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San Antonio friends create a mental health app for your inner circle

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San Antonio – You’ve probably heard the phrase “check out strong friends,” but alluding to the idea that everyone can suffer from mental health, no matter how they are viewed in the world. increase. But how can I do that?

As we all live our lives, it can be difficult to know when to check in or make time to call your loved one.

In the midst of a pandemic, much of the world is looking for ways to shed light on mental health, so the two San Antonio entrepreneurs sought to make a difference more easily than ever before.

“There is this sickening desire for people to talk about mental health, but what I’ve noticed is that no one wants to go first,” Lorenzo Gomez said.

He and Steve Cunningham are co-founders of the app “WeTree”. They call it the “Mental Health Minutes” -that’s all you need. The first 30 seconds is a daily survey containing 8 questions based on the science of Positive Psychology about your day and mental health. Questions can be answered using the 1-5 ranking system.

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Gomes believes that society is conditioned to fake smiles and always say “good” when asked how we do it. The notation used in the app makes it much easier to share how someone actually feels.

“Whenever you’re struggling, even those you love, you tell yourself this lie, that is, I don’t want to bother them and I don’t want to burden them with my problems. So the app is very simple. It’s much more likely to click on someone who says “I’m having a hard time” than telling someone I’m having a hard time. ” Explained.

Submit your rating to see how the “inner circle” responded. The inner circle is made up of only selected people. Cunningham said it was often a group of 2-10 friends and family.

“You’ll also see what they posted. And when someone is doing well, you’re going to reach out to them and give them some encouragement. And they’re having a tough day When you see them, you will reach out to them and see how you can support them, “Cunningham said. “This allows people to have conversations that can never be done otherwise. [It’s] It facilitates this real-world connection and these deep and meaningful conversations that people do not have now. “

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Cunningham came up with the idea for an app while working in the field of personal development. He involved his loved ones in the movement and shared their goals in various areas of life, including emotional and psychological. He was surprised to learn that each one suffered from fear and anxiety.

“And I didn’t know … and many of these people I’ve known for a very long time,” he said. “They weren’t talking to me about it. They weren’t posting it on social media. So we let people around us support them when and how. I came up with this easy way to better tell if I’m having a hard time. “

Meanwhile, Gomes had already found a way to start a conversation about mental health. In 2019 he wrote “Taforatro: The Three Years of Fear”. This is a book about his own struggle that grew up on the West Side of the city during times of intense crime and violence. “I saw a lot of violence when I was 12 and didn’t know what to do with it,” he said. It wasn’t until he unleashed his childhood experience in treatment in his early thirties that he knew he needed to “go first.”

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“Like a fitness trainer gives you exercise … There are these types of tools in the field of mental health that I didn’t even know existed. So I grew up this tool like me, probably I would like to offer it to people I did not know [mental health] I grew up without talking about their feelings, “Gomes said.

Society focuses on normalization such as treatment and self-care, but not everyone has the same access rights. Gomess and Cunningham believe that 90% of mental health can be solved by using what we already have.

“All studies show that the best way to combat fear, anxiety, and depression is to surround yourself with a supportive network of people with whom you can share your challenges. “I am,” said Cunningham. “It’s good to have a therapist, training routine, or meditation, but that’s not enough. And what’s currently lacking in the world is the ability or tools to help people build better, stronger relationships. is.”

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WeTree is currently available on your desktop. Gomez and Cunningham are just a few weeks after the release of the mobile app version.

There are various plans to choose from from the basic free plans to get started. You can find more details on their website.

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