Five More 'Must Have' Psychiatry Apps

Operation Reach Out 

The app to turn to if someone is contemplating suicide. It makes people reassess their thought process. Reach out for a helping hand, and the app will make sure someone answers. Developed by the military but available for use by civilians, this app is available free of cost on the AppStore. The app contains a number of videos recorded by therapists, which can talk the involved person out of the stress. It also houses some activities that will dissipate tension and mellow down suicidal stress. Needless to say, it links to an emergency support system which might end up being life saving.

Breath2Relax

The app trains people in breathing exercises that help to cope with stress, anxiety, overwhelming emotions and depression. It’s free and available on the AppStore and Google Play. Breathing exercises do work if done right. It also helps when there is a guiding voice in times of turmoil. Definitely worth a try.

7 Cups

This app by 7 Cups of Tea offers free chats with 'listeners', a set of videos and tools to improve mindfulness, as well as paid sessions with therapists at $5 a day, including a three day free trial right at the beginning. The app is free on iOS and Android devices. Sophie, a bot, talks to you at the beginning, asking a few questions to define your problem and assign you to a therapist. You can fix up meetings with the therapist and talk, as many times you want in a day. The app also has a community to interact with. Available on iOS and Android devices for free the 7 cups app has great user ratings and is a treat to the eyes.

PTSD Coach

The PTSD Coach app was originally intended for veterans and military personnel. It does not diagnose PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but helps to assess and track the progression of symptoms and provides a number of tools to cope with them. The app educates its users on the disorder, and its treatment, with written material and audio files. It is available free of cost on AppStore and Google Play. The app was built by the US Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD. Using the app may equally benefit civilians coping with the disorder. It facilitates storing personal contacts for immediate support, helps to locate support groups and treatment options nearby, and it can SOS the US national suicide hotline in moments of crises. The Center has also developed an app for family members of those living with PTSD, called PTSD Family Coach. The US app was modified and used by the government of Australia to serve its veterans and defense personnel.

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Optimism

Mood charting can be of real help in treating and coping with depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorders and anxiety. Users can detect patterns in their mood swings, identify triggers and formulate a personalized wellness plan to optimize their coping mechanisms. Self-tracking also improves the patient's reporting of their own condition to a professional psychiatrist or counselor, in turn helping to devise a customized treatment regime tailored to individual needs. The app generates charts over periods of weeks or months, which can be directly emailed to caregivers or health professionals. It is available free of charge on Mac, iOS and Windows devices.