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Make Use Of Your Smartphone For Aid On The Move


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First and foremost you can access a mobile version of the forums - I use it all the time - WiFi at home, data when away from home. 

Then you can use the note or keep app to store those little gems that can help when you hit an OCD crisis - a "first aid"  toolkit. 

Finally, why not do as I have done, and keep some short guided meditations and visualisations on the phone, to play when you need to engage the "relaxation response".  There are free and pay for ones available. I have some on my mysicplayer. 

And don't forget, you can always use the phone to make telephone calls to friends if you are in distress. 

 

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The title of this thread caught my eye, because I've found myself using my phone more and more lately to help manage my OCD. I didn't know that anyone else would think to make a toolkit in a note app, honestly, so I liked reading that! I keep very concise (so I don't over-complicate anything) reminders of the tricks my OCD likes to play on me in my phone, so that I can remember them in moments where I'm struggling to be mindful. It really helps.

I also have a productivity app that I use to reward myself when I don't give in to a compulsive behavior. Do you know if it would be alright to mention the name of it here in this thread? I'm aware of the external link guidelines, but I wanted to adhere to any rules about apps as well. :yes:

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2 hours ago, umbreon said:

also have a productivity app that I use to reward myself when I don't give in to a compulsive behavior. Do you know if it would be alright to mention the name of it here in this thread? I'm aware of the external link guidelines, but I wanted to adhere to any rules about apps as well. :yes:

I think all you need do is describe what the app does - it would be simple enough then for readers to track down similar apps using app stores if they feel they want to. 

Glad you like the topic :)

 

Edited by taurean
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That sounds perfectly reasonable to me! Thank you for the advice.

I use one app that tracks your "moods" like a journal, though I use it for tracking realizations about my OCD. It will ask you to select your present negative feelings and/or observations from a large list of unhelpful "thought traps" that I'm sure many of us are familiar with, such as magical thinking and catastrophizing. Once you submit your entry, it provides you with pop-up reminders of important CBT principles based upon whichever issue(s) you selected. You can also briefly write about what you're experiencing at the time. It's been really helpful for me when I feel like I may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of CBT, as I'm still learning. It has no social aspect, which works well if you're feeling guilty about a thought and don't really want everyone to read it. :)

I also use an app that functions as a game, making daily habits/mental health management a bit more fun. I use it to keep track of my medication time and for rewarding myself whenever I don't give in to a compulsion. Because it's a game that I can take anywhere, it's also useful for distraction and to keep my hands preoccupied. Another thing that's neat is the ability to play with other people. You can team up, and as you do your daily tasks, you can share experience/rewards among your group. On the other hand, if you don't meet the goals that you've set for yourself in the app, it will give your entire group a bit of damage. It helps with accountability, especially since I play with others.

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Some interesting material there, though I wouldn't personally condone an app that , if you don't meet the goals that you've set for yourself in the app, it will give your entire group a bit of damage. :( But then again I don’t like computer games. 

Encouragement and reward, yes for me though :)

 

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On 5/27/2017 at 21:16, taurean said:

Some interesting material there, though I wouldn't personally condone an app that , if you don't meet the goals that you've set for yourself in the app, it will give your entire group a bit of damage. :( But then again I don’t like computer games. 

Encouragement and reward, yes for me though :)

 

I honestly felt the same way (and still do), except I think this app does it right by not making it a significant amount of damage unless you put off the task for weeks and weeks (in some cases months, based upon task priority that you can set). I play with my friend, who's a fellow OCD sufferer, and my partner who has autism, so if they see that I'm not completing anything, usually one will step in and ask if I need some support. Which is good for me, I usually feel too guilty to ask. It's also optional.

Encouragement and reward is always preferable, of course. :biggrin: I hope that we get more tips and experiences from other members.

I have had to do things to "OCD proof" my phone though, mostly in regard to my checking compulsions. As I (hopefully) improve, I'll slowly reintegrate more apps and websites that I've blocked back onto my phone. I wonder if that's a good way to handle it? :) I know my phone can be a great resource, but if not used mindfully, I can use it to entertain my harmful checking compulsions for hours, sometimes while engaging in another mindless behavior like skin picking.

Edited by umbreon
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