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Food delivery man caught on doorbell camera sharing mental health app he made to help others

He wants everyone to have mental health help.

Photo credit: Canva

Delivery guy shares his new mental health app on deliveries

Everyone with a dream has to start somewhere. Many people who start their own companies often start out by working on their business while also working another full-time job. Sometimes people work more than one job while also managing getting their business off the ground before they can solely focus on their business venture.

Businesses cost money to start and maintain even before you're at a place where you can hire employees. Everything from business licenses to websites and materials cost money that someone starting out may not have without another job, especially if they don't have wealthy investors lined up.

Bo Natakhin is one of those up and coming business owners. The man accidentally went viral when a video of him from someone's doorbell camera was shared on social media. Natakhin is a food delivery driver but while delivering food he also informs people of his true passion of helping people with mental health struggles. The young entrepreneur then shares with the customers his free mental health app.

There's a good reason he shares the news about his app in this unique way–he can't afford advertising. Only this time someone saw his wholesome pitch on their doorbell camera and decided to give him a boost by sharing it online.

"Hello ma'am, I got your food. I'll just leave it here. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm sorry for my bad English," he says into the camera before sharing that delivering food is not his main job. "I just have to work here to just to earn money to live and my dream is to help people with their mental health and I'm working on it after my work at night."

Natakhin holds his phone up to the camera to show a clear picture of the app and informs the resident that if they ever need support they can use the app that he made. He explains that he doesn't have money for advertisements so he is telling all of his clients about it.

woman in black and white long sleeve shirt Photo by Matthew Ball on Unsplash

The app is called Soul Out and is marketed as a mental health social media app and is free to download and use. It's set up to be used for peer support for people who may be going through a difficult time. The Soul Out Instagram page explains that each user has "karma points." A user accumulates karma points by helping others and when they share their own post to receive help, they spend some of their points.

Check In Mental Health GIF by mtvGiphy

Replying to posts will get you a point and if your comment is rated as helpful you receive two additional points. You can work within the areas in which you have the most experience by picking certain categories. The app is moderated, likely by a program as Natakhin is the only employee but it sounds like he runs a tight ship to keep the app safe for all users looking for help. Even without proper advertising funds, Soul Out now has over 10k downloads from social media and his unique approach to marketing while delivering food.


@upsocl Rompió en llanto al escuchar las palabras de este extraño #SouloutApp #entretenews #saludmental #solidaridad ♬ sonido original - Upsocl


The video that went viral likely contributing to the boost of downloads, has text overlay that reads, "protect this man at all costs...he's so cute" complete with a sobbing emoji. Natakhin shared the video to the official page for Soul Out and commenters can't seem to get enough of his creative approach to marketing.

"What a great idea! I hope you go far with this. Mental health is just as important as our Physical health," one person writes.

"Your English is just great! And your approach is heartwarming," another shares.

black and white printed shirt Photo by Nathan McDine on Unsplash

"Just downloaded the app… I just also replied one of the posts there, I must say it’s a beautiful app with a beautiful goal… sometimes you can also find people that go through the same as you and you don’t feel alone anymore… even tho, you can share the same and feel relief knowing that someone will finally understand you, and that’s a lot! Feeling that someone understands you is the best feeling… so, I hope I can be able to help people, as I would like to be helped… ;)) keep going! This is a start to change," one commenter shares their experience with the app.

Keep Moving Forward Mental Health GIF by INTO ACTIONGiphy

A free app to help those that may need additional support through difficult times is much needed. Hopefully he reaches his goal of getting enough donations to advertise and spread to other countries. If you'd like to help him with his mission you can donate $5 or more monthly through his Patreon page or you can make a one time donation through Buy Me A Coffee where he is only at 6% of his goal.

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Celebrity

A famous therapist says anxiety and excitement feel the same. People amusingly disagree.

Where'd she buy that anxiety? Is that on Amazon?

BBeargTeam|Wikicommons

Brené Brown's view on anxiety has people amusingly disagreeing

Imagine that you're about to head to the airport for a tropical vacation when suddenly you're so excited that you feel like you're going to die. Your heart starts feeling like it's rolling around in your chest, your hands are sweaty and your vision is going blurry all while you're trying to drive to the airport. That doesn't sound very exciting does it?

But Brené Brown, a famous therapist, is quoted saying, "anxiety and excitement feel the same, but how we interpret and label them can determine how we experience them." The quote is from her book, "Atlas of the Heart," where Brown is exploring 87 different emotions and experiences that comprise the human experience.

The quote, meant to be inspirational was shared to Upworthy's social media page and people have some distinctions between anxiety and excitement that they'd like Brown to know about. Their grievances were hilarious and valid.

"Cool so I’ll just tell my body I’m having an excitement attack instead of panic attack next time. Cuz the label will make it feel better," one commenter writes.

Is this sort of anxiety on sale somewhere? Maybe on Amazon perhaps? The level of positive thinking and self talk it would take to convince yourself that your anxiety is simply excitement seems like an Olympic level sport. If it were as simple as the short quote would have you believe then it would probably save people on unnecessary trips to the hospital.

"I’d like to experiment her kind of anxiety if it’s exciting mine lands me the hospital crying in distress. Wouldn’t say that’s exciting," someone else jokes.

"She's off on that one. Anxiety does NOT in any way feel like excitement. Excitement feels like excitement!!!!!," another proclaimed.

"Ummm excitement definitely doesn't make me feel like I'm going to pass out," one person wrote.

Bren\u00e9 Brown; anxiety and excitement; mental health; mental health awareness; anxiety disorder

woman in orange long sleeve shirt sitting on floor

Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash

Well, Brené the jury is definitely not out on this one. People cannot be convinced that anxiety and excitement are the same and while Brown's quote is often shared in this short form, it's important to remember that it's from an entire chapter from an entire book. The chances are very high that if quoted fully in context, it would make much more sense.

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Mental Health

Video explains how to navigate romantic relationships when your partner has bipolar disorder

They use their own diagnosis with the disorder to help others.

Milly Stone TV|TikTok

Video gives tips on dating someone with bipolar disorder

Loving someone with a mental illness can be a difficult journey, especially if you're not sure what's helpful and what's not.

Not only can mental illnesses be overwhelming for the person diagnosed but it can also be overwhelming for their partner. Every mental health diagnosis comes with its own set of challenges that require a unique approach but there are some basics that can be helpful to know.

One TikTok creator that goes by Milly Stone TV uploaded a video explaining how to be in a relationship with someone with a mental illness. Milly clarifies in the video that they have bipolar depression and is speaking from that perspective but what's being said can apply to other mental illnesses.

Though the video was made for Mental Health Awareness Day, it's useful information to have year round. In the caption, Milly explained what motivated them to share these tips.

"I saw someone said, 'we don't talk about being with someone with a mental disorder enough,' so let me just give some input," the caption reads.

Milly sits in the car with their laptop as they go into the relationship dos and don'ts, likely answering a lot of unspoken questions loved ones have.

"First and foremost understand, it's not a personal attack on you. Communication is vital and empathy is important. Understand that they are not your responsibility," they say bluntly. "A lot of people look at us and see us as liabilities that they gotta take on because they love us. No, I'm not your responsibility, I'm your partner, ok?"

If you love someone with a mental illness, Milly goes on to list even more tips in the video below.

@millystonetv

I saw someone said “we dont talk about being with someone with a mental disorder enough” so lemme just give some input #millystonetv #mentalhealthawareness #bipolardisorder #relationships #studsoftiktok #fyp #lgbt🌈 #love

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Health

Woman shows moments leading up to her suicide attempt as a jarring reminder to everyone

Reach out to check on your people.

Brie Johnson|TikTok

Woman's video before her suicide attempt is a reminder to everyone.

Editor's Note: This story discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts about taking your own life or know of anyone who is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Not all depression looks the same. Sometimes people don't even realize they're depressed for a long time while others go to great lengths to appear okay to the outside world. People who have functional depression—who still go to work, spend time with friends and look to be enjoying life—may not seem depressed to those closest to them.

This kind of masking can be done for many reasons, but a lot of times, it's because they don't want other people to worry about them. But this could mean suicidal thoughts go unnoticed by loved ones. When people appear happy or as if they're handling everything well, others are much less likely to check in on them.

When Brie Johnson uploaded a video with a quote that reads, "You can always tell when someone is going to attempt," the happy videos and pictures that followed contrasted the reality of her attempting suicide.

Johnson, who's a staff sergeant in the Air Force and mother of one, posted the short video in March with the caption, "Check up on your loved ones. It's not always obvious." This is a sentiment that has been expressed by people repeatedly with a widely shared graphic that reminds people to check on their strong friends—the sentiment being that when people appear to be handling things well, no one checks in to make sure they're actually doing okay.

Johnson's video is a harsh reminder that not every smiling face is conveying joy. Sometimes smiles and laughter are just a mask. So how are people supposed to know when someone is truly struggling when their outward behaviors seem to show everything is fine?

@itsbriej

Check up on your loved ones. It’s not always obvious #fyp #SeeHerGreatness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #recovery #survivor #awareness #love #miltok #foryou

Knowing when to reach out can be tricky, but there can be subtle signs that may easily be missed. Social media posts may change subtly, like broadly asking for prayers frequently when they haven't been in the habit of doing that. Some people may post memes that are either sad or borderline dark humor when those may be out of the ordinary. There could be a lack of care around how much alcohol or drugs they're taking.

Someone who's normally outgoing canceling plans more frequently than usual. Making jokes about death or suicide when it's not a normal conversation for them. A friend who's struggling may ask you about your final plans so they can bring up theirs without raising alarms.

These are all things that can be easily overlooked if you don't know what to look for. But one of the best indicators that you need to reach out is any change, no matter how subtle, that makes you ask the question, "I wonder what's going on with them?" So many times we ignore the tiny alarm bells that go off in our bellies because we're on the lookout for the bigger, louder alarm bells. The tiny alarms are just as important. Now how do you reach out?

Several years ago, I noticed a subtle change in a friend's social media statuses that activated my tiny alarm bells. After waiting about a week or so to see if things went back to normal, I reached out. Never having spoken to this person outside of the comments section in our online running community, I wasn't sure how she would respond. But I sent a message that said something along the lines of, "I just wanted to do a check in with you. I noticed a change in your posts and I wanted you to know that I'm here if you need to talk."

They responded that there were struggling with something pretty big that no one knew about. We spoke on the phone for a couple of hours with me mostly listening. They thanked me about a year later for seeing them when they felt no one else did.

Reaching out doesn't have to be complicated, so try not to overthink it. A lot of times all it takes is genuinely asking how someone is doing and informing them that you want the real answer, not something surface. Then, just listen without judgment and without unsolicited advice or commentary. Ask them what they need and follow through. Human connection, along with the reminder that you matter, can go a long way.

This article was written by Jacalyn Wetzel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and practicing therapist.

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