Molina Davis Counseling

Last week, I heard a health tip on NPR about mobile apps that can help you track your mood, sleep, and other health experiences.  Some can even provide behavior modification tips and relaxation techniques.  The full article can be read here. Tracking your own patterns and experiences can serve as a way to obtain more accurate insight into how you are feeling, and how often.  For example, someone who is depressed may say “i always feel bad”, but if the moods and experiences are tracked, the person may find there are exceptions to feeling bad – moments when something felt positive.  This can be a valuable resource for between-session support and homework.  Some examples of how these apps may be useful include:

• Bipolar and depression mood tracking
• Smoking behavior for cessation
• Relaxation techniques for anxiety or schizophrenia
• Thought stopping messages or distraction reminders for depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia
• Diabetes blood sugar and insulin monitoring
• Sleep, food, and energy levels – for any type of mental or physical health concern

Those who are used to carrying a paper journal or calendar, or who can’t buy a fancy phone, may prefer to write down their feelings and behaviors.  For example, someone with depression may write down his/her mood on a scale from 1-10, three times per day, and include activities related to the mood changes.  However, so many adults and teenagers would probably use these apps, as they are quick, fun to look at, and the results can be saved/printed.

I actually could not easily find downloads for apps mentioned in the NPR article, like “Mobile Therapy”, “CBT MobilWork”, or “Therapist In Your Pocket”.  However, some other apps to check out are listed below.  I have not tried these, so those interested would need to research the best options.

• Mood Journal
• Moody Me
• Optimism Online
• iTunes Health Tracker apps

Are you tired of having obsessions or ruminations? If you have anxiety, depression, or have been diagnosed with OCD, you and many other people may have these thoughts, and there are many “tricks” to stop or reduce them. I came across this great posting, here, which describes 15 ways to take control of these bothersome thoughts.
Many of my clients have found some of these ideas described in the article useful. It can help to talk with a counselor to discover your specific fears, and to try unique strategies that work for you.

The following poem, as simple as it reads, says a lot about how depression, addictions, and poor habits can be perpetuated.  Recognizing a behavior pattern that no longer works for you may be easy, but making the change could benefit from the help of others. (more…)