Gemma Collins has been criticised by her followers for using misleading wording in an advert for a “medication free” headset, which is apparently used to treat depression. The TV star and presenter, 42, who is best known for appearing in realty series The Only Way Is Essex, shared a video of her wearing the Flow Neuroscience Headset, telling her followers that she had been using the product for one week and was already feeling “lighter” and “brighter”. In the caption she wrote: “According to Flow’s data it reduces depression in 88 per cent of people. And the NHS are trialling it too.” She finished the caption with “#ad” to indicate that she was asked to promote the product. The Independent has contacted Collins’ representatives about the terms of the advert. In the video, Collins told the camera the product is “literally amazing”. “I am loving life now off of my depression tablets. This has been a real game changer for me,” she said. According to Flow, the headset sends a “small electrical current” to “the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex”, which causes “neurons to fire more frequently, strengthening the neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex”. Collins continued: “Flow is a new medically approved depression treatment. It focuses on the front cortex of your brain. This ultimately helps you to relax and it also helps to remove negative depressive symptoms.” “For people that can’t get access to therapy, or don’t want to be on antidepressants, they have a new option which is Flow.” “Flow actually works faster and better than antidepressants,” she claimed in the video. “It’s like having your own therapist in the comfort your own home and you’re fully in control of your own treatment.” She concluded that using Flow would be “the best thing you do”. Social media users have been criticising Collins’ messaging in the post, arguing that she is promoting the product as a “quick fix” for depression and encouraging people to stop their medications without first consulting a medical professional. “People PLEASE speak to your medical team before stopping any medications,” one person urged in the comments section. Another pleaded to Collins: “Please don’t promote people just abruptly coming off their medication !!” Others remarked that Collins had not linked to any scientific research to support her claims, or given insight into how the product actually works. A representative for Flow Neuroscience told The Independent that it is “very clear” on its website that anyone with depression should “always speak to their doctor first before trying new treatment”. The statement continued: “At a time when society is attempting to remove the stigma associated with mental health – people like Gemma are helping enormously by being open and transparent about their own mental health journey.” “Gemma has struggled for years on antidepressants, and it’s brilliant that she is now having this positive experience using Flow.” The spokesperson added that Collins’ posts are a “reflection of her own personal experience” and the post had not been “edited or scripted” by Flow. Collins has previously said that the side effects of using antidepressants have not worked for her, which drew her to using the headset. Flow’s spokesperson also said that the company’s mission is trying to “increase accessibility” to mental health treatments. At present, the headset does not require a prescription before use and is available to purchase online. The company says that “83 per cent of its users reported improvement in their symptoms within 21 days” and that less than two per cent of its users on its database reported minor side effects, which are “typically mild irritation of the kind and mild headaches”. It added: “We believe the Flow platform is an important tool in this process, but it has never been our intent to present Flow as a quick fix or magic bullet.” Read More Prince Harry court – live: Duke of Sussex stokes political storm by slamming ‘rock bottom’ government Ioan Gruffudd’s 13-year-old daughter ‘files restraining order against him’ Busy Philipps calls out Leonardo DiCaprio for ‘dating’ model who looks like her teen daughter Gemma Collins says she wouldn’t ‘need to’ consider surrogacy Fitness fanatic, 26, diagnosed with stage 4 cancer after feeling dizzy The telltale sign of lung cancer everyone should know

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A 25-year-old who has been mostly bed bound by a painful condition that is causing her brain to slip down her spine is pleading for help to raise funds for lifesaving treatment in the US to stabilise her skeleton. Desperate to raise the £200,000 she needs, Emily Balfour, from London, said she will eventually face permanent disability and is at risk of paralysis if she does not receive PICL, a procedure that injects stem cells into the spine through the back of the mouth. An ice-skating accident at the age of 14 flagged the alarming conditions that cause Emily to now live with “relentless levels of pain”. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), a collection of rare conditions affecting the connective tissues that make her joints unstable and prone to dislocation, as well as craniocervical instability (CCI), meaning the area where her skull and spine meet is dangerously unstable. Emily also has Chiari malformation, which means the lower part of her brain has herniated and is pushing down through the top of her spinal column. “My health is continuing to deteriorate but I still haven’t managed to raise enough money to get the treatment I need in America,” Emily said. “It would be lifesaving for me and, unless I get the treatment, my life is on pause and stagnated, I’ve become largely bed bound. “And this issue doesn’t just affect me, there are so many people with this condition who are struggling to get funds for treatment abroad. Money is the barrier for us being able to live our lives.” In 2011, Emily was first diagnosed with EDS after an ice-skating accident resulted in a trip to the doctors. I want to keep my sense of agency but it’s getting more and more difficult. Emily Balfour Once a sporty and active teen, Emily is now confined to her bed most days. Due to Chiari malformation, Emily’s brain is pushing down through the top of her spinal column and she said medical specialists have informed her that some of her brain is no longer in her skull. Emily once had dreams of working in film, but she is unable to complete her degree and is also not able to work while she struggles with her health. She said: “I’m not able to participate in life, I’m unable to work and I keep having to delay the completion of my degree. “I have limited vision, I can’t see out of my left eye and I have recently dealt with limb paralysis.” Earlier this year, Emily was rushed to hospital after her left arm became paralysed and swollen. She said: “It looked like a dead person’s arm, I feared I’d never regain mobility of it. “It turned out I was struggling with blood flow to the arm, and I’ve regained limited use of my arm, but I’m high risk of it happening again. “I’ve seen people with these conditions lose function of their arms completely and that obviously concerns me because I live by myself. “I want to keep my sense of agency but it’s getting more and more difficult.” Emily said her brainstem has been damaged to the point where her body is not functioning and she suffers daily from extreme fatigue, periods of paralysis, and loss of vision. It’s incredibly frustrating and I have to accept that I can’t live the life I thought I would. Emily Balfour As a result, Emily now finds herself largely bed bound, is regularly in and out of hospital and suffers from excruciating symptoms which threaten irreversible physical disability and potentially death. Innovative treatment in the US to stabilise her skeleton will be life-changing for Emily, but it comes at a cost. She hopes to raise £200,000 for multiple stem cell treatments, medical care and accommodation in Colorado, USA, where she will undergo a procedure known as PICL to repair and strengthen the ligaments that keep her skull stable. She said: “I’m in relentless levels of pain and, the more activity I do where I’m moving my neck, the worse the pain is. “If I don’t get treatment then it’s looking likely that eventually I will lose the use of one or both of my arms. “The longer it goes on, I’m losing more and more years of my life.” Before her diagnosis, Emily had dreams of working in film, having attended the BFI Film Academy as a teen. She also had plans to travel after finishing her English degree, which is currently on hold. Emily said: “It’s incredibly frustrating and I have to accept that I can’t live the life I thought I would. “I’m seeing other people my age having fun and building their careers but until I get the PICL procedure, I’m stuck. “There are other people who are also in my situation and it’s not an easy journey but I just hope that these treatments will be easier to access closer to home so we can get back to living.” I just want to be able to complete my degree and have a normal life and not be stuck in this living hell. Emily Balfour Emily hopes more research into EDS will result in more treatment options becoming available. For Emily, she says the procedure will be a lifeline and enable her to start living again. “Getting treatment will change everything,” she said. “I wanted to write and make films, but I am now more interested in medicine and want to get a psychotherapy qualification and work in that field. “I used to be so passionate about movies and reading, but because of my brain and vision issues, I’m restricted to audiobooks now. I can’t even do basic things like watching TV, that once brought me so much joy. “I just want to be able to complete my degree and have a normal life and not be stuck in this living hell.” To donate to Emily’s fundraiser, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-treatment-for-emily. 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MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2023--