Trauma has become prevalent in our world these days. As a result, the number of people struggling with trauma or PTSD symptoms is increasing.
Our smartphones allow us to connect to helpful resources wherever we are. Because of this, interactive apps have the ability to improve the quality of our lives significantly.
PTSD symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. You may struggle with nightmares and become easily triggered by familiar sights, sounds or smells during the day. On the other hand, may be you find yourself with vivid memories some things are no memories of other things, or acting out and participating in risky behaviors with no idea why. Some people struggle with falling asleep whereas others struggle with depressive feelings and sleep too much to escape.
There are some great apps that have been designed to target different aspects of trauma and/or PTSD symptoms. Although these apps are not a replacement for PTSD treatment, they can be a wonderful supplement to therapy with a trained PTSD therapist.
Smartphone Apps for PTSD
I focused on apps that are available for Android and iPhone and are free to use. Here is a list of 5 apps that you can try to manage your PTSD or trauma symptoms this year.
1. PTSD Coach: This app was designed by the US Dept for Veterans Affairs (VA) for military personnel (active and retired) struggling with PTSD symptoms. However, it can be used by anyone. It includes a section on educating yourself on PTSD with a self-assessment. The app allows you to track your symptoms and progress. Another great feature of the app is the skills included that walks you through decreasing your symptoms in the moment. It includes relaxation activities, self-talk, anger management strategies and behavioral activities to help calm down or distract yourself.
2. Mindfulness Coach: This is another app designed by the VA. Unlike many mindfulness apps, Mindfulness Coach focusing on teaching mindfulness. It includes a self guided training program in which you learn mindfulness exercises, gradually building up your skills. There is also a section with educational info on mindfulness and related topics. It has an assessment section which allows you to set goals, track your progress and earn badges. This app also includes guided imagery/visualization selections and additional exercises that you can download. There are no in-app purchases so the entire app is free.
3. Awoken/Lucid Dreamer: The next selection is 2 apps for 1. Both of these are sleep/dream management apps. Awoken is only available in Android so I included Lucid Dreamer as well, which is available in both Android and iPhone. Both apps help you manage your sleep. They are based on a concept called Lucid Dream Management which states that you can increase your awareness while dreaming which helps you increase your control over your dreams. Aside from that piece they include a dream journal to track your dreams/nightmares, track your sleep cycles, set an alert (reality checker) which can be used to be more present and aware throughout the day and pick different sounds, (music, etc) when falling asleep.
4. CBT-i Coach: This next app is also for sleep, but for people struggling with insomnia. CBT-i includes four sections: my sleep, tools, learn and reminders. My sleep includes a sleep diary and tracker to assess your sleep habits and track your progress. Tools includes breathing, relaxation and behavioral activities to help with your insomnia. Learn has educational resources to educate yourself on sleep, insomnia, stages of sleep and related topics. The reminders section allows you to set reminders to follow through with changes that you picked in order to be more successful. See more information here: https://youtu.be/rMgrWn5x6JE*
5. Virtual Hope Box: is an easy to use app designed to help you develop skills for coping, relaxation, distraction and positive thinking. One of the great parts of this app is that you can store information that you find helpful as part of this app to retrieve when you need it. Some examples include inspirational quotes, pictures/videos from loved ones, uplifting or soothing music. In addition, each section includes activities to help you reduce your distress such as breathing exercises, muscle relaxation activities and guided imagery visualization.
Are you interested in PTSD treatment?
I hope you find some of these apps helpful in reducing your PTSD or trauma related symptoms. If you would like additional information on treatment for PTSD, call or contact me for a free consultation or to schedule an appointment.
To find out more about my services, click here: PTSD Treatment
*Sources:
Mobile App: CBT-i Coach. (2019, November). Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/cbticoach_app_public.asp#