DALLAS — During the month of May, Health and Wellness Reporter Sonia Azad will be sharing and exploring different apps that can serve as helpful health tools.
Whether it's for fitness, nutrition, better sleep, or mental health, there's an app for that.
Rootd: Panic Attack & Anxiety Relief
Anxiety is one of the most common struggles and diagnoses right now. Ania Wysocka created Rootd to help people face a panic attack head-on.
“When you're in that moment of stress, it's hard to remember those things so the app reminds you of that to help calm you down,” she said.
Here's how it works:
When you feel a panic attack coming on push "the panic button." It takes you through what to do next, which includes a guided breathing exercise with soothing nature sounds. It's all at your fingertips.
You can use parts of the Rootd app for free, or full-access costs $6.99 per month or $59.99 a year.
Listeners on Call: Your solution to positive mental well-being
For those who would rather talk to someone during a time of crisis, you check out the app Listeners on Call feature.
App founder Cole Egger says you click a category based on your need and will be connected to a social worker, nurse, teacher, or caregiver who has been through a similar experience.
"Think of us as the Uber of empathy," he says.
Bloom
If you like daily checklists, you'll love the Bloom app. This one connects you anywhere, any time, and costs $59.99 per year for the premium app.
It was created by clinical psychologist Seth Gillihan. Think of this as a daily mental health coach or a digital therapist that reminds you every day to do five things to nourish your mental health. It takes you through brain exercises to manage stress to build better habits and improve your mood.
Meta: Student Wellness
The Meta app is specifically for college students as a way to meet the growing need of counselors on campus.
Students can use text or video to chat with licensed counselors. This app allows students to choose to bill their insurance instead of paying out of pocket.
Popular topics on Meta include reducing stress related to exams, money, relationships, or addiction.
This is important especially at a time when 70% of teens view depression and anxiety as "significant" but 40% don't seek help because they can't afford it.
Meta is free to download for students. Providers can join for a small subscription fee.
So Worthy: Self-worth app
So Worthy is a free self-help app that provides basic pathways to guide people back to self-worth using self-awareness. A journey with access to over 20 paths that pose stimulating questions while assisting users in finding balance and exercising self-acceptance on their own schedule and in their own space.
NOCD: Effective care for OCD
NOCD therapy has licensed Exposure and Response Prevention-trained therapists that can help you.
NOCD therapists understand how to help you conquer OCD and the therapy is covered by many insurance plans.