Posted on

SAD & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression

Published on November 5th 2024
Written by Jesse Driessen

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Approximately 15 million Americans are thought to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), though many may not realize they have this common condition.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is more frequently found in people with existing mental health conditions like depression or bipolar disorder, particularly bipolar II, which involves cycles of depressive episodes and milder hypomanic episodes. People with SAD may also have co-occurring mental health conditions, including ADHD, eating disorders, anxiety, or panic disorders.

SAD is significantly more common in women than in men, and the winter pattern of SAD is more prevalent than the summer pattern. As a result, people living in northern regions with shorter winter days, like Alaska or New England, are more likely to develop SAD compared to those in southern states like Texas or Florida.

SAD can run in families and may be more common among those with relatives who have other mental health conditions, such as depression or schizophrenia.

About the SAD & Depression information in this article

As a team of people who belong to the chronic illness community, we’re especially interested in understanding more about the intersection and relationship between SAD, Depression, and other mental health conditions and disorders.

To learn more about SAD and Depression, we reached out to our community to share some information about their experiences with SAD. Specifically, how it affects existing mental health issues including depression, the level of support they receive for SAD, and how they manage SAD symptoms each year.

We collected this feedback about SAD & Mental Health using a survey that we shared with our online communities on Reddit & Discord. You can view the anonymous raw data from our 30 respondents here. 100% of respondents live with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Respondents had an average of 3 mental health conditions in addition to SAD. 80% live with Anxiety, 60% live with Depression, and 40% live with CPTSD.

Whilst the response to this survey might not be considered a representative sample size for quantitative research, we felt it was important to share the experiences of people living with SAD, Depression, and other mental health issues.

We want to share information from people living with SAD & Depression specifically because there’s limited information available online about people living with SAD in combination with Depression, and other Mental health conditions and disorders. However, we’ve also made an effort to only refer to medically verified sources, research, and publications elsewhere in this article.

Insights from our SAD, Mental Health, and Depression Survey.

SAD & Depression Symptom

What SAD Symptoms are most prevalent for people with other mental health disorders?

    • 97% have an increased level of fatigue or overwhelm
    • 90% said SAD causes them to neglect self-care
    • 83% are more withdrawn from social activities or are less interested in hobbies and activities
    • 60% have unexplained physical symptoms such as headache & stomach ache
    • 56% reported more pronounced feelings of hopelessness
    • Only 29% reported frequent Mood swings because of SAD
    • Only 4% said that SAD increased feelings of apathy

How does SAD disrupt the management of an existing mental health issue?

97% of people reported that SAD disrupts how they manage their mental health either moderately or very much. 12% of people reported that it disrupted how they manage their mental health very much. 0% of people said that it had no impact on how they manage their existing mental health conditions or disorder.

    • 87% say that SAD makes their existing mental health symptoms more severe
    • 83% say that SAD makes it harder for them to maintain a routine that’s good for their mental health
    • 43% say SAD causes them to experience new symptoms
    • 26% report SAD makes it harder for them to adhere to medications or treatments
    • Only 3% of people said that SAD had no impact on how they manage their mental health
How disruptive is SAD for Depression?

Do people with SAD and Depression feel they get the level of support they need?

Based on our survey, people with seasonal affective disorder and at least one other mental health condition appear to feel somewhat supported by people within their community. This most often tended to come from friends or family with much less support from employers and some support from healthcare providers.

    • 84% report feeling some level of support from friends and family
    • 72% of people say that their SAD is taken seriously by their healthcare provider on some level but only 12% feel very supported by their healthcare provider
    • 40% say they don’t feel supported by their employer at all
    • 16% say that they feel very supported by their employer
    • 13% of people say that they have no support for managing their SAD
    • Only 3% of people say that they very much have the support they need to manage SAD.

What helps people with mental health conditions manage their SAD symptoms?

This question had the biggest spread of responses from our community. Possibly suggesting that the management of SAD may be somewhat individualised. That is, what works for one person may not work as well for another. However, this could also be due to the type of SAD treatment available to people in different locations.

On average, people listed 3 things that helped with managing SAD symptoms. Possibly suggesting that a single method may not be sufficient for tackling SAD and Depression (or SAD and other mental health conditions). The three most commonly recommended treatments were changes in Sleep and Exercise habits.

    • 50% say that Changes to their Sleep habits help them with SAD management
    • 47% say that changes in their Exercise habits have a positive impact
    • 40% say that Stress Management, Talk Therapy, or Light Therapy helps
    • 30% say that Medication or a Change in Diet helps
    • Only 20% of people say CBT helps them with SAD
    • Only 6% reported that spending more time with friends helped
SAD & Depression Treatments

What do people with SAD & Mental Health conditions want you to know?

SAD doesn’t only affect people in the winter. In fact, about 10% of people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) experience it in reverse. For these individuals, summertime is what triggers their depression symptoms. This was reflected in the messages shared as part of our SAD & Depression survey: 

    • “I wish more people understood that even just the reminder of fall and winter approaching can make me feel negative. The thought of Christmas and thus winter can make me feel hopeless. How it impacts many of the major holidays for me. I can’t be happy for holidays like everyone else and how it makes me feel othered. Different. Which makes me spiral more and can create a feedback loop.”

       

    • “It can happen in the summer, not just cold weather. What I do to screw myself up in the bad season can have long-lasting effects into better seasons, so people don’t recognize they’re related.”

       

    • “That it only happens in the winter. I live in a place that now experiences intense heat spikes in the summer. I prefer cold weather, and hot, sunny weather makes me feel physically ill and unable to care for myself. I think that most people tend to look at that as being a product of “whining” rather than a valid form of SAD.”

What’s the difference between SAD and Depression?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) both share core symptoms of depression, but they exhibit distinct differences in timing, behavioral impacts, and treatment responses. SAD is a form of depression that’s seasonal, usually appearing in late fall or early winter and improving by spring or summer. In contrast, MDD can occur at any time of year and is generally more consistent without clear seasonal patterns. This seasonal aspect is a primary diagnostic factor for SAD, as noted by organizations like the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

For those with SAD, symptoms align more closely with hibernation behaviours. People with SAD often feel overwhelmingly fatigued, leading to increased sleep and difficulty waking up. This excessive sleep, often known as hypersomnia, is specific to SAD and differs from MDD, where insomnia or early waking is more common. Furthermore, SAD often involves a marked increase in appetite, especially for carbohydrates, which can lead to weight gain over the winter months. This carbohydrate craving is linked to serotonin production, which can affect mood and energy levels when reduced sunlight exposure decreases serotonin availability

Social withdrawal is common in both SAD and MDD, but it tends to be stronger in those with SAD. People with SAD may avoid social activities partly due to winter weather and limited sunlight, which can lower mood. In MDD, social withdrawal can happen year-round, without the seasonal context, and often aligns with feelings of worthlessness and persistent low energy. This sense of isolation in SAD is compounded by reduced daylight and colder temperatures, which discourage outdoor activities, further deepening feelings of loneliness and fatigue.

One of the most distinctive treatments for SAD is light therapy. Exposure to bright, artificial light can improve SAD symptoms significantly by simulating natural sunlight, which is often lacking in the winter months. Light therapy has been shown to be effective in around 60-80% of SAD cases, while it is not typically a first-line treatment for non-seasonal depression. Although light therapy can sometimes benefit MDD patients, it is generally less effective as a standalone treatment and is not as frequently recommended for MDD as it is for SAD.

In summary, while both SAD and MDD share common depressive symptoms, SAD’s seasonal nature, carbohydrate cravings, hypersomnia, and responsiveness to light therapy help distinguish it. Consulting a healthcare provider can help determine the most effective treatment plan, which may include light therapy, antidepressants, or psychotherapy, specially tailored to each individual’s needs.

Common treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression?

Several treatments are effective for both Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), though their application may vary slightly depending on the seasonality and specific symptoms involved in each condition. Here are some common approaches:

    1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
      Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a well-researched, effective approach for treating both depression and SAD. CBT focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns that contribute to depressive symptoms, teaching coping skills, and fostering positive behavioral changes. A specific type of CBT, called CBT-SAD, was developed to address seasonal symptoms and has been shown to reduce recurrence in future seasons.

    2. Antidepressant Medications
      Antidepressants, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), are commonly prescribed for both MDD and SAD. They help by increasing serotonin levels, which can improve mood and energy levels. For SAD, antidepressants are sometimes prescribed a few weeks before symptoms are expected to start (such as early fall) and may be tapered off when symptoms naturally improve.

    3. Light Therapy
      Light therapy is a first-line treatment for SAD, especially for those who experience symptoms due to reduced sunlight in fall and winter. However, light therapy has also shown some benefits for people with non-seasonal depression. Light boxes emit bright light (typically around 10,000 lux) and are used for about 20-30 minutes each morning to mimic sunlight exposure, which can help regulate serotonin and melatonin production, improving mood and energy.

    4. Lifestyle Modifications and Physical Activity
      Regular physical activity is beneficial for both types of depression. Exercise increases endorphins and can alleviate depressive symptoms by reducing stress and improving mood. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as establishing a consistent sleep schedule, spending time outdoors, and eating a balanced diet are often recommended to support mental health in both MDD and SAD.

    5. Vitamin D Supplementation
      Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with mood disorders, particularly SAD, since lower sunlight exposure can reduce Vitamin D levels. Supplementing Vitamin D may help improve symptoms for those with SAD and potentially benefit others with depression who have low vitamin levels. However, this is often used as a complementary treatment rather than a standalone solution.

    6. Mindfulness and Meditation
      Techniques such as mindfulness meditation have shown moderate benefits in managing SAD and MDD by promoting relaxation and reducing rumination. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy to help individuals become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, enabling better management of depressive symptoms.

Together, these treatments offer a comprehensive approach to managing both seasonal and non-seasonal depressive symptoms. Treatment plans are often tailored by healthcare providers based on individual needs, preferences, and responses to therapy.

In summary

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects millions of Americans, often without their realizing it. SAD usually begins in young adulthood and is more prevalent among women, particularly in northern regions where winter days are shorter. While most cases of SAD occur in winter (winter-pattern SAD), a less common form, known as “summer depression” or “summer-pattern SAD” can affect people during the warmer months. Winter SAD is often linked to reduced daylight hours, causing symptoms like fatigue, increased appetite, and low mood, while summer SAD may be triggered by factors such as heat, humidity, and disrupted routines, leading to symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and loss of appetite.

SAD is more common in people with pre-existing mental health conditions, such as depression or bipolar disorder—especially bipolar II, which involves depressive and hypomanic episodes. Those with SAD often have other co-occurring mental health conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, and panic disorders, and SAD may run in families, particularly among those with relatives who have conditions such as depression or schizophrenia.

Treatment for SAD generally includes light therapy for winter-pattern SAD, as it mimics natural sunlight to improve mood, as well as psychotherapy to help manage symptoms and sometimes antidepressants to ease depressive episodes. For those with summer-pattern SAD, lifestyle adjustments—like maintaining a stable daily routine and managing heat and stress—can also be beneficial.

Want to feel more in control of your Mental Health?

“Bearable is helpful for me, especially before I go into a doctor’s appointment or a specialist doctor’s appointment. Using the app it’s easier for me to get an overview of, like, how many days per month my symptoms have occurred. Breaking that down by symptom, and also across my overall symptoms, has been helpful for me. It’s been helpful for me with my mental health and working with my therapist to keep track of my mood each month, like seeing if I have a higher amount of sad days. – Gina, Bearable member

Try Bearable today

Disclaimer. The information provided is for educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.  Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

Posted on

Best PoTS App 2024

Best Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome app
Best PoTS app

PoTS App

The top 5 apps for tracking PoTS in 2024

Published on October 24th 2024
Written by Jesse Driessen

Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) can be challenging but there are some things that can help. Apps can offer insight into your symptoms, remind you to take your meds, help you to stay hydrated, monitor Heart rate and Blood pressure, and can making speaking to your doctors about PoTS easier. Fortunately, there are tons of PoTS apps available all aimed at helping you to improve your health and well-being. In this post, we’ll explore the top five apps for tracking PoTS in 2024, highlighting their features, user feedback, and how they can assist you in managing your symptoms.

How to choose the right PoTS app for you?

Navigating the world of health apps can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re managing a condition like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS). You want something that not only fits your needs but also feels intuitive and trustworthy. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right PoTS app for your journey.

Selecting a PoTS App: What to Look For

When it comes to finding the perfect app, start by checking out user reviews and ratings. Hearing from others who also deal with PoTS can give you valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t. Apps with high ratings and detailed feedback are often a good sign that they’re worth your time.

Also, take a moment to look into the app’s developers. A reputable developer often has a solid background in health tech or collaborates with medical professionals. This can make a big difference in the app’s reliability and effectiveness.

Judging the App’s Features

As you browse options, consider how easy the app is to use. You want something that doesn’t add extra stress to your day-to-day life. The interface should be straightforward, allowing you to quickly log your symptoms and heart rate without any hassle.

Customization is another crucial feature. Everyone’s experience with PoTS is different, so an app that lets you tailor your tracking can really help you connect the dots between symptoms and triggers. Plus, look for apps that offer data visualization, like graphs or charts, so you can easily spot trends over time and share that information with your healthcare team.

Ensuring Your Data is Safe

Your health data is personal, so it’s vital to choose an app that takes privacy seriously. Make sure to read the app’s privacy policy—it should be transparent about how your data is collected, used, and stored. Check if the app employs encryption to protect your sensitive information and gives you control over what data is shared and with whom.

Must-Have Features for PoTS Apps

When looking for a PoTS app, certain features can make all the difference:

    • 😵‍💫 Symptom Tracking. You should be able to log various symptoms related to PoTS and any other health issues you might have. Being able to track changes in symptom severity and frequency can also help with spotting patterns and sharing data with your doctor.
    • 💗 Heart Rate & Blood Pressure Monitoring. Real-time heart rate tracking and blood pressure monitoring are essential for getting real-time alerts or feedback on when you’re over-exerting yourself and at risk of a flare-up. Real-time reporting can also be helpful to share with your medical team to aid with treatments and diagnosis.
    • 💊 Medication Management. Features that help you track your PoTS medications and remind you when to take them are helpful. Not only for reminding you to take your meds but also for monitoring their impact on symptoms as well as any potential side effects.
    • 🥤 Hydration & Salt Tracking. Boosting your fluid and salt intake can make a real difference when it comes to managing PoTS. Reminders and tracking for salt and hydration should be featured in a good PoTS app.
    • 🤝 Data Sharing. The ability to share your data with healthcare providers can lead to more informed treatment decisions. This is especially true if you’re struggling to obtain a diagnosis or have experienced medical gaslighting.
    • 😩 Energy/Fatigue Tracking. With PoTS, it’s important to remain active but it can be hard to know when you’re over-exerting yourself. Apps that help you to log fatigue, exercise, and steps can help you to prevent flare-ups.

How Can a PoTS App Support You?

Using a dedicated PoTS app can empower you in several ways. By tracking your symptoms consistently, you’ll start to recognize patterns and potential triggers, helping you make informed choices about your PoTS symptoms and flare-ups. This insight can be a game-changer when you discuss your condition with your healthcare provider, allowing for more tailored treatment plans.

Additionally, many apps provide personalized insights based on your tracked data, giving you actionable tips to help manage your PoTS more effectively. Having a tool that supports you on this journey can enhance your overall quality of life.

Remember, finding the right app is a personal journey, and what works for one person might not work for another. Explore your options, listen to your body, and don’t hesitate to share your experiences with others in the PoTS community. We’re all in this together!

Bearable PoTS App

Bearable - Symptom & Mood Tracker

Bearable is an app made by people with chronic health conditions using feedback from communities – including r/PoTS – and they’re the #1 ranked symptom tracker in the US (on iOS and Android). Bearable allows you to create and track an unlimited number of custom PoTS symptoms and see how they correlate with treatments, medications, and self-management habits.

Bearable users report that the app helps them to identify triggers for flare-ups, communicate more easily with their medical team, monitor and manage symptoms, and feel more in control of their health. Bearable is especially helpful if you live with multiple health conditions or disorders such as PoTS, Anxiety, Pain, ADHD or Fatigue.

Key Features:

    • Correlation tracking to find links between habits and symptoms.
    • Customisable medication and treatment reminders.
    • Sync Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Steps data from Apple Health or GoogleFit.
    • Tracking options for hydration, salt, meds, energy and fatigue levels (and much much more).
    • Multiple options for sharing data with your medical team.
    • Active online community of people managing multiple chronic illnesses.

Reviews. Positive reviews highlight its intuitive design and effectiveness in symptom management.
Best For. Comprehensive tracking of symptoms and moods.
Price. Free with optional in-app purchases. They offer frequent discounts, a free trial, and also have a sponsorship program.

LOVE Bearable!
LOVE Bearable!
@ShellyRinNC
I love this app! As someone who lives with chronic illness (POTS and IBD) as well as anxiety & depression, I find this app so easy to track my symptoms and flares and to look for possible triggers and causes. I have tried other apps in the past, but none were as extensive and helpful as this one! It’s so easy to customize it to the things I want to track. And I’ve found the reporting to be so helpful!
Life Changing
Life Changing
@TexasHoya09
I found this after being diagnosed with POTS. I hade four different apps to track metrics, so amazing to have all of them in one AND show correlations over time!! It does everything!
A chronic illness fighter’s best friend
A chronic illness fighter’s best friend
@PunchedHercules
I am a college student with classical EDS and POTS, amongst other issues. I focus on my productivity and achievements so much that I neglect my health sometimes. My favorite thing about this app is logging my symptoms every day as well as what I eat and other factors such as sleep and weather, and every week it will show a report of correlations and I can adjust accordingly. It is nice to be able to have this data to show my doctors as well. Please give this app a try, the developers clearly work so hard and put out a great tool for us.
Spoon Saver & Complex Illness Savior
Spoon Saver & Complex Illness Savior
@claraj0rdan
I’ve used a lot of different health trackers in an attempt to get a better grip on my complex chronic illness. The problem with most apps and methods is they either lack the ability to customize the app to my specific needs or they require way too many spoons to use. Bearable is not like any other health tracker. Not only can I totally customize what I actually track but it takes less than 5 minutes to record everything I need to. Now when my doctors or medical practitioners ask about my medication adherence or symptom/trigger management I’m able to answer definitively. Overall, I cannot recommend Bearable enough. Especially if you have complex chronic illness and/or are disabled, have EDS, POTS, MCAS, etc.
Bearable app
Bearable app
@kellytot
I downloaded this app after seeing Dr Gupta and James and it was a god sent because I have downloaded so many to help and this one does everything for me. I get to put how I feel and notes so I can keep a track on my POTs. The new sleep part put on today was fab, it is helping me a lot with my health.
MySymptoms PoTS App

MySymptoms Food Diary & Symptom Tracker

MySymptoms excels in helping users track dietary intake alongside associated symptoms. This is crucial for individuals with PoTS, as certain foods can exacerbate symptoms. The app allows for detailed logging of meals and symptoms, making it easier for users to pinpoint potential dietary triggers. Its reporting features also enable users to share valuable data with their healthcare teams, aiding in more effective treatment plans.

3 Key Features:

    • Customizable symptom logging.
    • Detailed food diary.
    • Reporting features for sharing with doctors.

Best For. Identifying food-related triggers.
Price. Free with in-app purchases.
Reviews. Generally positive; many users report better management of symptoms.

Potsie PoTS App

Potsie

PoTSie is a specialized app designed specifically for those living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS). With its user-friendly interface and focus on symptom management, PoTSie empowers users to track their symptoms, heart rate, and daily activities in one convenient place. The app facilitates better self-awareness and management of PoTS by allowing users to easily log their experiences and identify patterns over time. It’s a valuable tool for anyone looking to understand their condition better and communicate effectively with their healthcare providers. 

Key Features:

    • PoTS-specific Symptom Tracking.
    • Daily Activity Logging.
    • Data Visualization.

Best For. Comprehensive symptom tracking tailored for individuals whose only health issue is PoTS.
Price. Free with optional premium features.
Reviews. Users commend PoTSie for its straightforward design and effective PoTS symptom tracking. 

Clue PoTS App

Clue - Period Tracker

Clue is primarily a menstrual cycle tracker, but it also includes functionality for tracking health symptoms that can impact those with PoTS. By allowing users to log their menstrual cycles alongside symptoms, Clue helps individuals recognize patterns related to hormonal changes. This can be especially useful for women with PoTS who experience fluctuations in symptoms related to their cycle. 

Key Features:

    • Menstrual cycle tracking.
    • Health insights based on logged data.
    • Symptom logging capabilities.

Best For. Women with PoTS tracking hormonal influences.
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases.
Reviews: Positive reviews cite its effectiveness in tracking menstrual-related symptoms.

Tachymon PoTS App

TachyMon

Tachymon stands out for its focused approach to managing heart rate and symptom tracking, making it an excellent choice for those living with PoTS who need to understand their heart rate dynamics better. The app’s combination of real-time heart rate monitoring and customizable symptom logging allows users to correlate their heart rate data with their symptoms effectively. This integration is particularly beneficial for developing a comprehensive understanding of their condition. Always consider integrating such tools into your overall management plan with guidance from healthcare professionals. 

Key Features:

    • Real-time heart rate monitoring via smartphone camera.
    • Customizable symptom logging to correlate with heart rate data.
    • Data visualization tools that allow users to see trends over time.

Best For. Heart rate alerts and monitoring.
Price. Free with optional in-app purchases.
Reviews. Users report that the app is straightforward and effective in helping them to avoid overexertion.

Our final thoughts on choosing a PoTS App

Navigating the complexities of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) can be challenging, but the right tools can make a significant difference in managing your symptoms and improving your quality of life. The apps we’ve discussed in this post offer a range of features tailored to help individuals with PoTS track their symptoms, monitor their heart rates, and gain insights into their daily activities.

As you explore these options, consider what features are most important for your specific needs. Whether you prioritize comprehensive symptom tracking, heart rate monitoring, or user-friendly design, there’s an app that can support you on your journey. Remember, consistent tracking can empower you to identify triggers and patterns, which is crucial for effective management and communication with your healthcare team.

Don’t forget to hesitate to leverage community feedback. Many users share their experiences online, providing valuable insights that can help you choose the app that’s right for you. Platforms like Reddit and Discord are excellent resources for real user reviews, and they can offer a sense of solidarity in your experience with PoTS.

Lastly, while these apps can be incredibly beneficial, they are just one part of a comprehensive management plan. Always consult with your healthcare provider to ensure that any tools you choose complement your overall treatment strategy. By staying informed and proactive, you can take meaningful steps towards living well with PoTS.

Feel more in control of your Health

“Bearable is helpful for me, especially before I go into a doctor’s appointment or a specialist doctor’s appointment. Using the app it’s easier for me to get an overview of, like, how many days per month my symptoms have occurred. Breaking that down by symptom, and also across my overall symptoms, has been helpful for me. It’s been helpful for me with my mental health and working with my therapist to keep track of my mood each month, like seeing if I have a higher amount of sad days. – Gina, Bearable member

Try Bearable today

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: JACC Focus Seminar. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109719302190

About Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/postural-tachycardia-syndrome-pots.

What Are The Best Health Tracking Apps For POTS? https://styleandbeautydirect.com/2023/04/28/how-to-track-things-when-youre-first-diagnosed-with-pots-favorite-health-apps/

Lifestyle Adaptations for POTS. 
https://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=44

Real-time detection and management of chronic illnesses. 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7882261/

Reddit PoTS Community.
https://www.reddit.com/r/POTS/

Standing Up To PoTS. Preparing for the Doctor. https://www.standinguptopots.org/livingwithpots/doctors

PoTS UK. Important Lifestyle Changes: Diet and Fluids. https://www.potsuk.org/managingpots/diet-and-fluids-2

Heart, Lung & Circulation. Menstrual Cycle Variability in Symptoms of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
https://www.heartlungcirc.org/article/S1443-9506(22)00628-X/fulltext

UK Heart Foundation. 
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/ask-the-experts/pots

Posted on

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning
Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

What is Medical Gaslighting?

Published on October 23rd 2024
Written by Jesse Driessen

Key Takeaways

    • Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare professionals dismiss a patient’s symptoms, often attributing them to psychological causes without proper investigation.

    • Women and people of colour are disproportionately affected by medical gaslighting, with 80% of women feeling their concerns are minimized.

    • Implicit biases and systemic flaws in healthcare contribute to women receiving fewer pain treatments and facing longer diagnostic delays than men.

    • Medical gaslighting can lead to delayed diagnoses, unnecessary physical suffering, and long-term psychological issues like anxiety and depression.

    • Patients can combat gaslighting by advocating for their care, seeking second opinions, bringing support to appointments, and documenting their symptoms carefully.

What does Medical Gaslighting mean?

Medical gaslighting refers to the experience of having your symptoms, concerns, or medical conditions dismissed, minimized, or explained away by a healthcare professional. Rather than receiving validation or adequate care, patients experiencing medical gaslighting may hear phrases like:

    • “It’s all in your head.”
    • “You’re just stressed.”
    • “You’re overreacting.”

This can leave patients feeling invalidated and can delay necessary treatment. Medical gaslighting can be subtle, often framed as concern or a professional’s attempt to calm a patient. But for those living with complex or chronic conditions, this dismissal can have serious consequences on their health and well-being.

This issue is particularly prevalent among women, who may face biases that result in their pain being underestimated or overlooked. A staggering 72% of Millennial Females report feeling that their doctor ignored, dismissed, or minimized their health concerns. In the same study, 66% of women reported that they had been told by a doctor that their physical symptoms were simply due to stress.

As a result, medical gaslighting can have a detrimental effect on how women are treated by healthcare professionals. For example, women reportedly receive 25% fewer painkillers in emergency rooms compared to men, which underscores the systemic issues in how their pain is perceived and treated.

Why Does Medical Gaslighting Happen?

Medical gaslighting can occur for a number of reasons, including:

    • Bias in Healthcare. Studies show that women, people of color, and individuals with chronic illnesses are more likely to have their symptoms dismissed or minimized by healthcare professionals. Bias can affect how seriously doctors take their patients, leading to poorer quality of care.

    • Time Constraints. Doctors are often under time pressure and may default to “common” explanations for a patient’s symptoms without fully investigating their unique situation.

    • Complexity of Chronic Illnesses. Conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or autoimmune disorders don’t always present clear diagnostic criteria. If a doctor can’t immediately identify the cause of a patient’s symptoms, they may assume the issue is psychological or related to lifestyle factors.

The Impact of Medical Gaslighting

The effects of medical gaslighting can be devastating. Patients may start to doubt their own experiences, delay seeking further medical advice, or stop advocating for themselves altogether. This can lead to worsening symptoms, mental health challenges, and even long-term physical health damage.

For example, a person suffering from chronic pain might feel compelled to downplay their discomfort after repeated dismissals, leading to missed diagnoses or lack of access to effective treatment. The cumulative effect of being gaslit over time can make patients feel like they aren’t worthy of care or that their symptoms aren’t legitimate.

How to Tackle Medical Gaslighting in Medical Appointments

If you suspect you’ve been a victim of medical gaslighting, don’t give up hope. There are ways to reclaim control during your medical appointments and advocate for the care you deserve. Here are some practical strategies to consider:

1. Document Your Symptoms

One of the best ways to counteract gaslighting is to keep a detailed record of your symptoms. Apps like Bearable can be extremely helpful for tracking symptoms, medication, lifestyle factors, and mood. Having this data at your fingertips makes it easier to provide a clear, evidence-based picture of your health to your doctor.

Example: If you experience migraines, note the time, severity, and potential triggers of each episode. If a doctor tries to brush off your concerns, you can pull up the data to demonstrate a pattern or worsening trend.

2. Ask Specific Questions

If you feel your symptoms are being dismissed, ask your doctor to explain their reasoning in detail. This forces them to engage more deeply with your case and can prevent the all-too-common “You’re just stressed” response.

Example: Rather than accepting a vague answer, ask something like, “What tests or diagnostic steps are we missing to rule out other conditions?” or “Can you explain why you believe stress is the primary cause of my symptoms?”

3. Bring a Support Person

Having a close friend or family member in the room can help you feel more confident in advocating for yourself. A support person can help you remember key points of the conversation, validate your concerns, and even speak up if they feel your symptoms are being ignored.

Example: If you’re nervous about confronting a dismissive doctor, bring a friend or family member who can back you up if your concerns are minimized.

4. Seek a Second Opinion

If you feel unheard or dismissed by your doctor, don’t hesitate to seek out a second opinion. Sometimes, a fresh perspective from a different healthcare provider can be invaluable.

Example: If you’ve been told your fatigue is due to anxiety but feel there’s something more going on, seeing a specialist or another doctor who is more familiar with your condition can provide new insights.

5. Be Assertive About Your Needs

It can be hard to speak up when you’re being gaslit, but it’s essential to clearly express your concerns. Be assertive about what you need from your doctor and how you expect them to support your care.

Example: If your pain is being dismissed, you could say, “I need you to take my pain seriously because it’s affecting my daily life. I would like further testing or a referral to a specialist.”

6. Trust Yourself

One of the most damaging aspects of medical gaslighting is how it can make patients doubt their own experiences. Trust yourself. You are the expert on your body. If something feels wrong, it likely is, and you deserve to have that explored and validated.

Example: Remind yourself that just because one doctor didn’t take your symptoms seriously doesn’t mean you’re imagining them. Trust in your lived experience and continue seeking answers until you find a healthcare professional who listens.

How to Prevent Medical Gaslighting

While it’s difficult to prevent bias entirely, here are a few proactive steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of medical gaslighting:

    • Research Your Condition. Being well-informed about your symptoms or potential diagnosis gives you the confidence to ask the right questions and challenge dismissive responses.

    • Prepare for Appointments. Before your visit, write down key points you want to discuss, including any patterns in your symptoms or treatment preferences. This will help you stay focused and ensure you cover everything during your time with the doctor.

    • Maintain Boundaries. If a doctor begins to invalidate your experience, it’s okay to respectfully but firmly set boundaries. Let them know that you expect to be treated as a partner in your healthcare, not dismissed.

In summary

Medical gaslighting can be a deeply frustrating and disheartening experience, but you’re not alone and you don’t have to tolerate it. By documenting your symptoms, asking pointed questions, and seeking second opinions, you can reclaim control over your healthcare. Remember, you deserve to be listened to and taken seriously. The more you advocate for yourself, the better your chances of receiving the care you need.

Bearable can help you prepare for your next appointment

“Bearable is helpful for me, especially before I go into a doctor’s appointment or a specialist doctor’s appointment. Using the app it’s easier for me to get an overview of, like, how many days per month my symptoms have occurred. Breaking that down by symptom, and also across my overall symptoms, has been helpful for me. It’s been helpful for me with my mental health and working with my therapist to keep track of my mood each month, like seeing if I have a higher amount of sad days.

Gina, Bearable member

Posted on

The Best Chronic Illness Resources 2024

The best chronic illness resources 2024

The best resources for people with chronic illnesses in 2024

Published on April 25th 2024
Written by Jesse Driessen

There are so many different places you can look for help with a chronic health condition; blogs, health organisation websites, public health resource pages, Instagram and TikTok influencers, Facebook Groups, Discord Channels, and Subreddits. The options are endless, so how are you even meant to find the best – or most useful – resources for you?

As someone with chronic health issues, I’ve spent hours/years looking through search results pages on Google and have followed an endless number of spoonies on social media.

On this page, with input from the Bearable community and team, I’ve tried to collate a list of different chronic illness resources that I’ve found helpful on my own chronic illness journey. I just hope that this might make it easier for you to find the most useful chronic illness resources for you.

Chronic Illness Bloggers

The best chronic illness blogs

There are tons of great chronic illness blogs and we recommend that you check as many of them out as possible. Not only to support as many people with chronic illnesses as possible but because they cover such a broad array of experiences that your perfect blog might be different to mine. 

However, there are a handful of blogs that I’ve ended up returning to over the years and these include:

1. Natasha Lipman's Blog

Natasha is a London-based Journalist, Podcaster & Chronic Illness Blogger who previously worked for the BBC. More recently, she’s begun writing on Substack as well as hosting a podcast about living well with chronic illness, The Rest Room.

Natasha’s content mostly focuses on conversations with experts to create resources to help people navigate their chronic illnesses. 

Natasha has a ton of great advice about the benefits of pacing for managing chronic fatigue and chronic pain. Including an article, she wrote for the Bearable blog, back in 2021.

2. The Despite Pain blog

Liz – who writes the Despite Pain blog – has lived with chronic pain for most of her life and her work focuses on sharing insights and resources which make living with pain more manageable.

This includes extensive pages of pain management techniques and resources. Considering that chronic pain is one of the most common chronic conditions, resources like this are a godsend.

If you live with Trigeminal Neuralgia, Coeliac Disease, or Chronic Pain – or even if you’re just looking for more information about these conditions – the Despite Pain blog is the best place to get started.

3. A Balanced Belly

A Balanced Belly is an extensive blog about Crohn’s and IBD by Jenna Farmer. Her articles cover everything from recipes, travel guides, and pregnancy for people living with chronic digestive conditions. There’s even a page of free resources and discount codes which includes e-books and symptom tracking worksheets.

You might also recognise Jenna from the articles she’s written for The Guardian, Healthline, and Happiful Magazine or from the Chronic Illness Communities she participates in on social media.

4. Kate the (almost) Great

Amongst other things, Kate lives with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, anaemia of chronic inflammation, asthma, and chronic pain. For this reason, Kate’s blog covers a broad array of helpful topics including patient advocacy and how to create your own chronic illness blog.

What I most love about Kate’s work is that she’s an amazing advocate for people with chronic illnesses and her blog helps people in the community to better advocate for themselves and others too. 

5. A Chronic Voice

The thing that I like most about A Chronic Voice is that Sheryl – who has lived with Lupus for more than 10 years – extensively documents her experiences with surgery. This includes her advice on managing depression and boredom following surgery. 

However, A Chronic Voice goes much deeper than this and includes insights into the experiences of being a caregiver to someone with a chronic illness and even the experience of returning to school as a person with a chronic illness. If you’re looking for advice for almost any aspect of life with a chronic condition, chances are that Sheryl has you covered.

If you’re a budding chronic illness content creator, A Chronic Voice also accepts guest posts and could be a great way to share your experiences with a bigger audience.

6. Invisibly Me

Invisibly Me focuses less on the lived experiences of invisible illness – although Caz does share regular updates about her rare disease and chronic bowel conditions (and her pets) – and more on managing the realities of life with a chronic illness.

This includes helpful product reviews, information about navigating the cost of living crisis, and a whole section of the blog dedicated to memes and funny videos for those unavoidable days when your symptoms are flaring.

Caz is also an amazing advocate for hidden illnesses and regularly posts about the – unfortunately taboo – reality of living with a stoma.

Chronic Illness Influencers

The best chronic illness influencers

To be honest, this list could be much, much longer but the six influencers recommended below are the ones whose content I keep coming back to. These chronic illness influencers have some of the most honest, relatable, and funniest content, even if they don’t have the biggest following (yet).

1. @dayswithdaninicole

Like many of the other recommendations in this article, Dani is a spoonie who’s combined her experiences living with chronic illness and her skillset (as a physical therapist) to help give back to the community. 

Dani describes herself as a chronic illness mindset coach helping you accept your diagnosis and thrive. For me, this touches on one of the hardest aspects of the chronic illness journey; acceptance of your chronic condition.

Dani’s feed is full of videos that help you to shift your mindset and that’s why she’s one of my favourite chronic illness influencers. 

2. @chronic4u

At a glance, @chronic4u‘s content might look like lots of other chronic illness humour videos you see on social media. However, for every funny, relatable video about living with a chronic illness, Ila also has a video advocating for the spoonie community. 

From highlighting the need for better employment rights for people with hidden illnesses to giving us a behind-the-scenes look at blood drawing. Ila’s found a great balance between entertaining and honest, which is probably why her follower count has grown so rapidly.

She also makes great apparel.

3. @paralysedwithlove

Maddy might not have the most followers but what I’ve always loved about her videos is that they feel like you’re face-timing a friend. 

Whether she’s sharing an update on her recent health struggles or giving an honest look at the day in the life with gastroparesis, Maddy’s ‘straight-to-camera’ style is a nice break from some of the more ‘viral’ spoonie content.

Quoted in a number of her posts, I also love her outlook on living life with a chronic illness; life is tough, but so are we.

4. @thatssochronic

Jess Brien is possibly the busiest chronic illness influencer on this list. She not only hosts her own podcast (That’s So Chronic) but she also performs at the Adelaide Fringe Festival AND watched 52 documentaries in 52 weeks 😂

Since day one, Jess has been on a mission to share her experiences living with chronic pain and her transparent videos about test results and her subversion of social media trends make her one of my favourite chronic pain influencers.

5. @microcatmachine

Allison‘s an inspiration to spoonies everywhere and her content is a brutally honest look at the reality of living with chronic illness. By sharing every detail of her ongoing chronic illness journey, Allison advocates for us all. Helping people to identify symptoms, share support with the community, and spotlight issues with the medical system. If you only follow one chronic illness influencer, it should be @microcatmachine.

6. @gemmacorrel

A chronic illness influencer like no other, Gemma Correl creates incredibly relatable illustrations about living with Anxiety, Depression, and women’s health.

My mental health issues often make me feel incredibly alienated and – more than anything else – Gemma’s illustrations help to remind me that these feelings are universal for other people with Anxiety and Depression. 

Scrolling through her feed is a nice reminder that I’m not alone and that there’s a whole community of people just like me. 

Chronic Illness Resources

The best chronic health resources

Honestly, some of the best resources I’ve found have actually been on chronic illness blogs and social channels. However, there are some organisations that do a fantastic job of providing resources for specific conditions. Especially if you’re just getting started on your chronic illness journey.

1. Mind

This is maybe the most obvious resource to mention but that’s for good reason. For the longest time, the Mind organisation have been providing information and support to people with mental health conditions and – quite simply – that’s why they’re at the top of this list.

As well as a great depth of super accessible information about different mental health issues, they also have a ton of tips for everyday living and advice for how to seek different kinds of support.

2. US Pain Foundation

The US Pain Foundation’s mission is to ’empower, educate, connect, and advocate for people living with chronic conditions that cause pain’ and they’re not messing around. They have programs for everything from advocacy and empowerment, to support and education. 

Their resources page includes 101 information about different pain management options, free mindfulness meditations, and downloadable pain management plans. If you’re living with chronic pain and need some support, The US Pain Foundation is a great place to start.

3. Stuff The Works

StuffThatWorks uses crowd-sourced data from millions of people with different chronic health conditions to identify the most (and least) effective treatments for every chronic illness.

If you’re also looking to identify potential triggers and co-morbidities (i.e. commonly occurring health conditions) this is one of the most useful places to start.

Unlike health articles about your chronic condition, Stuff That Works cuts away the fluff and lets you get directly into the info you want about your condition.

4. The Center for Disease Control (CDC)

This may be another obvious recommendation, but the CDC’s health topics page makes it really easy to look up any chronic health condition and access information and resources about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management. These resources include patient toolkits with downloadable PDFs that help you prepare for appointments and keep track of treatments.

Chronic Illness Communities

The best chronic illness communities

Sometimes, the thing you most need as someone living with a chronic health condition is to speak with someone who understands. Whether that’s to get something off your chest, seek some advice, or just find someone to laugh at chronic illness memes with – chronic illness communities can be the backbone of managing day-to-day life with a chronic condition.

1. The Mighty

The Mighty has more than 3.5 million members discussing more than 700 different health conditions. Quite simply, it’s one of the most trusted sources for advice on healthcare because 99% of the content is created by people – like you and me – with chronic health issues. If you’re looking for advice, guidance, support, memes, articles, or really anything at all, it’s probably on The Mighty.

2. r/ChronicIllness

Bearable’s own journey began on Reddit and one of the biggest and most trusted communities is r/ChronicIllness. Plus, because Reddit is anonymous it’s a great place to ask for seek guidance on issues that might otherwise be personal, private, or sensitive. Beyond that, it’s also just a great place to stay up to date on anything happening in the Chronic Illness community.

Once you’re up to speed on r/ChronicIllness, you’ll likely also find other, condition-specific subs such as r/Endo, r/Migraine, and r/Anxiety. All of which are huge communities in their own right.

What's your favourite chronic illness resource?

As with everything else we do here at Bearable, we always want your input on the resources we create. 

If there’s a blog, website, influencer, or really any type of resources that you think should be on this list, please let us know. 

You can get in touch with us to let us know about your own favourite chronic illness resources at support@bearable.app 

Try Bearable today
Posted on

Bearable vs. Careclinic [app review]

Bearable vs. Careclinic

Bearable vs. Careclinic, which one should you choose?

July 19th 2023.

Bearable vs. Careclinic

When you’re looking for help tracking your symptoms, medication, well-being, treatments, medical records, appointments, and a whirlwind of important things for people with health issues, it can be hard to know where to begin. There are a few different symptom-tracking apps, all of which offer slightly different ways to track your symptoms and treatments, view insights into changes in your health, and they all come with their own array of bonus features too. That’s why, as one of the top-ranking symptom trackers, and the only symptom-tracking company founded by someone with chronic health issues, we want to give an honest appraisal of how all of these apps work and how they can help you. Today, we’re reviewing the Careclinic app.

First impressions of Careclinic. 

My first impression is that the app lacks some of the polish and finish of some of the other health apps I’ve used but once you look past this, you realise how many features, tools and resources there are in the Careclinic app! In fact, I soon realised that the team at Careclinic had thought of almost anything that might be helpful and found a way to get it into the app, one way or another. From the ‘speak to a doctor’ feature and the ‘scales and assessments’ page, this feels like they’ve thought about the end to end experience of having a health issue to managing your meds and appointments. I especailly appreciate the fact that I can customise my avatar and – maybe counterintutively – uploaded a picture of my dog. 

Careclinic’s Main Features.

Just like Bearable, Careclinic helps you to track the things that are most important when you’re living with health issues; Symptoms, Moods, Treatments, Medications, Nutrition, Hydration, and anything else that might be improving or worsening your health. These are the main features that stood out to me:

    • Symptom tracking. 
      Careclinic uses a 1-10 scale instead of a 0 – 5 severity scale which might be preferable for some people. You can also track symptoms using time stamps for more granular insights. However, you can only track three, preset symptoms for free and free users can’t change the time stamp for their symptoms either.

    • Insights. 
      Similar to Bearable, Careclinic shows you trends and correlations between habits, medications, treatments, and health metrics. However, they don’t have a weekly-trend report, reports with customisable inputs for free users, or a way to compare the impact of an activity across multiple health metrics at once.

    • Bonus features.
      This is where the two apps differ most, Bearable’s bonus features are focused on helping you to identify helpful self-management practices and turn them into goals/habits. Whereas, Careclinic’s bonus features focus on treatment pathways, assessments, and ‘chat with a doctor’ tools that are more focused on helping you follow a more top-down approach to health self-management.

What we like about Careclinic.

    • Journaling prompts
    • 1 to 10 scale
    • Lots of helpful content

There are loads of great things about the Careclinic app and the most notable of them all is the sheer volume of features. From physical exercise guides, medical team info, medical report logs, assessment quizzes, treatment pathways, the list goes on and on. Another thing that might make a difference to you is that symptom tracking is done using a 1-to-10 scale – we’ve deliberately chosen not to use in the Bearable app to help with the accuracy of severity scores – but we understand that some people prefer to use this scale. If that’s you, then Careclinic might be the app for you! Reflecting on your well-being is a crucial part of the health-management journey – especially if you’re going to therapy or managing certain mental health issues – so I’m an especially big fan of their journaling tool and journaling prompts (though you can’t use these without subscribing).

What could be improved.

    • Pushy prompts to buy premium
    • Little thought for design or accessibility
    • Can only track 3 symptoms for free

For everything that Careclinic gets right, it’s let down by some simple things that have a big negative impact on your experience of the app. Firstly, so many of the features are premium that you end up being shown the paywall almost everytime you click on something. This makes it really hard to explore the app and understand all the features. Similar to this, some of the key features are restricted, for example, you can only track three, preset symptoms or conditions for free before you’re shown another paywall. 

Whilst certain features in Bearable are also paywalled (advanced reports, extra notes, and custom experiments) we made a point of offering a fremium version that lets you customise, track, and even view reports for as many symptoms or conditions as you’d like – totally for free. 

This might be a bit nit-picky, but something else that bugged me the whole time I used Careclinic was the fact that there’s a lot of carelessness in the design. Text often looks out of place, things are positioned strangely, many of the elements just look very basic. This extends to there being a lot of low contrast elements that might be hard for some users with accessibility needs, such as grey boxes with grey text. This doesn’t limit the use of the app for me but just makes for a slightly less pleasing experience overall. If they’ve cut corners with the design, I also can’t help but wonder what else they might have cut corners on.

Other things to consider about Careclinic.

    • Who’s it made by?
      Careclinic is founded by a serial entrepreneur with a background in media and marketing and doesn’t appear to be actively mission-driven or part of the patient community. By contrast, Bearable was founded by someone with chronic migraines, who’s actively part of the chronic illness community and involves the community in product decisions.

    • How secure is it?
      There’s very little information in Careclinic’s privacy policy about how they handle your data and – whilst this might be because they don’t track your data – they don’t make this clear and I’m left with more questions than answers. I also found that, within the app, whilst I can delete my account, I don’t have the option to delete my data.

    • Is there a community?
      Careclinic has a community built into its website but it appears to be rarely used and is predominantly for bug reporting, support and feature requests. Annoyingly, you also have to scroll past loads of ads to read any of the comments. By contrast, Bearable has two very active communities on Reddit (r/BearableApp) and Discord that are used by over 10k members of our community as well as members of the Bearable team.

    • How much does it cost?
      Careclinic is $59.99 per year and $9.99 per month. That’s $15 more per year and $3 more per month than Bearable.

    • What can I use for free?
      Not very much. In fact, it might even be easier to list everything that isn’t available. The main things that you can do for free appear to be entering up to three preset symptoms (but no notes), entering factors (but you can’t change the time stamps for free), entering up to three medications, viewing guided care plans, and completing health self-assessments. However, you’re not able to track very many symptoms, customise those symptoms, analyse the data you collect for those symptoms, make journal entries about your health, or track all of your medications for those symptoms.

    • Are there ads?
      Not in the app but you’re shown a paywall to subscribe every time you open the app and if you visit their website for support then you’ll be shown numerous ads within the support community pages.

How does Careclinic compare to Bearable?

Honestly, the tracking and reporting tools offered by both Bearable and Careclinic are fairly similar, with the main practical distinction being in the bonus features outside of the main symptom tracking and reporting tools. Beyond this, the one thing that truly appears to differentiate Bearable and Careclinic is their philosophy. Careclinic is run by entrepreneurial “tech experts” that want to help you stick to your care plan. Bearable is run by a person with chronic health issues that wants to help you to find news ways to manage and improve your symptoms and well-being. 

Ultimately, Bearable’s approach to involving the community in product decisions, its commitment to communicating with users about their needs, and trying to create tools and experiences that help people with health issues – even for free – speaks volumes about the difference in philosophy between the two companies. So, whilst Bearable might not have the sheer volume of features that Careclinic does, it makes up for it by giving you more for free, more considered features, and ultimately tools that help you to find what helps you to manage your own health beyond just the treatment plan prescribed to you.

Our thoughts about Careclinic.

The lasting impression I get from Careclinc is that it’s ultimately not meant to be used for free, they want you to pay for it and they remind you of this constantly. I imagine that if you do use Careclinic Premium, it’s probably very useful as a result of all of the features you’d suddenly have access to. However, I can’t help but feel that Careclinic must not have much of an interest in giving back to the chronic illness community and the people that can’t afford to use Premium.

 That said, there are tons of great ideas and handy guides and assessments but even these feel a little underwhelming because of the lack of attention to design or how users might experience these tools. Many of these features are shown in random places throughout the app, rather than being prompted at the right time for the user. As a result, it feels like they came up with as many ideas as they could without too much thought for the user experience. Overall, Careclinic feels like it has a ton of potential and would benefit from working more closely with people with health issues rather than taking a colder, clinical, prescriptive approach to their app.

Visual Comparison.

Click to enlarge.

Homepage
Symptom tracking
Mood tracking
Activity tracking
Paywall

As a member of the Bearable team, I can honestly say that we’re constantly looking at other apps – and speaking to our community about the apps they use – to understand more about what’s helping people to manage their health. Plus, as a person that lives with Depression, Anxiety, Disordered eating, and Insomnia, I’m constantly looking at new solutions that might help me with my own health and well-being. So we thought it made sense to share what we discover about other apps and health-tracking products so that you can make better informed decisions.

First and foremost, we don’t want to write hit pieces about other apps. In fact, we’d encourage people to try all sorts of apps and to use what they find most effective. Our mission is to help people to find what works and if it’s an app made by someone else, then that’s okay with us. We’ll just be happy that you found something that helps you to manage your health better. After all, we’re people with chronic health issues and we know how hard it can be to find something that works.

More than anything, we’re hoping that these reviews help you to make better choices about the apps you use and that – as a result of our experience as app developers – we can help you to identify more than just helpful features. So we’ll also include information about the security, privacy, and credibility of other health and well-being products, so that you know an app is – not only good – but also safe to use before you install it.

If you have any questions about this review, you can contact us at support@bearable.app.

Try Bearable today
Posted on

The best breathing exercises for stress

Breath work for stress

What are the best breathing exercises for stress?

Published on March 29th 2023.
Written by Jenna Farmer.

Chapters.
1. What is stress? | 2. What causes chronic stress? | 3. How does breathwork help? | 4. Breathing exercises for stress | 5. What to expect | 6. Benefits of tracking stress 

Stress is something we all deal with from time to time and sometimes it can feel like it’s taking over. 74% of us have felt overwhelmed with stress in the last year and for some of us, this can have real consequences. For example, one survey found that just under 30% of us admit to drinking more when we’re stressed and 16% start smoking (or increase how often they do it).

Stress can also impact many parts of our lives, for example, people who are stressed lose on average 24 days a year from work due to ill health.

Whilst banishing stress isn’t quite as easy as taking a few deep breaths, how we breathe can be a powerful tool for managing stress. If you’re finding yourself stressed right now, here are some of the best breathing exercises that can help with stress.

Photo by Antonina Bukowska on Unsplash

What is stress and when should I worry about it?

Stress is a general term to describe a feeling of being under pressure or in a situation that we’re struggling to deal with. We may experience stress suddenly after a big event (such as a change in job or moving house) or more long-term if we experience difficult circumstances, such as living with a chronic illness or money worries.

It might sound silly but occasional stress could actually be a good thing: it can help your brain’s performance and even make you more alert. However, when it sticks around for longer, it can cause more issues.

Long-term stress-sometimes called chronic stress- can cause physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches and digestion problems. It can also make it harder to concentrate and make you feel super overwhelmed. As a result, you might find making even the simplest decision (such as where to go for dinner) is difficult.

If you find yourself regularly stressed, you’re finding it tough to manage or simple stress-busting techniques aren’t helping, it could be a sign that you need some help dealing with stress.

What causes chronic stress?

There are so many different causes of stress so it really depends on your individual circumstances. Work is a common one: whether it’s the commute, workload or colleague relationship 23% of us say that work makes us stressed.

Money worries are also super common, especially right now. In fact, 90% of Americans say money impacts their stress levels. 

Family life is another common stressor, whether that’s juggling toddler tantrums or making time to see your loved ones. “There are a multitude of factors that contribute to why parenting is stressful. The most common I see is when parents face situations they’re not equipped to manage. For example, if their child displays a new type of behaviour they don’t know how to manage. Feeling ill-equipped or out of control are key triggers of stress,” says Madeleine Woolgar, a parent coach and behaviour expert who specialises in supporting parents with strong-willed children.

Living with a long-term health issue can also cause stress. “Having a chronic illness makes you particularly vulnerable to stress. It’s extremely stressful having to deal with medical professionals, as well as a lack of understanding surrounding chronic illness which can then leave you feeling isolated. To rub salt in the wounds, there can be financial implications for chronic illness sufferers and this alone can create a sense of overwhelm too,” says Sarah Berthon, a chronic illness business mentor.

How can breathing exercises help stress?

When we are stressed, it can actually impact our respiratory system. That’s why you might feel short of breath or find yourself breathing quicker when stress kicks in. Whilst this isn’t usually a medical emergency (the exception being if you have respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis) focusing on your breathing can help restore this to your normal pattern. This will help increase your oxygen levels and release any tension. 

Breathing exercises can also provide a welcome distraction from your stress and help you focus on one simple thing, which can allow you to quickly calm down and think more rationally.

Some research has found that a breathing programme when combined with meditation can help your stress levels and mental health; with it showing an immediate impact on stress.

How to do breathing exercises for stress?

If you’re not sure how to get started, there are lots of guides online for more mindful and focused breathing that take just a few minutes to complete. We asked some experts to share some of their favourites.

Nasal Breathing

“This one is super easy and it instantly relieves stress. Take a deep breath in through your nose, then immediately take another short sharp breath in through your nose (a sharp sniff).

When you’re stressed you tend to breathe shallowly, at the top of your lungs. The deep breath gets air right down to the bottom of your lungs, and the second breath snaps open the millions of tiny alveoli (tiny air sacs in the lungs, they’re the workhorses of your respiratory system) which improves your oxygen uptake) says Geraldine Joaquim, 

Clinical hypnotherapist and wellness coach.

Coherent Breathing

“If you have your hands free, place them on your belly or lower rib cage, otherwise just become aware of this area and direct your breath here. Slow your breath down, imagine you are breathing in a delicate thread of air that is reaching low down into the belly and then slowly exhale it (use the nose, not the mouth). Make your breath as slow as you can but aim for 5-6 seconds for the inhale and the same for the exhale. This is called coherent breathing and will bring your heart and brain into coherence so that you feel balanced, present and calm. You can sit or stand whilst you do this, it’s a breath that you can do any place, any time,” says yoga teacher Cat Merrick.

4-7-8 Breathing 

4-7-8 breathing is a breathing technique that activates your parasympathetic nervous system (the bit that helps you relax).  The idea is that you let your lips part and exhale completely through your mouth. Then you silently inhale through your nose whilst you count to 4. Follow this by holding your breath for seven seconds and then exhaling for a further 8.  Want to know if it makes a difference? Check out our 14-day 4-7-8 breathing challenge before bed on the Bearable app.

Box Breathing

Box breathing (also called square breathing) involves breathing in intervals of four seconds. First, breathe in and count to 4 slowly, then hold for a further four. Now exhale through your mouth for 4 more seconds. Repeat this cycle as many times as you can for around 30 seconds to help slow down your breathing.

What to expect from breathing exercises for stress?

It’s recommended to take around five minutes to complete breathing exercises when you’re stressed. Remember that the most important thing is to take a moment to breathe deeply, so don’t get hung up on mantras or counting each breath if it’s too distracting. After a few minutes, you should notice that breathing this way becomes automatic and you might start to feel less tense. Breathing exercises do need to be practised regularly to have a real impact, so if you find yourself stressed a short while later, just return to your breathing practice.

Don’t expect that breathing exercises are all you need to conquer stress. They are a very useful tool to practice the minute you find yourself tensing, but if this is a regular occurrence then you should chat with your GP about getting further help for your stress levels.

The benefits of tracking breathing exercises and stress

There are so many benefits to tracking lifestyle factors and self-care tools like breathing exercises. It’s a great way to see what tools are most effective in helping you quickly tackle stress head-on (so you know what to do as soon as you feel stressed) and it can be easily shared with your medical team if you do need some more support. 

It’s completely normal to feel stressed from time to time. Learning about breathing exercises can help you feel more in control of your stress and be equipped to best handle it when it does rear its ugly head.

Not sure where to start, why not try our in-app Breathwork experiment? It’s a 14-day challenge to track the impact of guided breathwork exercises on your health.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

Stress Statistics, The Mental Health Foundation.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/mental-health-statistics/stress-statistics

Stress, Mental Health Foundation.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress

What is stress, Mind.
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress

Researchers find out why some stress is good for you, UC Berkley News.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2013/04/16/researchers-find-out-why-some-stress-is-good-for-you/

Get help with Stress, NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/stress/

Workplace stress statistics, Ciphr.
https://www.ciphr.com/workplace-stress-statistics/

90% of Americans say money impacts their stress level, according to survey, CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/select/why-americans-are-stressed-about-money/

Madeline Woolgar, Moms Who Thrive.
https://www.mumswhothrive.com/

Sarah Berthon, Excel Against The Odds.
https://www.excelagainsttheodds.co.uk/

Stress effects on the body, American Psychological Association.
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body

How do breathing exercises reduce stress, Calmer.
https://www.thisiscalmer.com/blog/how-do-breathing-exercises-alleviate-stress

Why breathing is so effective at reducing stress, Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2020/09/research-why-breathing-is-so-effective-at-reducing-stress

Breathing exercises for stress, NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/

Geraldine Joaquim, geraldinejoaquim.co.uk
https://www.geraldinejoaquim.co.uk/

Cat Merrick, Breathe, Dance & Yoga.
https://breathedanceandyoga.com/

4-7-8 Breathing, Healthline.com
https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing#How-to-do-it-

Box Breathing, WebMD.
https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-box-breathing

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression

SAD & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression Published on November 5th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Approximately 15 million Americans are thought to

Read More »
Best Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome app

Best PoTS App 2024

PoTS App The top 5 apps for tracking PoTS in 2024 Published on October 24th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Read More »
Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning What is Medical Gaslighting? Published on October 23rd 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Key Takeaways Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare professionals dismiss a

Read More »
Try Bearable today
Posted on

Signs of anxiousness vs. anxiety

Anxiousness vs. Anxiety

What are the signs and what's the difference between Anxiousness and Anxiety Disorder?

Published on March 8th 2023.
Written by Jenna Farmer.

Chapters.
1. What is Anxiousness? | 2. What’s the difference? | 3. Does it become Anxiety Disorder? |
4. Do I need help? | 5. How can Anxiousness be treated? | 6. How can anxiety disorder be treated?

Anxiety is becoming increasingly prevalent, with many factors contributing to this. Whether it’s the rising cost of living, adjusting to hybrid work arrangements, or feeling stressed by the constant stream of negative news, it’s common to experience anxious feelings from time to time. However, how can you tell if your feelings of anxiety have developed into an anxiety disorder? When should you seek professional help? In this article, we’ll explore the signs that indicate your worries have become a more serious mental health issue.

Photo by SHINE TANG on Unsplash

What is anxiousness?

Anxiousness is a term used to describe the state of worry or stress that we experience. It can arise from specific triggers, such as a health concern or a work-related issue, or it may manifest as a more general sense of unease. It’s entirely normal to experience bouts of anxiousness, especially during major life changes. In fact, almost everyone will experience this feeling at some point in their lives, even if they don’t openly discuss it.

What’s the difference between anxiousness and anxiety disorder?

Although we often use the terms “anxiousness” and “anxiety disorder” interchangeably, it’s important to understand the distinction between the two.

Anxiousness is a more general term that refers to the feelings of worry or stress that we experience. It doesn’t necessarily indicate the severity or duration of those feelings, and it can be used to describe anything from pre-date jitters to ongoing stress. However, experiencing anxiousness doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a mental health condition that requires treatment.

Anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is a more serious and less common condition. Approximately 19% of Americans have experienced some form of anxiety disorder in the past year. There are several types of anxiety disorder, including generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Unlike general anxiousness, anxiety disorder is persistent and can significantly impact your daily life, affecting your ability to work, socialise, and form relationships.

While feelings of anxiousness may be resolved with simple stress-reducing exercises, anxiety disorder typically requires more intensive treatment, such as therapy or medication. It’s important to recognise the difference between the two and seek appropriate help if you suspect that you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder.

Does anxiousness turn into anxiety disorder?

Anxiety doesn’t always develop in a straightforward, linear manner. You might feel incredibly stressed one day, only to feel completely calm and collected the next.

For some people, feelings of anxiousness may come and go throughout their lives without ever becoming more severe or developing into an anxiety disorder. However, in other cases, anxiousness can gradually increase in severity until it becomes a more serious mental health condition. This can happen so gradually that we may not even realise we’re living with an anxiety disorder, which is why it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms.

In some cases, anxiety disorder may appear suddenly and without warning, even in individuals who have never experienced high levels of stress before. For example, someone might develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD typically arise within a month of the event and can be severe and long-lasting.

Overall, anxiety is a complex and varied condition that can affect individuals in different ways. It’s important to be mindful of your own symptoms and seek help if you suspect that you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder.

How can I tell if I need help with my anxiousness?

Taking care of your mental health is always a good idea, regardless of whether you’re currently experiencing anxiety or not. You don’t have to wait until your anxiety becomes severe before trying out strategies to manage it, like mindfulness, exercise, or talking to a friend.

However, if you’re starting to feel like your anxiousness could be something more serious, there are a few things you can do to seek help. The first step is to make an appointment with your GP and discuss your mental health concerns. It can be helpful to track your physical symptoms of anxiety and how they’re affecting your life beforehand. You may also want to take an anxiety self-assessment quiz to get a better sense of your symptoms, though this isn’t a replacement for professional medical advice.

Remember, there’s no shame in talking to your doctor about your mental health. Your concerns are just as valid as any physical health issues, and your doctor will take them seriously.

“As GPs, one in four appointments are to do with mental health as the primary reason for consulting. It is really important that we as GPs carefully assess every individual patient’s problem” says GP Dr Claire Ashley. 

“We commonly ask about mood, thoughts and feelings, and worries but also about physical symptoms such as poor sleep, lack of appetite and self-neglect. We will also want to know if you are drinking alcohol to manage your symptoms. We might ask about behavioural changes and how much your relationships and ability to work and care for others is affected,” she adds.

How can anxiousness be treated?

If you’re dealing with anxious thoughts, there are several self-care measures you can try. Shifting your focus can be especially helpful. You might want to explore audio relaxation techniques that you can listen to on your phone or practice simple breathing exercises. It may sound simple, but breathing techniques have been shown to be effective against anxiety and stress.

Making general lifestyle changes can also be useful for managing feelings of anxiousness. For instance, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water can help avoid dehydration, which can cause anxiety. Additionally, cutting back on caffeine can help, as caffeine intake has been linked to anxiety.

If your anxiousness is triggered by a particular issue, taking time to reflect on what you can do to mitigate the issue might be beneficial. For example, if your morning commute causes you stress, consider speaking to your boss about flexible working. If you’ve had an argument with a loved one, scheduling a time to speak with them calmly could be helpful.

How can anxiety disorder be treated?

If you’re struggling with an anxiety disorder, self-care measures may not be enough and it’s important to seek proper treatment. If your anxiety is affecting your ability to perform everyday tasks, there are treatment options available. Your GP may recommend talking therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help you reframe negative thoughts. You might also be prescribed medication, such as antidepressants or beta blockers, especially if you experience physical symptoms like panic attacks.

According to GP Claire Ashley, “For mild to moderate anxiety disorder, the gold standard of treatment is therapy. For more severe anxiety, the patient is likely to need a combination of therapy and medication.”

It’s worth noting that anxiousness and anxiety disorder are different in terms of their duration and severity. Tracking your mood and other symptoms using an app like Bearable can help you identify when you need additional support for your anxiety. With the right treatment, you can regain control and start living your life again.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

UK has experienced ‘explosion’ in anxiety since 2008, study finds, The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/14/uk-has-experienced-explosion-in-anxiety-since-2008-study-finds

Why do I feel anxious and panicky, the NHS.
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/anxiety-and-panic/why-do-i-feel-anxious-and-panicky

Anxiety Statistics, National Institute for Mental Health.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

Anxiety Disorders – Facts & Statistics, Anxiety & Depression Association of America.
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

Generalised anxiety disorder in adults, the NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/overview/

Everything You Need to Know About Anxiety, Healthline.com
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), The Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967

Depression & Anxiety Self Assessment Quiz, The NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/depression-anxiety-self-assessment-quiz/

Dr Claire Ashley.
https://www.drclaireashley.com/

Relaxation techniques, the NHS.
https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/resource-library/relaxation-techniques/

Breathing exercises, the NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/

The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults, Ma et al. 2017.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/

pacing cfs image

Impact of Pacing on CFS

Pacing for CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) The information shown on this page has been crowd-sourced anonymously from members of the Bearable community who live with

Read More »
Try Bearable today
Posted on

How to stop anxiety right now for anxiety attacks

How to stop anxiety right now.

Published on February 21st 2023.
Written by Jenna Farmer.

Chapters. 
1. Recognition | 2. Breathing | 3. Grounding | 4. Hydration | 5. No Caffeine | 6. Find Support | 7. Get Outside

However much we may implement long-term stress reduction strategies (such as diet changes or exercise), sometimes we find ourselves in an unexpected anxiety spiral that’s out of our control. Some of us may get a sudden increase of anxious thoughts or it may take the form of physical manifestations (such as a racing heart and shortness of breath we associate with panic attacks).

Anxiety prevention strategies are really useful (check out our article on The 7 best science-backed coping strategies for anxiety for more of these) but what should we do if we’re already anxious right now? If that’s you, then don’t worry: you’re not alone. 40 million adults in the US (and around 8 million in the UK) experience anxiety. Let’s take a look at some strategies for how to get rid of anxiety as it’s happening to you.

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

1. Recognise that you’re experiencing an anxiety attack.

Sometimes we’re convinced the anxiety we’re experiencing is much more serious than it actually is: for example, we may think we’re actually having a heart attack if we suddenly experience a racing heart. Other times, we may be convinced by anxiety that we’re in real danger when we’re actually safe. Recognising what you’re going through is actually anxiety is one of the most powerful things you can do in the short term. Some of the symptoms of an anxiety attack are very real-such as shortness of breath, tingling in fingers, shaking and feeling sick.  But these symptoms often go away within 30 minutes and can be distinguished, e.g. a heart attack usually begins when you physically exert yourself but anxiety attacks can happen when you’re at rest. It allows you to think more rationally and then take steps to reduce it. You may choose to opt to repeat a mantra such as: ‘I know this is anxiety and it will soon pass’ or ‘Anxiety is making me think like this right now – but it won’t last forever.’

2. Try this one-minute breathing exercise.

How often have you been told ‘just breathe!’ when you’re stressed? Whilst it might sound super unhelpful or patronising, there’s actually a good reason for this. Breathing practice has been found to be an effective remedy against anxiety. However, despite the research, when we’re anxious,our breathing can be harder to control. It’s been proven that those with anxiety can experience an exaggerated increase in their rate of respiration ( breathing). We actually need to remind ourselves to breathe properly and specific breathing exercises can help with this. “We want to release the increased tension in the muscles and find calm again. My specific recommendation when breathing is to have a longer out-breath than in-breath. This calms the vagus nerve and helps engage the parasympathetic nervous system (this system helps relax your body when you’re stressed). It also de-activates the sympathetic nervous system (the system that activates your fight and flight response).” explains Sylvia Tillmann, a TRE (Tension Releasing Exercises) provider, who teaches her clients how to release tension held in their body.

“You could count slowly to 3 whilst taking a breath in and then slowly to six when breathing out. You’ll get into a rhythm and ideally do this for a minute or two.” adds Sylvia.

3. Try some grounding techniques

When we’re anxious, we often can’t focus on what’s happening right now. How often have you been so anxious that you’ve missed a doctor’s appointment or forgotten to eat breakfast that morning? There’s a reason for this; when we’re anxious it makes it harder to concentrate and learn new information. One large study of American adults found that the more anxious they were, the worse their working memory was. Grounding techniques are techniques specifically designed to bring you back to the present moment and distract from anxious thoughts. “A simple and effective grounding exercise is to use the 54321 method. Before you start, take a few slow breaths. Take a look around you and notice 5 things that you see. Then notice 4 things in the environment you can touch. Next, bring your attention to 3 things you can hear. Next, pay attention to 2 things you can smell. Finally, bring your attention to 1 thing you can taste. Focusing your attention this way can bring you back to the present moment and quieten the mind” says CBT therapist and founder of Conscious & Calm Navit Schechter.

4. Drink a glass of water

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, but sometimes life just gets in the way. We might find it hard to remember to drink 8 glasses of water a day when our mental health is poor or rely on caffeine if we’re low on spoons.

However, even being mildly dehydrated has been found to increase anxiety and fatigue. It sounds simple but water really could help. “When you’re feeling anxious, have a glass of water. Mild dehydration can cause an increase in anxiety. There’s been several studies that indicate increasing water can have a beneficial effect on calmness.” says nutritionist Hannah Hope.

If you find yourself going hours without water, consider setting a reminder on your phone, using a water tracking bottle or keeping track of your water intake by using the Bearable app.

5. Cut down on energy drinks

Energy drinks have grown in popularity and are now a billion-dollar industry.  You may rely on them to help fatigue or grab one when you know you’ve got to cram for a big test or work presentation. A study has found energy drink consumption was associated with anxiety increasing. It’s likely due to the caffeine they contain, which can also be anxiety triggers. “Caffeine, found in tea, coffee and soda drinks can be a stimulant, and if you have increased sensitivity to caffeine then this may directly cause anxiety.” advises nutritionist Hannah Hope. We know it’s not always possible to ditch them altogether, especially if you struggle with chronic fatigue, but reducing them is one practical step you can take today if you’re dealing with anxiety.“ If you are having caffeine, then have it with food and before midday and no more than 2 servings a day.” adds Hannah Hope.

6. Speak to a friend or family member

Anxiety can make us feel incredibly isolated and alone-but it doesn’t have to be that way. Having a friend or family member you can rely on can help you think more rationally and reassure you that you’re not in danger.  One study found that support from family members is an important part of a personal support network in relation to the recovery process.

Sometimes we can feel nervous about talking to a loved one so it could be worth practising what you’d like to say. It’s worth thinking about how you’d like a loved one to support you ahead of an anxiety attack, so you feel reassured rather than dismissed. We’re often told things like ‘you’re fine! Or ‘forget about it!’ which isn’t that helpful when our anxiety feels all-consuming. You may explain what support you need, such as sharing a mantra with them that you’d like them to repeat or something that you know helps distract you.

7. Take yourself to an outside space

If it’s possible, try temporarily shifting to new surroundings-even if just for a couple of minutes. Assistant Psychologist and Hypnotherapist Holly Buckley explains: “we often find that when in panic mode, we feel trapped, almost as if the walls are closing in on you. So if you feel those panic feelings rising then safely take yourself outside to an open space.” You don’t need to travel far for this. “ This could even just be outside on your doorstep or in the car park of your work building. Just somewhere where you can hear outside sounds, see more space and feel fresh air. Then take some deep breaths and try the 54321 exercise.” she adds.

We hope these simple but effective strategies have given you some coping mechanisms if you’re dealing with anxiety right now. Whichever of these you find useful,  remember that you can use Bearable to learn how they impact your anxiety, mood, sleep, energy levels and any other symptoms you’re experiencing.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

Anxiety Statistics 2023, SingleCare.
https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/anxiety-statistics/

Anxiety Statistics 2023, Champion Health.
https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/anxiety-statistics/

Getting help with Anxiety, Fear, and Panic, NHS.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/anxiety-fear-panic/

Panic Attacks vs. Heart Attacks, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/wellness-insights/heart-health/2020/01/panic-attack-vs-heart-attack

The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults, Ma et al. Frontiers in Psychology.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/

Anxiety, Respiration and Cerebral Blood Flow: Implications for Functional Brain Imaging, Giardino et al, Comprehensive Psychiatry.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1820771

Sylvia Tillmann, Tremendous TRE.
https://www.tremendoustre.co.uk/about

The four horsemen of forgetfulness, Harvard Health Publishing.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-four-horsemen-of-forgetfulness

How Anxiety affects your focus, BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200611-how-anxiety-affects-your-focus

Navit Schechter, Conscious & Calm.
https://consciousandcalm.com/

What is Spoon Theory, Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/spoon-theory-chronic-illness-explained-like-never-before

Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men, Ganio et al, British Journal of Nutrition.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21736786/

Hannah Hope, H Hope Nutrition.
https://www.hhopenutrition.com/

Energy Drink sales in the USA 2021, Statista.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/558022/us-energy-drink-sales/

Energy drink consumption is associated with anxiety in Australian young adult males, Trapp et al. Depression and Anxiety (Journal).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24019267/

Family Network Support and Mental Health Recovery, Pernice-Duca, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. 
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00182.x

Talking about your mental health problem, Mind.
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/talking-to-friends-family/

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression

SAD & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression Published on November 5th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Approximately 15 million Americans are thought to

Read More »
Best Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome app

Best PoTS App 2024

PoTS App The top 5 apps for tracking PoTS in 2024 Published on October 24th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Read More »
Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning What is Medical Gaslighting? Published on October 23rd 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Key Takeaways Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare professionals dismiss a

Read More »
Try Bearable today
Posted on

Choosing the best medication app in 2024

Best medication app

Choosing the best medication app in 2024

Published on February 16th 2023.
Updated on Jan 1st 2024.
Written by Jenna Farmer.

Chapters
1. What are the different types of medication app?
2. What should I look for in a medication app?
3. How to choose the right medication app for me?
4. What are the benefits of medication apps?
5. When do medical professionals recommend using medication apps?
6. What do users want from a medication app?

Whether you’re starting a new prescription or are juggling a bunch of different medication types, finding the best pill app can make life just that little bit easier to manage. With 131 million Americans taking at least one medication, many of us with chronic conditions are used to taking several. In fact, the average person takes four different types of medications. Add to that the brain fog which often comes with chronic conditions, is it any wonder we turn to technology to help us manage them all? Whether you’re looking for a simple system to remind you to take your meds or deeper insights into how the multiple medications you take could impact your health, here’s how to choose the best pill app for you.

Best medication app

Photo by Altin Ferreira on Unsplash

What are the different types of medication apps?

In their simplest forms, there are types of medication apps that just work in reminding you to take your medication that day. These notification apps are really handy if you often forget to take your pills or are juggling multiple medications. Some of these can also alert you if you’re running low on supplies, with others doubling as prescription request apps. These apps allow you to easily order or request repeat medication when you’re low on stock.

Other apps allow you to delve more into the medication you’re taking. All-in-one medication management apps come with clever insights to help you understand how your medication is impacting your symptoms. They allow you to track improvement, side effects and, if you’re taking more than one type of pill, any potential contradictions too. These all-in-one medical management apps allow you to share your findings with your doctor.

What should I look for in a medication app?

Customisation.
There are several things to consider when looking for a medication app to download. The first is to look for an app that offers flexibility and customisation. Whilst you might be looking to just track one pill right now, things may change in the future. This means looking for a pill app that tracks several medications simultaneously is best. Look for an app where you can add custom symptoms and side effects rather than opting from a restricted list. After all, our bodies all respond differently despite what the tiny leaflet in your medication box says.

Shareability.
Another thing to look for is shareability. You might choose to share the app with your carer or loved one who may be in charge of administering your medication. Or you may want to share information with your doctor so they can alter your dose going forward. 

Finally, look for an app that allows you some insight into the medication you’re taking. So after our doctor asks us: ‘is this medication working?’ or ‘have you noticed this particular side effect?’ you’ll be more equipped if you choose an app that allows you insight into your pills. Some apps allow you to track other factors around your medication, such as if a particular symptom improves after taking it. This can be very useful in tracking your pills.

Privacy & Security.
Firstly, let’s talk about privacy. If you’re thinking of using a symptom-tracking app, you want to make sure that your data is as private and secure as possible. 

Both the Apple App Store and Android Play Store make it easy to review the measures taken by an app to keep your data private and secure. These measures include an explanation of:

    • What data is being collected
    • What data is being shared
    • Why this data is being collected
    • Whether collecting the data is optional
    • The security practices of the App

Some important things to look out for are:

    • Can your data be deleted?
    • How much Personally Identifiable Data (PII) is being collected and for what reason?
    • Is your data encrypted?

If you’re unsure about the privacy and security of your health data it could also be helpful to read the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy or you could even contact the developers directly. 

Note. If you live in the US and are concerned about details of your reproductive health being shared with law enforcement officials, you can look for apps that are based outside of the US and that fall outside of the jurisdiction of the US legal system.

Credibility.
One of the best ways to determine which medication app is right for you is to read other people’s testimonials. Specifically looking for reviews written by people with your health condition(s) can help you figure out if it’s right for you.

You can also look for information about whether the pill tracker has been clinically reviewed or tested in an empirical study. 

Insights & Reports.
One of the unique benefits of digital medication tracking, many of the options can help you to identify…

    • Medication and symptom trends so you can understand how medication may cause any side effects.

    • Correlations between your medication and improvement in symptoms to help you figure out if a medication is working or not.

    • How a specific medication may be impacting your overall mood score.

    • How a change of medication may change your symptoms, along with other insights like your overall mood, sleep and energy.

If you’re seeking a symptom tracker to help you with managing your symptoms or if you’re in the process of obtaining a diagnosis, these types of insights can be especially helpful.

Ultimately, if you’re looking to have more control over your symptoms or a clearer understanding of why and when they occur, symptom trackers with reporting features may be the right option for you.

How to choose the right medication app for me?

Choosing the right medication app really depends on your biggest problems. If you keep forgetting to take your medication, you need to opt for an apt that sends regular reminders and allows you to log when you’ve taken it. If you often run out, you may also look for an app that gives you the heads-up for ordering a new script from your doctor.

If you’re wanting to understand the interaction between you and your body better, then you’ll need to choose an app that has the functionality to track the medication you take and your symptoms over a longer period of time. 

Finally, if you plan to share this information with your doctor, look for an app that makes sharing easy.

What are the benefits of medication apps?

The most obvious one is that it encourages you to take your medication more regularly, preventing you from skipping days or running out of medication. It’s estimated over 80% miss a dose of medication occasionally so using a pill app with regular notification reminders can stop this from turning into a more regular thing. Research found that patients with coronary heart disease who used medication reminder apps were more likely to adhere to their medication compared to those who didn’t. A lot of medication apps also allow you to record when you’ve taken your pills, avoiding those ‘did I or didn’t I?’ questions that keep you up late at night.

For those with chronic illnesses, finding a medication that works and causes minimal side effects can sometimes feel like stumbling around in the dark. 

Proactively using an app that allows you to better understand the medication you’re taking and symptom changes can help your doctor refine these choices further and ultimately help you feel better. This can sometimes be a simple switch. For example, if you use a pain app and realise your pills are what’s causing new digestive issues, your doctor may advise you to take them only with food or at a different time of day. If you track your pain level and medication over a longer period of time and realise it’s getting worse, your doctor will know this pill isn’t working, so they can increase the dose or try an alternative. You may choose to track this over a set period of time, for example in the Bearable app you can track the impact of your medication for different time periods, such as over two days or three days or over a calendar month.

Unfortunately, many of the medications we take do come with side effects and it’s all about balancing these with their numerous benefits in making us feel well. Using a medication app helps us understand more about this balance.

When do medical professionals recommend using a medication app?

Many medical professionals recommend patients use medication apps. “Poor medication compliance or non-compliance is a major sticking point for patients and clinicians, which is why I recommend using medication apps to manage complicated medication routines or to send timely reminders when it is vital for a patient to take an antibiotic, for example, on a strict regime.” says Doctor Dr Noreen and Nguru, of What the Doctor Reccomends.

“Rather than relying on memory alone is not advisable because of the risk of accidental overdose from ‘double dosing’. I also find that for the elderly and vulnerable patients with conditions affecting memory or motivation, the use of a medication app can be rewarding as some apps also allow the tracking of symptoms, side effects and personalisation features,” she adds.

What do users want from a medication app?

Most patients look for an app that will help with the stress of remembering to take their medication. Patients who use an app for their medication are more likely to take it on time. Therefore, an app that comes with easy-to-follow medication notifications is on top of most patients’ lists.

“With so much on the go in my life, it’s all too easy to forget to take my pills. Without reminders popping up on my phone, I could easily go all day and not think about my pills. Having an app with reminders helps me stick to my routine and my health benefits as a result,” says Laura Jean who blogs about life with Rheumatoid Arthritis at RA Life Hacks.

For others, having a pill app that allows you to input every time you’ve taken your meds is a great idea. “I’d forget to take my epilepsy medication without reminders. I look for an app that will keep reminding me. For example, if my app goes off at 9am and I’m busy, it’ll go off again later. I can always snooze, which allows me to get home to get medication, when the alarm will restart.” says Annie from Tales of Annie Bean.

Some look for a medication app that has detailed tracking functions. “I’ve been using medication reminder apps for twelve years. I use an app that not only reminds me to take my meds but tracks my taking them which can be printed out for doctor visits. I also track pain levels and health notes. It backs up online so I never lose that information,” says Mandy Farmer who blogs over at Mandy and Michele.

TLDR.

Here’s a quick summary of the main factors that we think you should consider when choosing a medication app in 2024.

    • Shareability. if you plan to share this information with your family, carers or doctors, do make sure your app allows you to do this super easily.

       

    • Customisation. Not everyone’s journey is the same so look for an app that allows you to customise things like symptoms and duration.

       

    • Analytics. Not everyone will want advanced tracking but looking for an app that allows you insights into medication.

       

    • Reminders. To help you remember when to take each of your medications and potentially also remind you when you need to top up your prescription.
    • Privacy. If you’re concerned about the privacy and security of sensitive, health-related data, then it’s smart to look into the security practices of the apps you’re assessing and the control they give you over your data.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression

SAD & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression Published on November 5th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Approximately 15 million Americans are thought to

Read More »
Best Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome app

Best PoTS App 2024

PoTS App The top 5 apps for tracking PoTS in 2024 Published on October 24th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Read More »
Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning What is Medical Gaslighting? Published on October 23rd 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Key Takeaways Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare professionals dismiss a

Read More »
Try Bearable today
Posted on

Choosing the best pain app in 2023

Best pain app

Choosing the best pain app in 2023.

Published on Feb 16th 2023.
Written by Jenna Farmer.

Chapters.
1. What are the different types of pain app?
2. What should I look for in a pain app?
3. How to choose the right pain app for you?
4. What are the benefits of pain apps?
5. When do medical professionals recommend using a pain app?
6. What do users want from a pain app?

With chronic pain affecting 50 million Americans, finding solutions to help make life easier is on many people’s agenda. Whilst technology can’t promise a pain-free life, pain apps can be a valuable tool on your smartphone. Whether you’re using pain apps to simply track your pain levels or help with overall pain management, knowing which ones to hit the download button for is important. We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about choosing the best pain app in 2023.

Best pain app

Photo by Papaioannou Kostas on Unsplash

What are the different types of pain apps?

Apps can be used to help with any type of pain you might be experiencing. Firstly, apps can be used to help you track and understand your pain levels. These are called pain journals and allow you to rank your pain levels as well as make notes to describe the type and duration of your pain. These types of apps can be very helpful in understanding your pain.

There are also apps that can help with overall pain management. Whilst these can’t cure your chronic pain, they can help you tackle pain levels through tried and tested strategies. Some of these include a psychological component and other things like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

What should I look for in a pain app?

There are a few key things to look for in a pain-tracking app. According to the experts, these are pain episode recording, exploration and sharing.

These are…

    • Recording pain episodes.
    • Exploring pain episodes.
    • Sharing pain episodes.

 If you’re looking for an app to monitor your pain levels, then you need an app that allows you to properly report this. A lot of health professionals will ask you to rank your pain on a scale of 1-5, but this can be hard to understand ( especially if you’re used to dealing with constant pain and are never at a zero). Instead, look for an app that allows you to more accurately record your pain. For example, you might want to record whether your pain is mild-severe, the location of your pain and also the type of pain (such as burning or dull).

If your pain is complex, look for an app that has a level of customisation to record your pain. If you are looking to also get insights into your pain, then you’ll need to look for an app that allows you to track your pain over a longer period of time and space to record any potential triggers too.

If you’re looking for an app to help manage your pain, it’s worth looking into the different strategies it offers before you hit download. Consider whether it offers psychological therapists or any expert guidance in helping with the pain levels. Living with chronic pain can be really lonely, so you may choose to opt for an app that has a community aspect to allow you to connect with others.

How to choose the right pain app for you?

Firstly, consider your needs from the app and the type of pain you’re experiencing. If you are dealing with daily chronic pain, choose an app that allows you to log this over a long period of time and has customisable options, such as being able to edit the location and type of pain. Some people may need a straightforward app to log pain but others may be using a pain app to better understand their body. If that’s you, opt for an app that allows you to log additional information (like triggers) and provides insights into your symptoms. This is especially important if you plan to share this information with your doctor.

Not everyone will need a pain app to help with the management of pain levels. However, if your doctor has advised implementing more self-management strategies to help with your chronic pain, then it could be worth looking for an app that offers some pain-management tools too. These may include things like goal setting, exercise or mindfulness. The alternative is to also download two different apps: one to track your pain and one to help deal with it. 

There are also a few more things to consider

Privacy & Security.
Firstly, let’s talk about privacy. Not only do you want to check your data is private and that the app has data security in place but, if the app has a community element, being able to interact anonymously is really important. Many people will keep the data to themselves but sharing it with your doctor can be helpful, so look into whether the app easily provides this option.

Customisable & Personisable.
Many people using pain-tracking apps will have more than one condition. It’s important that the app you use isn’t too restrictive and can allow you to custom track pain.

Insights & Reports.
Some pain apps can help you to identify trends and correlations in your symptoms to help you pinpoint potential triggers. If much of your chronic pain centres around self-management or if you’re trying to get a diagnosis, this can be really useful.

Credibility.
There are so many apps out there that those that have testimonials stand out from the crowd. This may be that they’re clinically reviewed, recommended by therapists or medical professionals or simply have tons of positive reviews from their users. Negative reviews can also help you figure out which ones aren’t worth downloading.

All-in-one solutions.
Ideally, we don’t want to use all of our phone storage on a ton of different apps. So looking for apps that have multiple functions can help you save space and time.  This also makes it so much easier to share the info with professionals too.

What are the benefits of pain apps?

Exploring pain issues.
There are several benefits of using pain apps. Firstly, pain tracking apps can help you explore really valuable insight into your condition and allow you to better self-reflect. This is particularly crucial if certain triggers and lifestyle choices exacerbate your pain. Not only can this help you understand your body better but it makes conversing with medical professionals that much easier. 

Recording and Sharing Pain Episodes.
Many of us with long-term pain are used to having to fight for proper healthcare and research has found difficulties in accurately tracking pain levels is part of this problem. This is especially the case for women, as it’s been proven their pain isn’t taken as seriously as men’s. Using a pain app over a series of weeks can help you gather data to show the duration and severity of your pain, which ensures your doctor gets a clearer picture. It’s also a good idea to speak to your doctor about the scale they use to monitor symptoms and pain, so you can correlate this with your app.

Pain Self-Management.
Using an app that helps you manage pain is unlikely to solve your chronic pain but can be useful in a flare-up. They can give you useful self-management strategies that can be used alongside your existing treatment plan. Whilst there’s not much specific evidence that pain apps can reduce chronic pain, evidence tells us that self-management strategies they may use are beneficial.

Whatever app you opt for, many studies have found that patients who use a pain app are actually more likely to record improvements in things like pain levels and their quality of life.

When do medical professionals recommend using a pain app?

“There are plenty of apps that help track your pain levels and activity etc. however, what I encourage people to think about and look for is an app that helps identify when your pain levels are more manageable or when you coped well with the pain,” says Holly Nicole a, Solution Focused Hypnotherapist & consultant psychologist.

“When you draw the brain’s attention to what you are doing well and things that you do that help you cope better with this, you are then able to notice more and more times where the ‘pain’ is more manageable,” she adds.

What do users want from a pain app?

For people living with chronic long-term pain users, having an app that allows you to share pain levels with others is key. “I tried using paper and pen but I got tired. Having an app where I can share with my carers is really great,” says Lauren Perry. 

Whilst some users will be happy with tapping a few buttons to monitor their pain levels, most want to be able to take notes to understand their pain experience. “I like having an app that gives me space to write notes on certain symptoms. For example, when tracking my period pains, it can be handy for me to note what time they started and how quickly they ramped up, as it helps me manage pain medication better for the next time” says blogger Charlotte Millington.

TLDR.

    • There are several different types of pain apps so choose if you want one to log your symptoms, help manage them or both!

    • Pain apps are also a way to help feel supported. Consider opting for a pain app that allows you to connect with others who are in a similar position (anonymously if needed).

    • Pain is always individual and two people with one condition may have completely different experiences. That’s why it’s so important to opt for a pain app that has some degree of customisation and allows you to accurately enter pain location, duration and type.

The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.

Seasonal Affective Disorder & Depression

SAD & Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Depression Published on November 5th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Approximately 15 million Americans are thought to

Read More »
Best Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome app

Best PoTS App 2024

PoTS App The top 5 apps for tracking PoTS in 2024 Published on October 24th 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Read More »
Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning

Medical Gaslighting Meaning What is Medical Gaslighting? Published on October 23rd 2024Written by Jesse Driessen Key Takeaways Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare professionals dismiss a

Read More »
Try Bearable today