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I built an ADHD app with interactive coping tools, noise mixer and self-test
- MichealCodes 1y agoAwesome tool, thanks for caring about the well-being of others!
- digitalions 1y agoThank you!
- digitalions 1y agoHi HN! I've built ADHD Help, a simple yet powerful web app designed to help manage common ADHD-related states like anxiety, procrastination, irritability, overwhelm, hyperactivity, and distraction. The app offers: Interactive Coping Techniques: Immediate guided steps for calming anxiety, managing procrastination, and handling emotional overwhelm using CBT, DBT, and mindfulness methods. Ambient Sound Mixer: Customize and layer soothing background noises (nature, white noise, café sounds) to enhance focus or relaxation. Quick ADHD Self-Test: A quick screening to help identify ADHD symptoms. Curated Blog: Practical articles, personal insights, and evidence-based advice on living better with ADHD. Would love your feedback and thoughts! Check it out here: https://adhdhelp.app https://adhdhelp.app
- Communitivity 1y agoGreat idea, and I'm looking forward to trying this out! Each person with ADHD is affected a little differently, based on anecdotal evidence from family and friends. What are the available customization options?
- digitalions 1y agoThank you! For now, there are customization options only for background sounds. But in the future there will be an intelligent system for selecting self-help techniques. And you can take a short test to find out your current state.
- OccamsMirror 1y agoYou know, a lot of ADHD will be reading this at night. Why no dark mode?
- shironandonon_ 1y agohave you tried Dark Mode in a browser like Brave? I use that on mobile so the referenced website, HN, and 99.9% of the web is in dark mode by default.
- WarOnPrivacy 1y ago> Dark Mode in a browser like Brave ... and 99.9% of the web is in dark mode by default. I turned on Appearance -> Brave Colors = Dark. That darkened the browser components but not web pages, inc HN.
- drakythe 1y agoImmediate thoughts: - Neat. - Those images on the blogs look potentially AI Generated, which I'm personally turned off by. Others may vary. - The first blog (by you?) is _very_ long, also "ADHD as Superpower" is somewhat of a trope that I, and others I've spoken with, aren't happy to have as a bullet point of why ADHD isn't the end of the world. - Anyway, clicked on the "Procrastination" mood button and oh sweet lord there are so many buttons on this page and why do they have "likes" counted in the corner? - The web developer in me admires the automatic resizing blocks. The user in me doesn't like that the buttons jump around as I click on them. E.g. I clicked on "breath loop" and the interface totally changed an I wasn't actually sure how to get back to where I was (Figured it out: Musical Stimulation), additionally I know there _was_ a button below breath loop but its moved and I forgot which one it was. I'd suggest categorizing the buttons and either hiding them in drawers or collapsible sections so there aren't quite so many immediately visible. And then I'd suggest keeping the controls for each technique in the same place on the screen and just highlight which technique is selected from the buttons, instead of dynamically moving the controls around. On any user interface I interact with regularly I don't even see or read them much anymore because I just know where the buttons I want to interact with are. On this page the buttons are constantly moving around, and I'm only on desktop, I'm sure its different on a phone but I'm almost scared to look (I looked, its good, but the constantly changing height of the scrollbar is a pet peeve of mine, so its functional, I just don't like it). If you don't want to move the controls to a consistent spot, I'd suggest giving the movement a bit of an animation (maybe with an option to disable it?) so people can at least get a feel for what is happening when they click a button instead of an instantaneous change that is impossible to track with their eyeballs. - I don't love the "Atmosphere" button being in the bottom middle where text/images appear from the content, feels messy.
- jaysonelliot 1y agoThe AI generated images were an immediate turn-off to me as well. Whatever one thinks of the aesthetics, they're a huge signal that I'm looking at a product that's focused on monetizing me. The overall design is unfocused and cluttered, just the exact thing I don't need as someone with ADHD. I don't think I'd use this.
- b0a04gl 1y ago[dead]
- captchas 1y ago[flagged]
- mh- 1y agoAs someone in their 40s with ADHD, I'll offer a counterpoint. I'm happy for people to try to make a business of this if the tools are helpful. I've had a successful career, so I obviously had to develop my own strategies for managing it. But I'd be very happy if my kids didn't have to spend 20 years figuring it out for themselves. Monetize away.
- al_borland 1y agoStrategies can be shared for free as well. Ryder Carroll is a good example. He created the bullet journal through trial and error to manage his own ADHD. He shared it for free. While he did write a book and partnered with a company to design a notebook (due to popular demand), he still gives away everything someone needs for free, and will be the first one to tell people you don’t need a special notebook.
- impendia 1y agoPersonally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I'd be happy to pay a modest bit of money to buy a simple app, and see if it helps -- but I'm very reluctant to sign up for a subscription. Perhaps ironically, the less the app claims to do, the more likely I am to be interested. I've only signed up for a paid mental health app subscription once -- and that was an app designed by a well-known psychologist with both an M.D. and a Ph.D., and even then only after reading his book.
- mystified5016 1y agoYes, exactly. A one-time purchase is great because ADHDers can impulse buy it and be done. A subscription is an extra mental burden I don't want or need.
- npteljes 1y agoWould you like to elaborate why you feel this way?
- annoyingnoob 1y agoI used it as a distraction from something I need to accomplish.
- RankingMember 1y ago[flagged]
- digitalions 1y agoThank you. I didn't even realize so many people wouldn't like these pictures. I think they really fit the articles.
- RankingMember 1y agoIt's not that they don't fit, it's that AI-generated images are commonly used on spam/scam sites, and thus have that inauthentic/low-effort stink to them. It casts a shadow on the rest of site that says "is any of this authentic or am I reading AI slop?". You might do better to have someone do some scribbles for you on fiverr.com imo.
- rockemsockem 1y ago[flagged]
- nsxwolf 1y agoIs the self test for people who know they have ADHD? Because there was no option for what I’m currently feeling.
- digitalions 1y agoI have ADHD myself. I do a lot of my service based on my experience and the experience of others with ADHD.
- drdaeman 1y agoAren't those kind of tests... how I'd put it politely?... less than meaningful? First of all, it's not really well done: there are no control questions, no inverted questions, no consistency checks (like re-phrased duplicate questions) or anything a well-designed self-test must have. All answers are obviously ranked, introducing perception biases. Questions like "how often do you interrupt someone" or "how often you were told" or "did parents notice" are highly culturally-dependent. The childhood questions do not discern between younger and older ages (where behavioral differences are drastic), and likely to introduce a skew based on one's age and long-term memory function (which, AFAIK, ADHD does not directly affect). To me it looks like nothing of value would be lost if the whole test would be replaced with a short description what ADHD is and then a single yes/no question "do you think you may have some of the described symptoms?" I would understand something like ANT, which (as I understand it) tests way closer to actual brain behavior, than those distant derivatives smeared over social prisms, self-perception lenses, and dice rolls of life's [pseudo-]randomness.
- largehotcoffee 1y agoSpend one minute "embracing imperfection"...
- justsomehnguy 1y ago> I built an ADHD app with interactive coping tools, noise mixer and self-test Remeber kids! Self-medication with the Voight-Kampff test is dangerous and can lead to the serious consequences including , but not limited to: depression personality disorders suicide thoughts obsession with a wooden minutae giant meta-corporations hunting for you overall quality of life decrease, including death Please consult a doctor before using the test! (somehow the last words of the post title gave me this reaction)
- tsavo 1y agoA repost from three months ago to re-ignite engagement.
- zargon 1y agoIt didn’t get any attention last time. I give them a pass for trying again.
- thrashh 1y agoI don’t have ADHD but I did the test. My answers would vary with amount of sleep: 4 hours/night - Poor executive function, can’t figure out what order to do things in, lose keys and random things, forget to lock doors and not even realize it 6 hours - Mild executive dysfunction, never sure if I locked the door but I did 8 hours - Zero problems 10 hours - I’ve never actually experimented
- ThinkBeat 1y agoSelling supplements to vulnerable people seems scummy to me.
- phren0logy 1y agoI'm a psychiatrist, so I obviously have a bias, but I have been pretty alarmed by the caviler attitude to the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and Autism-spectrum disorders. This is not specifically directed at this product launch, rather a general observation, but we have evidence based instruments to aid in diagnosis (that still requires a contextual clinical interpretation!) and evidence about what works and what doesn't. Most of the stuff I see is pretty squarely an evidence-free affair. Wether it's a cash grab or a well-intentioned effort, both can be harmful. Marketing interventions to a specific diagnosis with known treatments should not be taken lightly. Non-medical interventions can be effective, and therefore they can be harmful.
- Apocryphon 1y agoWhat are your thoughts on the QbTest? Is it rigorous or is it incomplete for diagnosing ADHD?
- phren0logy 1y agoI was not familiar with it until now. At a quick glance, it looks like it has some overlap with the CPT. But generally speaking, this is going to give a snapshot in time in one setting, which is helpful, but just one part of the picture. As the makers of the test note, it still requires a clinical interview and rating scales to arrive at a diagnosis: > Should QbTest be used with other measures? > It is not meant to be a standalone tool for diagnosing ADHD. Instead, it has been designed to be added to the assessment process along with a clinical interview and rating scales.
- cameronbedard 1y agoWhat do you think of what the app is trying to accomplish? I see it as a attempt at self intervention or helping someone get started. You mentioned evidence about what works and what doesn't. As someone who struggled with ADHD, I am curious about your thoughts on the app intentions or goals.
- jamestimmins 1y agoCurious about your thoughts on homebuilt AI tools for dealing with ADHD side effects. I've identified a handful of habits I struggle with but want to do, and thought processes that can be challenging. I've planned to plug these into an LLM to have it do midday checkins about how I'm feeling and then respond in line with what I want to focus on. Never occurred to me that something focused on symptoms instead of treatment could be harmful, but I suppose it's worth considering.
- koksik202 1y agoMake the website version when open doesn’t dim the screen
- 6d6b73 1y agoAs soon as I loaded the page, I wanted to click on the Procrastination page..but I guess I can do it tomorrow.
- m_dupont 1y agoSmall piece of product feeback related to grammar: The landing page asks, how are you feeling? For which the possible responses are "Anxiety", "Procrastination" ... "Overwhelm". When a person says, I a X, X is always an adjective. One doesn't say "I am Irritability" one says "I am irritable". All of these options are nouns, except for "Overwhelm" which is actually only a verb but is being used incorrectly as a noun. The correct responses would be "Anxious", "Hyperactive", "Overwhelmed", "Irritable". Except for "Procrastination", which doesn't have any associated adjective. You might need to rephrase the whole header
- dlivingston 1y agoThis is going to sound like a shilled comment, but for the past week, I've been using Motion [0] to manage all of my tasks and scheduling. My lifelong weakness has always been so-called "time blindness", and I cannot overstate how much of a game changer Motion has been for me in keeping me focused and on-track. Both for personal and professional tasks. It really feels like I've just put on mental "glasses" and can see where I am and what I should be doing with clarity. It's only been a week, so maybe my opinion will change. Who knows. I'm half writing this comment as a historical record for myself to look back at in a year. [0]: https://www.usemotion.com/ https://www.usemotion.com/
- alienbaby 1y agoan entire section of the ADHD test questions appear to assume I am school/college age :/ My ADHD partner was actually quite relaxed at the time I asked her how she was feeling. That didnt appear to be an option to choose.
- p3rls 1y agoput a two state animation on those lil cartoon dudes up top and get rid of the yellow-tinted AI blog thumbnails and you'll be doing 50% better already
- digitalions 1y agoHello again, everyone. This is the author of the app. To be honest, I did not expect such a strong reaction. Thank you all for the feedback. I would like to clarify a couple of things. Yes, I have ADHD. I'm making this site primarily to help me and my friends. Yes, there's a paid subscription. By the way, it's the cheapest of all these apps. Well, and it's a fremium model. Most of the functions can be used even without registration. And no, I'm not trying to make money off of ADHD people for nothing. I really want to help. Yes I use AI generated images for blog posts. They were agreed with the authors of the posts as reflective. I didn't realize that a lot of people didn't like it so much. No I didn't use AI to mindlessly come up with self-help techniques. I've been collecting them for years of my life. I looked them up in magazines and so on. It's evidence-based. I'll add a page of proof. Yes I absolutely need to better the UI as well as add a dark theme. I've already found a designer I know. Yes the app is already being used by ADHD and it's already helping. So thank you all very much.
- dostick 1y agoSo this project is in danger of author abandoning it any moment and never coming back to it.