Why I built Ebb
A bunch of things happened at once. I got divorced. I burned out on my 25-year career as a software engineer. I relapsed with treatment-resistant bipolar depression, and during the course of treating the depression and anxiety, I started to uncover debilitating CPTSD symptoms.
I was unable to commit to any kind of work, despite trying freelance and anything else. I dedicated all my time to trying to heal, which meant working with multiple healthcare providers and facilities. The treatments I tried and the medications I took came with many different kinds of side effects. And withdrawal effects when I had to stop taking meds that didn't work.
I had to figure out what was working and what wasn't. To do that, I had to track my symptoms and have information I could use to communicate with different providers. I needed a history I could give them.
The problem is that I'm low functioning a lot of the time, often in pain, and executive dysfunction and cognitive impairment are part of the experience.
What I actually use to manage my symptoms is Claude AI and an open source multi-agent system with a vault of my data. I'm aware that not everybody has the capacity or background or willingness or finances to do that. That's why I built this app. And that's why I maintain it.
I still enjoy technical projects, although it's very hard for me to commit to deadlines. So when I have enough spoons, I work on Ebb. It feels good to be doing something.
I'm still trying to get back on my feet. I've started doing peer support volunteer work, and I'm working on becoming a certified peer counselor.
— Julia
Get Ebb free on iPhone