Addiction has become a crippling epidemic in Iran.
Iranian Health ministry officials estimate there are 2.2 million drug addicts in the country of 80 million. Doctors working with recovering addicts believe the actual figures are higher. Everyone agrees that addiction recovery resources in Iran are very limited.
That gap – between addiction and recovery – is where our new app Haami fits in. Haami, which means “ally,” is an Android mobile health application that will aid Iranians dealing with addiction by assisting them with dialing back compulsion and offering buffers for dealing with triggers.
Haami, the fifth app to come out of United for Iran’s IranCubator incubation project, provides timely, compassionate and trusted support for people struggling with substance abuse as well as their friends and family.
Haami offers a range of resources to recovering addicts including a tried and tested roadmap to sobriety through Narcotics Anonymous’ Basic Text and other educational information. The app also provides users with an index of recovery centers in Iranian cities and provinces.
When a friend or family member is struggling with addiction it can be very hard to find quick, compassionate and trusted help. For this, the app also has a powerful “I’m not OK” feature for people experiencing an immediate urge to use. “I’m not OK” provides inspirational stories of people who have successfully been able to stay clean for many years.
A strong support system is essential to lasting recovery. For this, Haami has an area with information and tools dedicated to helping family, friends and allies of recovering addicts.
“There is an immediate need to help change the culture of addiction in Iran,” says Haami project lead Hossein Torkashvand. “Haami can be an ally readily accessible at the fingertips of millions of Iranians suffering from addiction or in the midst of recovery. It brings light to a taboo issue by allowing users the ability to connect with the necessary resources to maintain sobriety.”
Our hope is that Haami can provide a mobile support system for those recovering from addiction, providing the tools and help necessary to avoid relapse.
Please download Haami and check it out. And please help spread the word (see our sample tweets below) so that addicts, friends and families in Iran can learn about Haami.