Millions of Americans struggle with mental health issues every day. While therapy can be expensive and out of reach for many, technology today is providing those with an alternative that offers valuable resources making therapeutic techniques more accessible. Within minutes, anyone can download a free app that incorporates Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the privacy of their home.
These apps can address obsessive-compulsive, addiction recovery, bipolar and anxiety disorder, and more. Health experts believe the following free apps can play an important role in the future of mental health.
- What’s Up
What’s up uses methods to help individual’s handle stress, anxiety, and depression. It has a built-in habit tracker that will teach you to break your harmful habits and maintain your positive ones. There is a page dedicated to pinpointing what you’re feeling at the time, and how to stop harmful internal monologues.
- MoodKit
Using the foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, MoodKit gives their users over 200 different activities to help improve their mood. The app was created by two psychologists with the goal in mind to develop healthy attitudes.
- Quit That
This free app helps users beat addictions such as smoking, drugs, or alcohol and monitors your progress. Users can track as many dependencies as they want and keep track of the hours and minutes they’ve been sober.
- Mind Shift
Mind Shift was designed specifically for young adults and teenagers struggling with anxiety. It encourages you to take charge of your life and avoid anxious thoughts and feelings. Mind Shift acts as an on-the-go guide at helping you face challenges and intense emotions.
- Self-Help For Anxiety Management (SAM)
For those who want to learn about self-help but are not keen to meditation, SAM is the perfect app for you. You can build your 24-hour toolkit to track your anxious behavior and thoughts. It includes a section with 25 different self-help techniques and an online community to connect with others.
- Stigma
Stigma is considered one of the best journaling apps around. Its word cloud technology recognizes the words you type the most and makes you reflect on why you keep choosing these words during intense emotions. It has a social network component that lets you message people going through the same thing.
