctors will not suggest it to you. I learned about it from a retired, female VA doctor that was working with The Pink Berets.
As a survivor of military sexual trauma living with the effects, I try my best to get one for every military client I meet. I also have chronic pains including migraines and insomnia. If I have to work in an office or where there is a crowd that I am not familiar with, I usually pull mine out. It works by increasing alpha wave activity in our brains. This affects our relaxation.
Here are the steps:
1. Get a diagnosis. Without a diagnosis, insurance will not pay. This is America.
2. Request an "Alpha Stim - M" from your VA Primary Care doctor. This step is tricky because most have not heard of it and with the turnover at the VA, the likelihood that you have the same doctor each time you come is slim. Also, the "M" model has the wands for chronic pain. Some use it on their joints. I met a Veteran that uses it for his migraines.
2b. This is why I advocate that you use the myHealtheVet portal to submit your message in writing. This makes it a dated, legal document, instead of you staying on the phone for hours with no record. This is also very useful if you need to contact your VA Patient Advocate to fight for you. Trust me.
3. When you make your request, let them know to send the referral to the Prosthetics Department. Again, most of the staff might not know about the device. Most of the people that have been following my advice have received them in the mail without even getting a written response.
4. DO NOT DRIVE WHILE USING THIS DEVICE. It calms you and you need to have regular reaction time. I suggest for those with driving anxiety to use it before you drive and again once parked. I also highly suggest that you wear it during therapy sessions!
5. Learn more about AlphaStim here.
6. Watch my TikTok on how to use it. Click like, share, and subscribe, please!
P.S. If this helped, please click here for a quick testimonial!
P.P.S. Dedicated to Donna C. It's about time you treated yourself.