Forty million American adults — 18 percent of the population — have an anxiety disorder, but only about one-third receive treatment.
At the same time, two-thirds of Americans own smartphones.
What do these two statistics have in common? Self-help apps.
While technology can be a trigger for stress, your smartphone can also be used as a tool to help relieve worries with the use of anxiety-busting apps, some of which help monitor a person’s emotional triggers, offer breathing exercises and calming mantras and rate stress levels.
Three free apps for individuals living with anxiety
Note: These apps are not substitutes for professional treatment.
Pacifica: Developed by someone who has experience living with
anxiety, the Pacifica app combines relaxation techniques and exercises with the ability to analyze thinking patterns and set and track healthy goals.
Breathe2Relax: Developed by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology to help military members and their families, the Breathe2Relax app can help users cope with psychological concerns and aid in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Recovery Record: Anxiety can often lead to an eating disorder. According to Everyday Health, when people develop eating disorders, it isn't really about food.
Anorexia or bulimia can usually be traced to an underlying emotional issue, where control over food or food as comfort is a way to self-treat. Often, the condition that leads to restricting food or binging and purging is really anxiety.
This app is a tool to aid in the recovery journey from an eating disorder, offering meal plans and meal logs, coping mechanisms, secure messaging and more.