Tech is often used to increase access and convenience, but, occasionally, a business comes along that is using tech to solve real problems and improve people’s lives in a deep and meaningful way.
Meditation apps, fitness apps and apps that give people access to a counselor with the tap of a button are not only taking away negative stigmas and opening the door to help, they are improving physical and psychological well-being.
The National Center for PTSD has released the PTSD Coach app which can help those suffering with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress find information, treatments and support as well as track their own symptoms and inform family and friends of the best ways to respond and help through the ongoing healing process. The Breathe2Relax app is using breathing exercises to help people manage stress and stabilize their mood while also controlling anger and anxiety and learn how to identify the specific ways that stress manifests in the body in order to “decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ response.”
Other apps that are improving lives through information and customization include conflict resolution apps that walk individuals through understanding their specific conflict, utilizing proven steps to solve conflicts and providing information about identifying and communicating emotions.
With each of these releases there is the opportunity to bring help to those that otherwise wouldn’t have access to it, but the results go deeper than that. Stress, bullying, anxiety, depression, conflict and other often isolating circumstances can have devastating effects without proper care and support. The tech market that seeks to provide proven ways of support can help bridge the gap for someone who needs help but has yet to seek it out. Apps can be accessed fairly secretly, removing shame or stigma in the process of seeking help, and they can be connected to local or national trained professionals bringing a personal touch to the process. The balance of support, anonymity, access and information provides a powerful possibility – that more people, potential hundreds of thousands, could be just one smartphone session away from having the help they need to have a healthier lifestyle and outlook.
Do apps take away the stigma of seeking help when you need it or remove the face-to-face conversation that is part of the healing process? Let us know by chatting with us @StarterNoise using the hashtag #healthyhelp
