World Suicide Prevention Day falls on September 10 which is just around the corner so I thought it would be helpful to provide a list of apps to help those struggling with mental illnesses. Please note that these apps will not cure or medically help with your illnesses as they’re only short term solutions.

What’s Up

Not to be confused with Whatsapp. What’s Up is a free app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.

Those who have gone through therapy will be familiar with these methods. The “Get Grounded” page contains questions to pinpoint what you’re feeling, and the “Thinking Patterns” page teaches you how to stop negative internal monologues or automatic thoughts.

The app does require a little bit of reading though but it does provide some helpful information on how to manage your mental health better. If you don’t feel like reading, you can always write on the app to keep track of your thoughts and emotions. This app is available for both iOS and Android.

Mind Shift

Just like What’s Up, MindShift is an app specifically designed to help with anxiety. MindShift stresses the importance of changing how you think about anxiety, rather than trying to avoid anxious feelings.

It’s basically an app to help you feel better about yourself as we all need some moral support even if comes in the form of an app. This app is also available on iOS and Android.

Happify

For those struggling with Depression, an app name Happify doesn’t really make you want to download it but there’s no harm in giving it a go. It’s a simple app with simple games to help distract yourself from the stress and to help boost your mood a bit.

First impression of using it, I didn’t really get the hype but it did help distract me from stress for a little while. There’s no competition or too much thinking going on so that’s good enough.

Moodpath

Moodpath is not much of an app to make you feel better right away but it can help keep track of how you feel on a daily basis. Moodpath checks on you 3 times a day with questions that “learn” from your responses.

By answering questions and recording your mood, you’ll receive regular mental health reports detailing your symptoms and providing a synopsis of your emotional state.

Apps can be helpful but they’re not long term solutions so I encourage all of you to get yourself properly diagnosed by a specialist as they can provide you with the best treatment. The first is terrifying, trust me I know, but it’s definitely worth the shot.

If you’re not ready to see a professional yet, there are helplines you can try. If you’re feeling suicidal, you can contact any organisations on this list . Let us all help ourselves and those in need.