Military Mind is a platform that enables veterans to tackle their PTSD through breathing, meditation, and community. At first, the platform will support veterans trying to re-enter society. The meditations will be broken up into three 21-day challenges, allowing for a habit to form. The three twenty-one day challenges are depicted in greater detail in the timeline. Joe, our user for the journey map, may interact with other veterans, helping to reduce the feeling of loneliness, flashbacks, or depression that he experiences from his re-entry after active combat duty. Veterans will be able to share their progress with other Military Mind users. Joe may have been triggered by the symptoms of PTSD he is facing, and realizing that western medicines may not be solving the problem.
Eventually, the platform has the potential to support buddy systems, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous or other technology platforms like Headspace and Insight Timer. The buddy system creates sustained motivation, creating accountability and pushing people to continue using the program. This will allow communications to be carried out through the app, altering how users eventually interact with the platform. A sense of competition is also developed as the user can view the award badges on the profile of their connections. Additionally, the needs of the veterans transform their relationship to the app. For example, Military Mind provides different types of meditations based on the four stages of symptoms in PTSD recovery: sleep, flashbacks, relaxation, pain and loneliness. The user will first complete the 21-day cycle, then they will be able to access more targeted meditation for their specific symptoms. The first twenty-days are structured in a way that allows the veteran to learn how to meditate through guided meditations and descriptions of technique. Daily check-ins with the users allow the platform to gather data regarding how the symptoms of PTSD decrease as the user continues to meditate. Input will consist of the user stating the hours of sleep they got, the amount of flashbacks they experienced, and general stress levels. This also allows the veteran to look back on their journey and see their progress.
The end goal three months out is to create communities and mentors. Military Mind presents information in digestible time-scales, allowing the veteran to have motivation throughout the three months. A user must complete the task they are on to view and start the next task, creating a suspense and excitement when they continue their journey through the platform. Rewards are presented to the user when they complete a task, such as meditating for 7 days straight, or starting a message with another user. This follows the progress principle, giving people small goals, working towards the larger goal of greatly decreasing the symptoms of PTSD.
Eventually this platform could expand through connecting veterans with nearby yoga classes, nutrition assistance, career services, or other programs that may assist during re-entry. Another area in which this platform could expand is through helping past prisoners re-enter in society as well. The basic program would be similar, but more options would be provided for the specific meditations. Setting apart the platform from an app, Military Mind allows for the potential of users to create their own meditations, as well as being able to attract different types of users and services to the platform.
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