Six mental health apps that help manage anxiety
Anxiety, a pervasive and often overwhelming emotion, affects millions of people worldwide, with women being disproportionately impacted. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one-third of Americans will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, and women are nearly twice as likely to be affected as men. This universal challenge, as Ellen Vora, author of 'The Anatomy of Anxiety,' describes it, can be likened to the pH of modern life, indicating a pervasive and often overwhelming emotion.
Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), can manifest in various ways. From excessive worry about everyday events to full-blown panic attacks, anxiety can leave individuals feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and unable to control their racing thoughts. While anxiety is an innate part of human DNA, designed to keep us safe, it becomes problematic when it creates irrational threats not grounded in reality, as explained by Dr. Helen Blair Simpson, president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).
Managing anxiety involves recognizing its underlying causes and taking proactive steps to address them. Theresa Nguyen, chief research officer at Mental Health America, emphasizes the importance of identifying one's fears, as this provides valuable insights into potential solutions. Speaking out loud about one's anxiety, as suggested by clinical social worker and psychologist Lynn Charles, can also be a powerful tool for managing it.
Novelist Jen Lancaster, who has struggled with anxiety since childhood, shares her experience of using her support network to manage her symptoms. She highlights the importance of knowing that help is available, even in the midst of a panic attack. Medications, such as serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches individuals to challenge negative thought patterns, are also effective in relieving anxiety symptoms.
Additionally, learning to control one's thoughts by embracing them, as suggested by Nguyen, can be a powerful strategy. However, Dr. Simpson emphasizes that raising public awareness is the most crucial step in tackling anxiety.
Here are six mental health apps that can help manage anxiety, panic attacks, and stress:
- 7 Cups: This app connects individuals in need with a network of trained volunteer listeners for one-on-one conversations. With secure and anonymous bridging technology, users can browse by age, gender, or topic to find support in 140 languages.
- Breathe2Relax: Focused on teaching breathing techniques, this app helps manage stress and anxiety disorders, including PTSD.
- Calm: Designed to relieve stress, induce sleep, and promote mindfulness, Calm offers a range of guided meditations and relaxing content.
- Mindshift: Tailored for teens and young adults, Mindshift provides insights and basic skills to manage anxiety, including GAD, social anxiety, specific phobias, and panic attacks. It also assists in managing worry, performance anxiety, test anxiety, and perfectionism.
- Panic Relief: This app offers easy-to-use coping tools supported by empirical evidence for individuals with panic disorder. The free version includes access to progressive muscle relaxation techniques. These apps provide accessible and supportive resources for individuals seeking to manage their anxiety and improve their overall mental well-being.
