Why the Sarahah app is an instant hit with distressed Mumbaikars

Representation picSarahah is the new goto sahara especially for those facing mental and sexual distress The anonymous messaging app developed earlier this year in Saudi Arabia and targeted for the vicious comments it was attracting from users thanks to the anonymity feature has turned into a handy tool for Mumbais psychiatrists The experts midday spoke to say they have received as many as 500 queries related to relationship woes sexual dysfunction and depressionDoc saysThis definitely sounds like an anxiety disorder with depression Its better you meet a therapist close to where you live or onlineWith the Internet and social media becoming increasingly vitriolic its comforting to know that people are putting technology to good use as wellThe app Sarahah created by Saudi developer ZainAlabdin Tawfiq has gone viral with 5 crore downloads on Android alone And it is now being used by city doctors to help those suffering from mental and sexual ill health as it allows the people to remain anonymous thereby making them feel more free and comfortable to share their problemsDoc saysWe all are here to help you Feeling suicidal is a painful situation but there is a solution to it together we can find a solution to your problems and make your life better Please seek help from any friend psychiatrist clinical psychologist or a psychiatric social worker You can also call any suicide helpline such as Samaritan or iHELPBehind closed doorsConsulting psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Milan Balakrishnan like hundreds of other social mediasavvy people downloaded the app out of curiosity but soon he started getting queries from people suffering from depression due relationship turmoil sexual problems and other issuesDoc saysI understand your problem though getting aroused by the sound of someones coughing is unheard of Still it is something that can be tackled Considering the uniqueness of the problem the solution also needs to be tailored for it So I will advise you to visit your nearest psychiatrist or clinical psychologist for helpI got the app out of curiosity I never expected that so many suffering from mental health issues would start writing to me to help them out My app buzzes every hour This made me realise that so many are coming forward because its anonymous he saidLater two more psychiatrists Dr Ajish Mangot from Satara and Dr Ambrish Dharmadhikari from Goregaon West joined to counsel people So far the three doctors have received more than 500 messages on the appDoc saysThere is no simple answer to this You need to work on your selfesteem through therapyCries for helpMost of the messages we are getting are related to relationships If the symptoms are severe we advise the patients to visit a psychiatrist in person for therapy or counselling Dr Balakrishnan saidIn some cases people are even posting links of articles giving tips to get over breakups loneliness and anxietyThis flood of messages seeking help once again highlights the stigma surrounding visiting a psychiatrist in person and openly speaking about mental and sexual healthPeople are scared to approach a psychiatrist for their mental health problems We often get messages from Facebook users but they too are afraid about the doctor coming to know about them through their profiles So we started using this app and the response has been tremendous Everyday we get 1015 messages from patients said Dr DharmadhikariMasked helpSarahah has been created by Saudi developer ZainAlabdin Tawfiq the app which allows one to send messages to people anonymously has touched 5 crore downloads on Android alone It is available in English and Arabic for iOS and Android users5 crNumber of times the app has been downloaded on Android phones500Number of messages the 3 shrinks have received in a week