Let’s Talk About IT: Depressed, is there an App for that?
Let’s Talk About IT: Depressed, is there an App for that?
Most people shy away from the subject, and typically will not admit that they are in fact depressed. Luckily, there are resources available that are meant to encourage, motivate, and uplift you out of a depressed state of mind, privately. This is a sensitive subject, but Let’s Talk About IT!
What is Depression?
Am I depressed? A question which has lingered through the minds of most humans by the end of adolescence or early adulthood. Depression refers to a disorder in the mood of a person that results in feelings of sadness, feeling unworthy, and in many cases loss of interest in almost everything including the activities or people that they once loved.
A depressed individual would typically find himself/herself in a state of never-ending rollercoasters of emotions, thus affecting various physical traits too. The basic activities we perform in our usual lives become a task too difficult to perform when the mind is fully occupied in releasing sad hormones within the body. While the list of causes seems to be growing every day, as we leap into a more advanced world and its advanced problems, the real concern remains, is there an app for it? With every person around relying on the slim pieces of technology in their hands, it only makes sense how that device should also have the cure for the many problems that arise due to it.
You are not alone now, or ever.
Considering the vast majority that are affected by depression every year, results in a huge loss of health, wealth, and even one’s own life, there now exist many mobile phone applications as a 24/7 available help buddy. Connecting one directly to expert members, these apps offer numerous perks, with the top ones offering the convenience of seeking help without physically traveling to the place, consultation without an appointment, and absolute secrecy.
COVID-19 and Depression
COVID-19 has been an experience that most of us have not seen in our lifetime until now. The ongoing pandemic itself has resulted in a large surge in depressed patients. From the initial lockdown to quarantining, stepping outside of your home is risky and with lack of knowledge on the pandemic, this can trigger anxiety and depression. Many people in general have found ways to cope with a majority leaning onto their smartphones to stay up to date on information, but to also utilize some of the technologies that are available to them. Some of that technology happens to be tailored to depressed individuals around the globe.
Let’s look at some of the benefits that these apps offer:
- Connecting with a community of those going through the same, so we know we are not alone in the suffering.
- Provide detailed statistics of the varying moods and emotions to help monitor our trigger points.
- An easy platform to pour out one’s thoughts and feelings that provide summaries to confirm the kind of depression we may be facing.
- Includes various healing techniques and coping mechanisms i.e. natural cures such as relaxing exercises to clear the head, or if there is a need to visit a professional in person.
- Assists those caught up with anxiety and panic attacks in realizing what calms them down, and providing aid by guiding them to meditation, etc.
- Provide games that target mood improvements and mindfulness, hence resulting in a happier mood.
- Provide soothing audios and visuals that are proven to affect the brain signals respectively, helping the victim relax.
- Improve working on eradicating toxic habits by providing rewards when one follows a healthy regime, in terms of mental health.
Top 10 Depression Relief App’s of 2020:
- Sanvello – The most widely used free app providing therapy for depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Happify – Provides games to increase our happiness level.
- Moodpath – Allows conversations with professionals, to help track mood shifting.
- TalkLife – An App with a platform to communicate within a similar community, so none feels left out.
- Youper – All day chatting availability of experts who analyze user responses to diagnose their exact worry.
- What’s Up – An App that deals as a daily mood/behavior tracker while also providing coping techniques.
- Brain.fm – Provides soothing audios and musicals that fit to one’s mood to give a soothing result.
- Headspace – Offers meditation techniques, including effective exercises for calming down anxiety.
- Worry Watch – Insists its users over recording their statements and then reflecting over them to generate results of the anxiety.
- SuperBetter – Yet another game that also offers rewards over the successful completion of handling the complex situation with a calm mind.
Should I get an app or seek assistance from my doctor?
Speak up, your voice should be heard.
Depression is a topic that should not be taken lightly because it affects the overall operation of the mind and delegates the decisions that a person may make. If you ever have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, immediately seek help from a medical professional and/or call 9-1-1. If you need someone to talk to and express your feelings and are seeking advice there are hotlines available that one can call into. The national suicide prevention hotline can be contacted at 800-273-8255, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. But, if you feel that you are not ready to speak with someone and explore your current state of mind on your own, take advantage of the app’s that are available to you. Such apps have assisted millions of people in coping or over-coming depression. If you are feeling depressed, always remember that you are not alone. There is always someone just like you, and you will get through those trying times one day at a time.
