20 Nov Apps for Mental Health: Can Technology Really Improve Wellness?
In our world today, it’s hard to find an issue that you can’t try to solve with an app. Weight loss? Need help staying focused? Want to check in on your dog while you’re at work? There’s an app for that. Now apps for mental health are coming out–but do they work?
A lot of unhelpful apps for mental health
When you look at the “health & wellbeing” category in the App Store, there’s tons of apps surrounding yoga, meditation, exercise, and caloric intake. These can be useful for managing everyday stressors and issues, but for someone with diagnosed anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, it’s probably not going to be very helpful. While exercise, meditation, and healthy eating can all impact mental health, there are certainly better apps for mental health issues out there. EleFriends is an app created by the mental health charity Mind. It’s goal is to offer online access to peer support for those who can’t find it in them to go see a therapist or call someone. This is often the case for socially isolated people or even just very busy people. The app has over 13,000 downloads and allows a safe platform to discuss mental health. This gives individuals that feel alone and misunderstood to connect with others. Catch It Catch It is an app that helps you track your mood and triggers through journaling. First, it asks for your mood, giving you the option of depression, anxiety, anger, etc. Then, it asks how strong the mood was (weak to intense), when it happened, and where it happened. It gives you the chance to record your thoughts in the moment and after you’ve reflected on it. This is a great way to try and identify your particular triggers for anxiety, depression, and other substantial emotions. Apps for mental health are a fantastic idea. They can help teach us ways to calm down and even help identify areas to work on. What they can’t do is replace a real therapist or psychiatrist. While they can be a useful tool to use alongside therapy, an app isn’t going to solve your mental health issues. It’s important to seek out a professional for worrisome behavior or mental health struggles. ViewPoint Center is a teen assessment center, ages 12 to 17. At ViewPoint Center, we provide treatment through superior assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and stabilization–all in a personalized environment for your child in crisis. Our goal is to help your child through this hard time. Before ViewPoint, families are often frustrated and lost. Varying doctors and therapists with a range of advice, diagnoses, and plans leaves parents and children unsure of where to turn. At ViewPoint, we centralize all of the different diagnoses, and create a comprehensive report for you and your family to get back on track. Let us help you. For more information about how we help at ViewPoint Center, contact us today at 801-825-5222. Cutting through the noise to find the good ones
EleFriends by MindApps can be useful tools, but can’t replace a professional
ViewPoint is here for your family