Evan Conrad, who suffered from severe panic attacks, created the Quirk app for practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They discuss the benefits of CBT, personal experiences with panic attacks, managing anxiety in different situations, and how CBT can benefit everyone. They also highlight the availability and collaboration with mental health professionals for the Quirk app, as well as the upcoming podcast 'Brain Science'.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Quirk is an open source iOS app that allows users to practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by recording their thoughts and challenging cognitive distortions.
CBT is an evidence-based therapy that helps users identify and challenge core beliefs, resulting in a more positive outlook on their circumstances.
Quirk is an open-source application that encourages mental health professionals to contribute and provides anonymous usage statistics for research purposes.
Deep dives
Evan Conrad creates Quirk App to help with panic attacks using CBT
Evan Conrad suffered from severe panic attacks and found relief through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which inspired him to create the Quirk app. Quirk allows users to practice CBT by recording their thoughts, identifying cognitive distortions, and challenging and changing their thoughts. The app emphasizes the importance of recognizing that thoughts are not always as serious or true as they may seem and helps users navigate through the process of changing their thoughts. The app is user-friendly and lightweight, making it accessible for those struggling with panic attacks or other mental health issues.
The effectiveness of CBT and the simplicity of Quirk
CBT is an evidence-based therapy that has been proven effective in treating depression and anxiety. Quirk aims to offer a simple and accessible way to practice CBT. Unlike traditional methods that utilize workbooks, Quirk provides a mobile app that allows users to easily record and challenge their thoughts. The app is designed to be lightweight and user-friendly, making it a convenient tool for those seeking to improve their mental well-being.
The importance of identifying core beliefs and changing thoughts
In CBT, it is essential to identify the core beliefs that underlie negative thoughts and challenge them. Quirk encourages users to recognize the underlying beliefs that contribute to their distress and helps them challenge these beliefs through a process of cognitive restructuring. By challenging and changing core thoughts, users can develop a more positive and realistic outlook on their circumstances and reduce the impact of negative thinking patterns.
Community involvement and research opportunities
Quirk is open source, allowing mental health professionals and researchers to contribute and provide feedback. Mental health professionals are invited to reach out and offer their expertise to improve the app. Additionally, anonymous usage statistics are shared publicly, providing researchers with valuable data to study the effectiveness of Quirk and compare it to other methods of thought record keeping. The app aims to offer a private and secure platform while facilitating research and understanding of CBT.
Helping People Translate and Use Quirk
Quirk, an open-source application, offers a read-me file with instructions on translating it into different languages. Even if users are unfamiliar with Git, they can still translate it through the GitHub user interface. If users need guidance or help, they can open up an issue and request assistance. Translators are rewarded with stickers. The developer emphasizes the importance of creating open-source resources for cognitive behavioral therapy and encourages individuals in difficult situations to seek professional help.
Building Features and Expanding Quirk's Reach
The developer aims to improve Quirk by adding a lock screen feature to protect users' privacy. Additionally, there are plans to enhance the educational experience within the app, as some users overlook the available help content. The future vision for Quirk includes facilitating therapist-finding options for users who may not currently seek professional assistance. The focus is on opening doors and providing hope for individuals struggling with mental health by keeping the application free and readily accessible to all.
We’re talking with Evan Conrad — for most of Evan’s life he has suffered from severe panic attacks, often twice per week. Eventually he stumbled upon a therapy method called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short, and saw positive results. This led him to create Quirk, an open source iOS app which allows its users to practice one of the most common formats of CBT.
On the show we mentioned a new podcast we’re launching called Brain Science — it’s hosted by Adam Stacoviak and Mireille Reece, a Doctor of Clinical Psychology. Brain Science is a podcast for the curious that explores the inner-workings of the human brain to understand behavior change, habit formation, mental health, and the human condition. It’s Brain Science applied — not just how does the brain work, but how do we apply what we know about the brain to better our lives. Stay tuned after the show for a special preview of Brain Science.
If you haven’t yet, right now would be a great time to subscribe to Master at changelog.com/master. It’s one feed to rule them all, plus some extras that only hit the master feed.
Changelog++ members support our work, get closer to the metal, and make the ads disappear. Join today!
Sponsors:
DigitalOcean – Check out DigitalOcean’s dedicated vCPU Droplets with dedicated vCPU threads. Get started for free with a $100 credit. Learn more at do.co/changelog.
GoCD + Kubernetes – With GoCD running on Kubernetes, you define your build workflow and let GoCD provision and scale build infrastructure on the fly. GoCD installs as a Kubernetes native application. Scale your build infrastructure elastically. Learn more at gocd.org/kubernetes
Fastly – Our bandwidth partner. Fastly powers fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Move beyond your content delivery network to their powerful edge cloud platform. Learn more at fastly.com.