Struggle, therapy, meditation apps or a journal.

They help with different things. Here is what each one is for, and what it isn’t, so you can pick what fits the day you’re having. You can use more than one.

If you’re in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. None of the options below is an emergency service.

A therapist or counsellor

A trained person who gets to know you and can work with you over time.
The right place for a diagnosis, treatment, or something that has lasted a while or gets in the way of daily life.
Usually by appointment, with a cost that depends on where you live.

Meditation and sleep apps

Guided audio: breathing, body scans, sleep stories and routines you follow.
Good when you want to be led through an exercise.
They don’t reply to what you write about your day.

A journal

Paper or an app: fully private, and free if you want it to be.
Good for getting things out of your head in your own time.
Nobody answers, so you work out the next step on your own.

Struggle

A chat on your iPhone. You write or dictate what weighs on you; it replies calmly, may ask one honest question and can suggest one small step.
You can save a step and pick it up later. Your chat history stays on your phone; see the privacy policy for what passes through our server.
Replies are generated by AI. It isn’t a person, it doesn’t diagnose or treat, and it can miss signs of crisis.
Free to start with eight messages a day. Premium keeps the chat available after the daily limit.

Which one, when

You’re in danger or can’t keep yourself safe: local emergency services, now.
It has gone on for weeks, or you want treatment: a doctor, a therapist or a counsellor. Safety lists where to find human support.
You want to be guided through a calm exercise: a meditation app.
You want to write without anyone answering: a journal.
You want to vent and work out one small next step, in words, at any hour: Struggle, on the App Store.