Apps for Bipolar Disorder
There are a wide variety of coping mechanisms one can use to deal with bipolar disorder. Exercise, hanging out with loved ones and playing games are some great coping mechanisms. However, now we have access to even more thanks to advancements in technology. Our phones have countless apps to choose from that can help you cope with the symptoms of bipolar disorder (of course along with help from a mental health professional).
iMoodJournal
With bipolar disorder, it is common to keep a mood journal to record any mood changes you may have as a part of the treatment process. This app allows you to track several moods per day using a 10-step qualitative scale. You can also hashtag triggers so you can filter your search later on when you go to analyze your mood over time. This app costs $2.99 in the US.
aiMei
This app does a wide variety of things that can help with bipolar disorder, specifically in regard to how your symptoms affect your personal relationships. According to Healthline, “aiMei is an emotional intelligence-building app that targets your self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management through mood tracking, personality tests, goal setting, and anonymous feedback from your friends."
The chat is powered by AI, so it feels like you’re talking with a real person. The app then uses the results to record where you’re at in the four areas of emotional intelligence. It uses these results to help you set goals as to how you can improve. aiMei is a free app.
Medisafe
Keeping track of your medications is very important when going through treatment for bipolar disorder. Medisafe is an app that helps you keep track of your medications. This app works as a reminder and can help tell you what medications you need to take and what time you need to take them. This app also helps remind you when you need to refill your prescriptions, and it identifies any drugs/substances that may interact with your medication. This app is free, but it includes in-app purchases.
MoodLog
MoodLog is another app available on Android that helps you log your moods. It can also help you keep track of other symptoms that may be related to your moods (headaches, anxiety, nausea, etc.). On top of this, you can mark the severity of each of the symptoms; this will give you a more accurate picture of your mood and how it changes over time. The app is also able to remind you to create your log for the day. This is a free app with in-app purchases.
eMoods
eMoods is another app meant to track your mood over time. It helps you track psychotic symptoms, depressive symptoms, irritability and manic symptoms. It can also help track the severity of each of these symptoms. Your input is color-coded on a monthly calendar. This makes it easier to identify how your mood changed (or didn’t) over time. You can also export this monthly report, allowing you to share the information with your doctor and/or therapist. This is a free app with in-app purchases.
Breathe2Relax
Anxiety can be a byproduct of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. This app helps with deep breathing, which can help with the symptoms of anxiety. The app can integrate with a wearable smartwatch to help monitor your heart rate throughout the breathing exercise. This helps you measure the effectiveness of the exercise. This is a free app.
BrainWave Tuner
This app is only available for iPhone. It uses sound wave patterns, coupled with white noise or relaxing sounds. These soundwave patterns help guide your brain waves. Different brain waves tend to be associated with different moods. This may not work for everyone, but, finding a nice quiet spot where you can sit still and listen to it, tends to be the best way for it to be used. The app costs $3.99 on the App Store.
Other White Noise Apps
Sometimes, falling asleep with bipolar disorder can be extremely difficult. White noise or any relaxing noise on repeat can sometimes help calm you down and lull you to sleep. There are plenty of options for white noise apps in both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. They tend to range from free to a few dollars.
Using Apps in Conjunction with Treatment
These apps alone won’t be able to treat all of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Consider these apps as options to add to your treatment plan. For them to be fully successful, they need to be coupled with a treatment plan set forth by a mental health professional (medications and/or therapy).
If you’re looking for something to add to your treatment plan, to help you keep track of your progress or lower/monitor your stress levels, some of these apps for bipolar disorder may be a great choice for you.