A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
businessinsider.com
A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
1–10 of 73 posts
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#2> The students were split into two groups — one was assigned to chat with Woebot over two weeks, while the other was directed to read an e-book about depression. Unlike the students in the e-book group, those using Woebot said they saw a significant reduction in their depressive symptoms.
It sounds interesting. It also reminds me of ELIZA[1] a chat bot designed in the 60s to demonstrate the superficiality of human conversation which ended up being a surprisingly effective therapist to its users.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#3The efficacy of drugs, specifically Lexapro, on my anxiety cannot be understated. I had attempted lots of different "mindfulness" techniques and other types of talk therapy. They seemed like they worked, sorta, at the time. But being on Lexapro is so night and day different that it makes all those other attempts clearly an exercise in futility.
Like with everything, if you can't tell it's working, it's not working.
Stop guessing. Go talk to your doctor.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#4This reminds me of another app I saw recently, Calm Harm (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/calm-harm/id961611581?mt=8). At first I thought that was a strange approach, but as I looked through the screenshots, and read the reviews, I realized that this really seemed to be helping people. I don't struggle with self-harm, but I do struggle with depression and anxiety, so I'm glad to see apps like this being created.
I was pretty bored with the app ecosystem in 2017, but Calm Harm gave me hope that there are still some people out there innovating and actually working to use our existing technology to help people for good rather than just making some money off advertising or Yet Another To Do App.
The only thing I get concerned about with these apps is the storage of this data and how it can be made personally identifiable. Hopefully these angles are tackled with people's privacy in mind.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#5> The students were split into two groups — one was assigned to chat with Woebot over two weeks, while the other was directed to read an e-book about depression. Unlike the students in the e-book group, those using Woebot said they saw a significant reduction in their depressive symptoms. It sounds interesting. It also reminds me of ELIZA[1] a chat bot designed in the 60s to demonstrate the superficiality of human co…
I wish there were a control group - it could very well be that reading an e-book about depression can cause a regression in depressive symptoms.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#6i tried it. it clearly had a script, and my answers were all emoji or one word (they render for you as options to press). So... really was a "next...next...next.." kind of experience. And then it was done with me for the day, after it rambled about making mistakes.
There is a vibe of "i'm one of the cool kids", like when parents try to "level" with their teenagers. And the machine learning appears rudimentary or perhaps tastelessly implemented.
But it gets CBT in the hands of more people. Maybe people wouldn't pickup a book but are willing to checkout an app. So i think thats an important win, even if the app itself isn't all that.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#7i tried it. it clearly had a script, and my answers were all emoji or one word (they render for you as options to press). So... really was a "next...next...next.." kind of experience. And then it was done with me for the day, after it rambled about making mistakes. There is a vibe of "i'm one of the cool kids", like when parents try to "level" with their teenagers. And the machine learning appears rudimentary or perh…
I think this year we will see more therapeutic apps that deal with mental illness. I also think, that this is just a simple beginning and that we'll see bigger and better apps, maybe even this one will greatly improve with time.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#8The efficacy of drugs, specifically Lexapro, on my anxiety cannot be understated. I had attempted lots of different "mindfulness" techniques and other types of talk therapy. They seemed like they worked, sorta, at the time. But being on Lexapro is so night and day different that it makes all those other attempts clearly an exercise in futility. Like with everything, if you can't tell it's working, it's not working. S…
Also talk to your doctor because mood disruptions can be symptoms of non-psychiatric disorders that call for their own specific treatments. If you're depressed because of something like hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, or sleep apnea, skipping the diagnostic process and going straight to psychotherapy is just going to mask the underlying issue.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#9The efficacy of drugs, specifically Lexapro, on my anxiety cannot be understated. I had attempted lots of different "mindfulness" techniques and other types of talk therapy. They seemed like they worked, sorta, at the time. But being on Lexapro is so night and day different that it makes all those other attempts clearly an exercise in futility. Like with everything, if you can't tell it's working, it's not working. S…
This! I parrot this on every thread that is remotely relevant.
Depression and anxiety are complex problems that are incredibly personal (in the sense that they are unique to the individual). More so than most other disorders. Ergo:
1) No off the shelf solution like popping an ibuprofen for body aches
2) what works for others may not work for you
3) one needs to try multiple solutions
4) and most important, have a professional at your side to guide you!
You may not necessarily figure out how to navigate this on your own.
Re: A therapy chatbot and app for depression and anxiety
#10> The students were split into two groups — one was assigned to chat with Woebot over two weeks, while the other was directed to read an e-book about depression. Unlike the students in the e-book group, those using Woebot said they saw a significant reduction in their depressive symptoms. It sounds interesting. It also reminds me of ELIZA[1] a chat bot designed in the 60s to demonstrate the superficiality of human co…
I wish there were a control group - it could very well be that reading an e-book about depression can cause a regression in depressive symptoms.
So can seeing a therapist.