According to a recent study done by The World Health Organization, around 300 million people in the world have depression, one of the most common mental illnesses. Having depression can take many forms. You can feel completely alone, have a hard time trying to function day to day living with depression problems, you can have the feeling of despair, or realize that the way you act or feel has changed due to depression. Recently, depression and other mental illnesses have been talked about more openly and allowed many people to face their truth, which is the first step to getting better. 

With the more open and honest conversations that are had about mental health, more tools and guidance have become available to people to help cope with their depression. Some apps have been developed to teach or guide you on how to take care of your own mental health. Apps like TalkLife can help you meet other people living with depression to help each other through support and understanding. Managing depression can be easier if you have the tools to help yourself like apps that focus on achieving better habits in your daily routine or focus on making you feel relaxed in a difficult moment through meditation. Some even give a depression coping skills list to work through. Most importantly, knowing you are not alone and that there are enough people in the world dealing with these mental illnesses that applications have been developed is a great step forward to trying to help anyone affected to become a better version of themselves.

If you happen to be living with someone with depression and have never felt what it is like to be depressed, you may have a hard time understanding what it is they are going through. You may need help on how to deal with depression in a spouse, friend, or relative. Some apps can help you understand a little bit better by chatting with people that do have depression and gain some insight or apps that give you daily motivational quotes that you could write down for your loved one. It is important to understand that one person may have depression in the family, but how depression affects family members around them is also an issue to be concerned with. If you have children or younger siblings in a household with depression you may want to pay attention to how they feel on a daily basis. Downloading apps like Happify which use games to overcome negative thoughts and stressful feelings might help them deal with depression at home in a better way. Mental health is just as important as physical health. When you work out your body, you feel strong and confident, just the same with your mind. Use apps that help you adopt better habits, think more positively and help you manage your rough moments better. Your mind will be stronger so you can feel safe, confident, and happier about making better choices every day for you and your family.