Issues related to mental health have been stigmatized by societies worldwide. According to WHO, various mental health problems affect one in four people. This has a huge impact on many aspects of human functioning, resulting in decreased productivity, which in turn affects economy, social life and other aspects of one’s existence. If you combine this with the fact that most countries have insufficient policies in place, regarding the preservation of mental health, you’re starting to understand that this isn’t something to be treated lightly. Luckily, with the help of the Internet, people suffering from mental health issues are able to seek help with various entities, utilizing technology to achieve peace of mind.
The matter at hand isn’t anything new. The difference is that these days, people can use a number of digital tools to combat their issues. Live chat is one of these tools, that can be used for mental health counselling or therapy.
This post is aimed at both ends of the spectrum. I wish for people who may seek help to go out and look for new places online, that offer remote counselling via live chat, or attract understanding and supportive individuals standing by to provide relief. And I want people who run therapy sites to consider adding group live chat support, that could foster the growth of a self-sustaining community, as well as allow for one to one counselling with professionals.
Alright then, with that being said, let’s now take a closer look at how exactly could live chat help in matters related to preservation of mental health and treatment of related issues.
What mental health disorders could live chat help in dealing with?
First off, you can’t stress enough the fact that good mental health is linked to good physical health and longer lifespan. It’s definitely a relation worth promoting within societies, as essentially, your mind shapes the reality you live in to a large degree.
If we’re being realistic, it doesn’t seem, unfortunately, that the amount of mental health issues will drop down anytime soon. Some of the ones listed below are rather prevalent and could be significantly alleviated with the help of a trained counsellor via live chat.
Mental health disorders that could be eased online include:
- anxiety / panic attacks
- depression
- mood swings
- compulsive disorders
- fighting addiction / urges
- combating instant gratification
- suicide prevention
- relationship problems
Being able to go online and talk to a live person means a lot to someone going through a tough time mentally, and possibly even physically, as a result, which takes us to another important point.
The here and now aspect of live chat help
Being able to manage a crisis immediately, either by talking to a specialist or community members, is crucial for someone who suffers from mental health issues.
It’s not like an individual having an anxiety attack can just put his need to seek help on hold. You never know how severe it may be and what it may result in. The damage can be lasting. It doesn’t differ that much from a seizure in terms of the need for immediate assistance.
Being stuck with your mental health problems for a prolonged period of time is no way to live your life. This is why it’s essential for sufferers to have access to counselling, especially if you consider the fact that a lot of them may live in areas without direct access to therapists. Going online could be their best bet for coping with mental illness.
The community aspect of combating mental health issues
This is another vital area where group chat can perform well. I mentioned the stigma and frequent misunderstanding of people going through mental health problems. Finding a site where they can meet and receive support from an understanding community would mean a world to them. Especially if the interaction is real-time.
Being able to talk to a counsellor or a psychotherapist is great, obviously. However, they may not be always available. Providing a platform for and growing an online community would be of great benefit to all parties involved when it comes to delivering instant help to those in need.
A group live chat solution like Chatwee not only allows you to set a number of log in methods. It also makes it possible for you to link your website member profiles to the chat, so that once they log in to the site, they automatically access the chat as well. You can then assign moderator powers to some of the trusted members, in order to foster community growth and facilitate the provision of help when there are no professional therapists around.
Final word
I hope I’ve managed to convince you that live chat is a great tool that can indeed help to improve the quality of people’s lives. Especially, if we’re talking about people with no immediate access to specialist consultations.
Using group live chat, you can transform your site into kind of a safe haven, a place where there’s always someone to talk to, where individuals who are looking to improve their mental health will be able to find the much needed peace of mind in a discrete one to one setting, or during a group therapy session.
I also believe that a degree of anonymity granted by live chat can be beneficial for people who haven’t been very open about their problems so far. A digital communication channel can make them feel more comfortable, especially in their home setting, and encourage them to speak freely, which should elicit better therapy results.
