Last updated: 8 September 2026
Safety & Ethics
NöroKalkan works in an addiction space, so what we won’t do matters as much as what we will. The following aren’t marketing promises — they are the rules the app and its communication are bound by.
Core principle
NöroKalkan triggers nothing automatically, never diagnoses, routes no one anywhere, and never moves anyone to a next step on its own. The waiting and friction settings you configure don’t lift the moment you ask — loosening them is a separate, deliberate step; that is what helps you keep the promise you made yourself. The goal isn’t to leave you “well enough to control it”; it’s for your own control to grow while the shield stays in place when you want it.
We make no promise of recovery or rescue. The tool’s effect hasn’t been measured with our own data yet; we aim to measure it and share the result — whether it helps or not.
The app is free
The app is free. Our only revenue today is book sales; in the future we may build a revenue model that makes the tool more effective, but the urge-moment flow and reaching a helpline stay free under all circumstances.
In an emergency
If your life is in danger or you need urgent medical help, contact your local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department. For gambling-addiction support, reach a helpline in your region. These are separate paths; NöroKalkan replaces neither.
No manipulative mechanics
We don’t use variable, unpredictable rewards (slot-machine logic), streak pressure, guilt-inducing notifications or dark UI patterns. Our aim isn’t to hook you on an app — it’s to protect you from playing.
We don’t sell your data
We never sell your personal data or share it with third parties for advertising. We work with providers only as data processors, to the extent needed to run the service; the full list is in the Privacy Policy.
The app’s urge records and your notes stay on your device only; they never reach our servers.
The AI doesn’t diagnose
The “Ask” tool and the chat inside the app don’t give medical advice or a diagnosis. Crisis language is never sent to the model; you’re pointed to a helpline with a fixed response.
If asked, we state plainly that we use AI to help you; we don’t raise it ourselves. The model used and its limits are described in the Privacy Policy.
No automatic classification or triage
Nothing in NöroKalkan today automatically classifies you, triages you, or routes you anywhere. In a crisis a helpline is shown, the tool never diagnoses, and the system never decides on your behalf — these are direct consequences of the design, not something waiting on a separate approval process.
There is no heavy board or governance structure. If the product expands in a clinical direction in the future — for instance, a tool a clinician configures for their own client — we will seek an independent outside opinion (regulatory, legal, ethics) on our own initiative and announce it publicly. Today this is neither a requirement nor an approval gate.
The clinician relationship isn’t a referral marketplace
Clinicians are charged nothing, and there is no "clinician network," membership or participation agreement. A clinician may suggest the tool to their client and, if they wish, contribute to the app’s development as a volunteer advisor. NöroKalkan does not send clinicians new clients in exchange for a share of session revenue, and it does not pay clinicians a fee. When a user looks for human support, the tool only shows them a helpline they can reach — the user approaches it at their own initiative.
No selling to someone in crisis
On crisis-support surfaces and in the self-check result, we don’t sell you a product or a book. The only pointer at that moment is to a helpline.
Access for those who can’t pay
The app is free. Free access for those who can’t pay is also our policy for the books; if you can’t get a copy, write to info@norokalkan.com.
Independent of the gambling industry
We don’t promote on outlets that carry gambling or betting advertising. NöroKalkan is independent of the gambling industry and takes no revenue from it.
When this tool isn’t enough
NöroKalkan is a complementary tool; it doesn’t replace an addiction specialist, a physician or treatment. It isn’t enough on its own — and you should seek professional help directly — if you have active thoughts of suicide or self-harm; if you have a co-occurring condition such as severe depression, mania or psychosis; if you’re facing substance withdrawal or anything needing medical supervision; or if you’re under 18.
Harm report
Reporting harm
If you believe something went wrong because of NöroKalkan or the tools on this site — a wrong signposting, a reply that made things worse, a flow that failed in a crisis, or any incident that ought to be discussed — you can report it. Write to info@norokalkan.com with “harm report” in the subject line.
A person reads every report, and a person replies within three working days at the latest. Each report is logged with its date, what happened and what we did about it.
You can report anonymously; in that case we cannot get back to you, but the record is still kept. Making a report never affects your access to the service in any way.
This channel is not an emergency helpline and is not monitored continuously. If there are thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, contact your local emergency services. For counselling support, reach a helpline in your region.
What we give you, the obligation you can hold us to
| What we give you | The obligation you can hold us to |
|---|---|
| The waiting and friction setting you configure yourself. | It doesn't lift the moment you ask, even at your own request; loosening it is a separate, slow, deliberate step. |
| App data stays on your device. | Your urge records and notes never reach our servers; we never send your health or crisis data to a language model. |
| Claim discipline — no promise of treatment, diagnosis, or recovery. | We never market the tool with an unproven effect; every claim is logged in a registry. |
| No selling on crisis surfaces or after a self-assessment result. | We never suggest a product or book in that moment; the only referral is to a help line. |
| A user-triggered design — the system never routes you anywhere automatically or decides on your behalf. | We don’t push a helpline on you; it’s only shown when you look for it. If the product expands in a clinical direction, we’ll seek an independent outside opinion (regulatory, legal, ethics) on our own initiative, and we’ll announce it publicly. |
| A harm-reporting channel. | A person reads your report and replies within three working days at the latest; filing a report never affects your access. |
| A tool that clearly tells you when it isn't enough. | We do not try to stand in for a specialist; we tell you where the limit is. |
Have a concern
If you notice an ethical concern with the product or its communication, write to us at info@norokalkan.com.