The Living Well App is designed to assist men who have been sexually abused in childhood. It provides practical resources, support and suggestions. The information & resources draw upon research evidence and practice knowledge.
We know that childhood sexual abuse can have a profound impact on mens lives and relationships. However we also know that men who have been sexually abused can live rich, full lives, develop healthy relationships and make positive contributions within our communities.
The Living Well App is designed to complement, not replace, the work of a qualified health care professional. Its useful for anyone looking to enhance their understanding and personal well-being and includes the following sections:
Well-being
The well-being section details information and actions to improve current health and well-being. Research tells us that having these building blocks in place enhances quality of life. Included are text and audio resources related to:
• Building connections
• Physical well-being
• Learning and thinking
• Living by your values
• 15 Mindfulness exercises
• 7 Relaxation exercises
Assessment
The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) is used to measure current well-being.
To get a well-being score, read through the 14 questions and select the box that best describes your thoughts and feelings over the last two weeks. Upon completion, you will receive an assessment of your current well-being and steps you can take to enhance it. A chart plotting your results over time will help you keep track of your progress.
Learning
This section provides basic information about childhood sexual abuse, common impacts, difficulties and challenges that men who have been sexually abused in childhood or sexually assaulted as adults can face.
Included are discussions of different ways of coping, as well as questions and suggestions to help you think through and deal with difficulties.
Manage Difficulties
This section offers suggestions to better manage common difficulties that can confront and overwhelm people exposed to abuse. Including:
• Difficult memories
• Avoiding triggers
• Feeling isolated/disconnected
• Sad/depressed
• Anxious/worrying
• Anger
• Sleeping difficulties
Once you have selected the presenting difficulty, you are asked to rate your level of distress on a scale of 1-10. Depending on the rating and specific difficulty identified, the App provides relevant information and suggestions of action you can take to better manage the distress.
Time2Breathe
We can all benefit from putting aside time to breathe, to settle and physically calm ourselves. The Time2Breathe function is a valuable tool to use on a daily basis, not just when you are feeling stressed, anxious or agitated.
This function allows you to select the length of time and number of breaths per minute you want to practice the breathing exercise for. It offers visual and auditory cues to prompt your breathing. There are options to customise the prompts and to schedule a daily appointment. A couple of minutes of breathing in time with the beats can help calm your body and mind.
Support
Everyone benefits from being connected and accessing support at different times. The support section contains and provides access to:
• Support line telephone numbers
• Add numbers from your own contacts - valued friends, supporters, professionals
• Links to useful websites
• Pre-loaded music – ‘More than a drop’
• Add your own music that helps you to feel connected and lift your mood
• A collection of calming and inspiring images which you can add to
Blog
The community blog link offers further information and inspiration, encouragement and hope. Its a place to keep up to date with the latest initiatives and ideas. Here you can offer encouragement and hope to other men (anonymously if you wish), and can post comments, quotes, stories, inspirational images and videos.
Its designed to help make the App more dynamic - ever improving and evolving.