Mental health apps are a dime a dozen. GG Life is an app that purports to “use the power of inner-dialogue to heal, improve and progress.” Gur Ilany, creative director, designer and entrepreneur, posted on Product Hunt, “We’re excited to launch a product we’ve been working on for some time. My friend Dr. Guy Doron and I created over the last 2 years a mental wellness tool that helps people overcome their mental challenges.” GG Life is designed to help people cope and respond to crisis.
How it works
The app has different “journeys” which are the equivalent of levels. I started with the “Coping” journey. The first section introduces the topic. You are given an affirmation, one at a time. You pull (swipe) the positive statements toward the bottom of your phone and push the negative statements away from you toward the top of the phone. Each section only takes a few minutes. There are a few sections under each journey that assess your current state. The coping journey also has two “waves” sessions, which are a directed meditation exercise.
Pros
Dr. Doron is a clinical psychology researcher, who brings his extensive experience in OCD, anxiety and depression to GG Life. His background includes international studies and prestigious research grants. One of the things that makes GGAPPS unique is that they support their app with research on its efficacy. This research is being conducted in the US, UK Spain, Italy and Israel. You can actually read the academic papers that have been published about the app and its impact on people’s everyday life. The app is easy to use. It only takes a few minutes each day.
Cons
I did find the app to be a bit tone-deaf to people with chronic illnesses. In the Coping section, these statements came up – “I’m more likely to than others to get an illness.” Or “I’m more vulnerable than others to develop health issues.” You were supposed to reject them. I felt as if an immuno-compromised person might feel triggered.
The app is free to use, but if you want more journeys, it can be on the expensive side. The premium version costs $7.99/ month with a yearly subscription available for $59.99. Although it’s much cheaper than a counselor, it’s still an investment.
Does it work?
I’ve only been using GG Life for about three days, but I can see a difference in my mental dialogue. I challenge the negative thoughts more than I did before. I don’t know if that’s enough to recommend the app, but it’s certainly worth a download to try and manage obsessive thoughts about this crisis.
Dawn Brotherton is a Sr. Staff Writer at The American Genius with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is an experienced business writer with over 10 years of experience in SEO and content creation. Since 2017, she has earned $60K+ in grant writing for a local community center, which assists disadvantaged adults in the area.
