The idea of a safe, anonymous, mental health digital platform for non-judgmental connection between people who understand each other was inspired by the bonds our founder, Jonny McCoy, formed in support groups.
Every journey to healing looks different. Individuals cope with their struggles in different ways. One thing is for sure, having someone that you can relate to is invaluable in this process.
Often, our loved ones have a difficult time relating to our issues and struggle to connect with us in our time of need. Additionally, professional help can be overwhelming and support groups can be intimidating as you may not feel comfortable sharing your story in front of large group of people. We have taken all of these issues and more into consideration as we have built WhiteFlag and you’ll quickly notice the difference upon opening our app. Help has arrived and real peer support has never been so easy.
Professional Connection and Personal Connection
Therapists and other mental health professionals are great resources. They will help you with professional guidance, tools, and insights for you to assimilate your trauma and maybe one day start feeling better on your own time. But most of the time they will provide an outsider point of view and not speak from their personal experiences. Oftentimes, all we need to hear is “I know exactly how you feel, I went through to a similar situation” before we can put our minds at ease.
That’s why we need a path to personal connection for those moments when you just need a friendly ear or to hear someone say (and mean) “I’ve been there too.” It can be difficult to share the darker parts of ourselves with loved ones, and we feel isolated. WhiteFlag is here to battle that feeling of loneliness, hopelessness, and crisis.
Find the Connection You Need in a Tap
To that end, we’ve built an app that makes peer-to-peer connection possible in just a few taps. All it takes to get from download to conversation is a simple sign up process — tell us a bit about yourself and your challenges — and the push of a button to raise your WhiteFlag. From there, the app will pair you with a user who has been there too and is ready to lend a friendly ear. Exchange messages, share your story, remember you are not alone. It’s that simple.
But we know from experience: sometimes the simplest gestures make the biggest difference.
WhiteFlag launches soon. And in the meantime, we’re sharing stories and starting conversations. Follow along with the You Okay? blog for more insights and updates.