Mental health issues across the nation have been rising since the pandemic instigated lockdowns and quarantines over a year ago. Now, as we see distant light at the end of the tunnel, the need for mental health resources has never been greater and is not likely to decline in the future. Of course, there’s no substitute for therapy with a professional mental healthcare expert, but there are useful resources online that can help out when you need it.
Support Groups, Forums and Resource Centers
MentalHealth.gov provides free access to US government mental health information.” There you can find comprehensive information about most psychological disorders, including the basics, signs and symptoms, and treatments.
Turn2Me provides young people (12-17) and adults (18 and above) with online support groups for anxiety and depression. This service is free and online mental health professionals are available.
Mental Health America. Mental Health America is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the public with tools to help manage mental illness.
Free Mental Health Apps
If you own a smartphone, you know that there are apps for just about everything you can imagine, and mental health management is no exception. The following are some useful free apps for mental healthcare.
Depression App. Over 17 million adults in the USA experience depression during any given year.[1] Recovery from depression is possible and these apps can help a treatment program coupled with therapy from a mental healthcare professional.
- MoodTools. MoodTools is an app-based diary for one’s thoughts and emotions, as well as the contexts in which they occur. MoodTools also provides users with tools to help change problematic behaviors. These tools are built on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, a type of psychotherapy that examines how our established patterns of thought determine our behavior. MoodTools is free for iOS and Android.
Anxiety Apps Anxiety disorders are common, with 40 million adults experiencing one of the anxiety disorders every year.[2]
- Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM). This app is designed to help a person in treatment track and monitor their emotions and behaviors during times of stress and more relaxed episodes. SAM allows one to identify patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving that aggravate or moderate anxiety. SAM is free for both iOS and Android operating systems.
Bipolar Disorder App. Bipolar disorder is characterized by depressed moods interrupted by at least one episode of a dramatically elevated mood called mania. Mania can be dangerous, causing a person to overestimate their abilities, overspend, become sexually promiscuous, and engage in other high-risk behaviors that are out of the ordinary for that person.[3]
- eMoods is a symptom tracker, allowing users to record their symptoms, including mood swings, depression, and mania. Users can rate their moods and color-code them on the app’s built-in calendar, allowing them to analyze their mood patterns over time. (Free for iOS and Android)
The best solution to problems with depression and anxiety is to work with a mental health professional who can help guide you in the day-to-day management of your disorder.
Damaris Aragon, ARNP, BC provides a full spectrum of mental health care to people in Spokane, Washington, and surrounding areas. She focuses on providing personalized, compassionate care that adheres to current evidence-based standards. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.
[1] https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/depression/statistics/
[2] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder
