Product Overview: Calm Harm App
The Calm Harm app, developed by the teenage mental health charity stem4 and created by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nihara Krause MBE, is a groundbreaking tool designed to help young people manage and resist the urge to self-harm. This award-winning app is grounded in the principles of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychological treatment.
What it Does
Calm Harm is specifically tailored to assist individuals aged 13 and above in managing the impulse to self-harm. It provides immediate techniques and activities to help users break the cycle of self-harm behavior and explore underlying trigger factors. The app is not a substitute for professional mental health assessment and treatment but serves as a complementary tool to support users in their journey towards better emotional regulation.
Key Features and Functionality
Activity Categories
The app offers a range of activities categorized into:
- Comfort: Helps users care for themselves instead of harming.
- Distract: Provides activities to combat the urge to self-harm by promoting self-control.
- Express Yourself: Allows users to express their feelings in healthier ways.
- Release: Offers safe alternatives to self-injury.
- Random: Selects a random activity from the above categories to keep the user engaged.
Breathing and Mindfulness Techniques
The app includes breathing exercises designed to help users be mindful, stay in the moment, regulate difficult emotions, and reduce tension.
Journaling and Self-Reflection
Users can create a journal to record their feelings after completing activities. This feature helps in tracking emotions and reflecting on experiences, which is stored in the “My Log” section of the app.
Customization
Users can hide activities they do not find helpful, make notes during activities, and even create their own help sections with personal contacts or favorite websites.
Safety and Privacy
The Calm Harm app is private, anonymous, and safe to use. It has undergone a Clinical Safety Review and adheres to NHS standards, ensuring it meets high safety and efficacy criteria.
Additional Tools
The app allows users to mark favorite activities, view them in a dedicated section, and receive activity suggestions based on their previous use and ratings. It also includes a timer to help users stay on task while managing their emotions.
Benefits and Impact
- Emotional Regulation: The app teaches users to identify and manage their emotions, impulse control, and track underlying triggers to harmful urges.
- Building a Safety Net: It helps users build a network of helpful thoughts, behaviors, and access to supportive people.
- Immediate Support: Provides immediate techniques to manage the urge to self-harm, reducing the risk of impulsive behavior.
Overall, the Calm Harm app is a valuable resource for young people struggling with self-harm, offering a structured and supportive environment to manage their emotions and develop healthier coping mechanisms.