Post #7 Technology for Mental Health

 This week was too much. 

I write this post from bed, home sick with a sore throat, headache and feelings of overwhelm, and just have to be honest: this year has been a lot. A hybrid form of learning at my school means Zoom calls, virtual grading and check-ins along with regular in-person lessons, assessments and duties. Adding this to life's regular duties such as working out, completing coursework and having some remnant of a social life, and things seems to have really caught up to me this week.

These past couple of weeks, technology has not been my friend. I have spent more time than ever staring at this little blue screen, and wishing that it didn't exist. As a blog that explores many of the benefits of technology and the ways it can increase critical thinking skills and enhance innovation, I am going to switch things up this week and explore the ways that technology can help people experiencing anxiety, lack of sleep and feelings of overwhelm. The most obvious answer is, of course, to take a break from screens, get outside and rest. However, most of us already know that. Technology has advanced so many other areas of our lives - medicine, education, transportation, the list goes on. There must be some ways in which it has also improved our ability to be well. Below is an exploration of various apps that can help those in need of some help with their mental health.

Virtual Reality

VR headsets can help desensitize patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, by recreating their personal triggers. This helps them to develop coping techniques in the safe environment of their own home or a therapist’s office. VR can also help patients suffering from depression, anxiety, and other disorders.  The library of Palo Alto–based Limbix, includes VR content designed to treat issues including alcohol addiction, claustrophobia and teenage depression. Barcelona-based Psious offers treatments for eating disorders.

Mobile Counselling/Therapy

- Talkspace is an online and mobile therapy app. Users can connect with a licensed therapist from the palm of your hand, and experience a convenient, affordable way to improve their mental health

Help with Anxiety

- Calm is a free app that helps people suffering from anxiety using guided meditation, breathing programs, and techniques to improve mindfulness. You can even listen to relaxing sounds and soothing bedtime stories if you are stressed and unable to sleep. 

- Headspace  can help reduce anxiety and stress and improve well-being by guiding users through meditation sessions.

- Pacifica, another useful anxiety-focused app, is also free to use. This also teaches mindfulness meditation techniques and has mood tracking exercises.

- Stop, Breathe, Think can be used by all ages, but it was created with teenagers in mind. The app provides guided meditations based on what the user is feeling in the moment.

Mood and Stress Apps

- Moodnotes is the top-ranking mood app. If your moods are up and down and you are struggling, downloading Moodnotes could help you spot a pattern to your moods and boost self-awareness. Moodnotes has a mood journaling feature and it helps you to avoid annoying thought traps. 

- IMoodJournal can be used to record everything from mood and symptoms, to sleep, medications, and energy cycles. By tracking these various factors, you’re able to analyze your daily feelings through summary charts that indicate where your stress levels rise and fall.

- Breathe2Relax is designed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app is a portable stress management tool. Breathe2Relax helps you calm the "fight or flight" response anxiety disorders cause by utilizing diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

- iCBT is a top-ten rated app for stress relief.  It uses cognitive behavioral therapy to change your distorted thought patterns. You can also use the app to log stressful events, outcomes, and thoughts, so you can spot patterns.  Apps allow users to self-treat mental health disorders, but they work best when used in conjunction with professional counseling and therapy.

Support Groups

One of the best things I have done for my mental health this year was join a Facebook group named "Elementary Teacher Support Group". This group is just what it sounds like - a group of teachers (mostly from the U.S. and Canada) who ask questions, share resources and support each other. The group has such a strong sense of community and reminds me that I am not alone.

Overall, my goal for the near future is to reduce my screen time. When using technology, I would also like to  decrease the amount of unhelpful or toxic screentime I am having such as scrolling through Instagram and Facebook. I will instead utilize some of the apps above (specifically Calm and IMoodJournal) to improve my mental health.



References

LibGuides: Anxiety disorders: Common assistive technologies. (2020, September 8). Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://guides.library.illinois.edu/anxiety

Kendall, D. (2021, January 29). Four ways technology is Helping mental health. Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://digitalhealthtoday.com/blog/technology-and-mental-health/

Tzeses, J., & Truschel, J. (2021, February 04). Top 25 mental health apps For 2020: An alternative to therapy? Retrieved February 25, 2021, from https://www.psycom.net/25-best-mental-health-apps

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