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iOS/Android: The Calm Harm app compares the urge to self-harm to a wave, intense at first but gradually fading if you can endure it. While apps can't replace professional therapy, many users find them invaluable during moments of crisis.
Calm Harm, available for free on iOS and Android, was created by stem4, a UK-based teenage mental health charity. Similar apps exist on both platforms, each with unique approaches to support. Calm Harm stands out due to its variety of features, including options for comfort, distraction, and tracking triggers and urges. Users can choose between five one-minute exercises or a single 15-minute session. Examples of prompts include:
“Visualize a comforting place and mentally engage in the soothing activities you associate with it.”
“Apply fake tattoos to areas where you self-harm. Use them as reminders to perform a comforting action each time you notice them.”
“Recall the lyrics of a familiar song and attempt to recite them in reverse.”
“Call someone you trust for comfort and discuss your feelings.”
In addition to Calm Harm, consider exploring:
Self-Heal (iOS and Android): This app provides randomly selected activities, such as immediate tasks (e.g., “draw words on your skin with a red marker”) or long-term goals (e.g., “plan future events like holidays, weekend trips, or career and study objectives”). It also includes features like a library of motivational memes and cute images, as well as resources for coping with self-harm urges.
Moods (iOS): Designed for broader use, this app doesn’t manage moods but helps you track them. Users can select from “good,” “okay,” or “bad” and add tags like “lethargic” or “furious,” along with optional notes. It generates reports on your most frequent moods and can send reminders to log your feelings. For Android users, alternatives like Daylio offer similar mood and activity tracking across both platforms.
What’s up (iOS and Android): This app supports various mental health challenges. The “help right now” button offers options like breathing exercises, a “name 5 things” game (e.g., identify five green objects nearby), and a “catastrophe scale” to assess your current state from “life is perfect” to “everything feels like it’s falling apart.” Additionally, it provides access to forums for connecting with others.
