Welcome to the NHS & Flow Programme

• When and how you use your Flow is up to you. Some of our Flow users find the stimulations provide them more energy so they use their Flow in the morning over a bowl of cereal while others find the stimulations leave them more relaxed and find it helpful to stimulate while winding down from the day. We recommend finding a time that works best for you and using it consistently at that timer per the protocol
• There are many behavioral therapy courses included in the App that are proven to support reducing depressive symptoms. We recommend using both the headset and app together for the best results

• Make sure your Flow headset is fully charged before use and you have downloaded the Flow App
• Find a safe and comfortable spot for your Flow sessions. Keep in mind each session lasts for 30 minutes
• The App will lead you through everything from there; from how to activate your headset, to positioning of the headset, test stimulations, behavioral therapy courses and full stimulations

• The headset will have a little green LED light displayed on the front when charged and on
• Your app will prompt you and allow you to stimulate by pressing a button titled: START STIMULATION
• Once this is pressed, you should feel the stimulation begin. This feeling differs for all users but has been described as a tingling sensation. Some users don't feel anything under the electrodes, while others share that the sensation is a bit uncomfortable and feels like pins and needles
• The intensity of the sensation can be due to many things and is nothing to worry about. We always recommend giving the forehead area a good scrub and pat dry before each session. This helps ensure any natural skin oils, makeup, or hair products don't interact with the stimulation which can make the feeling more intense
• Usually, at around 15 tDCS sessions, users have begun to notice a positive change in their depressive symptoms. In fact, 77% of Flow users show a clinically significant improvement in their depression after 15 sessions. However, please note everyone is different and some may begin to feel changes earlier and the majority of users continue to feel larger reductions post-15 sessions. These changes have been observed in various tDCS studies

81% of people taking antidepressants in the UK have shared they would prefer a drug-free alternative. Our goal with this programme is to increase patient choice with a medication-free depression treatment option. The programme uses the Flow headset as the medication-free depression treatment.

Participants, like yourself, are asked to use the Flow headset over 6-weeks with the following schedule:

• Week 1-3: Use the headset 5 times for 30 minutes each session
• Week 4-6: Use the headset 3 times for 30 minutes each session
• At week 6: Follow-up appointment with GP to discuss how things went

You’ve started your journey with Flow. Congratulations! Depression is hard but we hope to support you and help make things better.

Make sure you have the app downloaded, bluetooth enabled, and device fully charged.

When someone is depressed their brain is physically different than when they are not. As you begin to stimulate your brain with the Flow headset, you are targeting these physical changes in your brain including areas that are involved in concentration, sleep, and process emotional reactions.

• Chris - I did my first session whilst doing things on the app. I'm not sure If it's a placebo or not, but I haven't felt this light on my feet in a long time.
• Sarah - First session today. Felt like nettle stings, mind over matter. I feel really relaxed.
• Paul - 1st night after using Flow my sleep was much better. My sleep patterns are very erratic, probably only manage about 4 hours of sleep most nights. This time after my first session, I fell straight to sleep and managed 6 hours.
• Stuart - Bit nervous as it was the first time. Just some very mild tingling. Nothing to worry about after all.

At this point you have completed 3 to 5 sessions. Way to go! You are well on your way to becoming a Flow expert and likely already have a preferred time/place for using Flow.

It is very important to follow the treatment protocol for results. Keep up the great work.

It is common to feel similar to how you felt at the beginning of your treatment but do know that by following the treatment protocol and using Flow you have begun to stimulate specific areas of your brain that may not be as active when depressed. By activating these areas alongside strengthening healthy habits with the Flow App, you can begin to expect to feel better.

You are supporting your brain to better process emotions, sleep, and even concentration.

• Susanne - I am pleased to say after my first week of using Flow I have definitely felt a difference…. More calm, not as reactive and thinking more rationally! My anxiety which causes my low mood, has improved. Looking forward to starting the next 5 stimulations tomorrow!
• Nothando - 1st week my sleep improved drastically. For the first time in years, I could nod off naturally and not need a nap during the day.
• Jules - My score when I began was 40 I took the questionnaire again yesterday and it has reduced to 28. And even if I hadn't done the questionnaire, my overriding sensation, which in itself is amazing because I haven't felt an awful lot for a long time is that I don't have that utter feeling of dread every morning when I wake up. So for as far as the use and the first week of using Flow has been concerned is I would say, don't hesitate.
• Nicola - The first week was brilliant, I had so much more energy and felt emotions instead of a numb void.
  

At week 4, the Strengthening phase of the treatment begins. By now you should have begun to notice positive changes in your depression and can expect to continue to see more. You will notice that the number of stimulation sessions is now limited to a max of 3 per week.

Many Flow users find it helpful to space their 3 stimulation sessions out throughout the week.

Our treatment schedule is based on a proven to be safe and effective protocol as seen in various tDCS depression research studies. Since we are a certified medical device it is important we recommend only what is proven to be safe and effective. If you would like to continue using your Flow device more times a week we kindly ask you speak with your doctor who may prescribe more simulations.

• Annie - For me it was week 3 or 4 - I was starting to think it wasn't going to work and then all of a sudden I woke up one morning and it was like a switch flipped. I felt drastically better. Just more positive, a bit more energy overall. I didn't feel 100%, but I felt more able to work towards it.
• Paul - The major benefits from me are that I feel more resilient and able to cope.
• Claire - I have to say I've been really astounded by the results. I've been way more focused at work. I've got way more energy. I've been, I feel like I've been more productive than I ever have been in my life and I, I think maybe most notable, I've been dosing down my meds at the same time...compared to the last time I dosed down, I'm finding I'm having way less side effects, I'm having way less mood swings, I'm just much more stable than I was the last time I was dosing down on my antidepressants...My tracker every week is showing that I have a 78% improvement in the time of using it.
• Dan - I went on a 3-hour walk yesterday which is something unheard of me. It has helped me get out of a rut.