Is the iPhone a recovery tool?
Well, it can be. Just like any other piece of software, the iPhone is as helpful to you as it meets your needs. So what are the needs of an addict or alcoholic in recovery? I talked with Dr. David Sack, from Promises Treatment Center in CA about this very issue. Their new iPromises iPhone app was created to address the very specific challenges and deficits for clients who finished residential treatment. Dr. Sack identifies three major issues for addicts:
1. Connection – Addicts or alcoholics in recovery need other people in their lives. This is why we emphasize attendance at 12 step meetings. Additionally, any good iPhone app will help a person in recovery easily contact their recovery friends, sponsor, and help geo-locate meetings.
2. Memory – Alcohol and drug related memory impairment is present during early recovery. Prospective memory is the type of memory we use to plan and organize what we are going to do next. As a result of their drug or alcohol use, people in early recovery can plan to do things but forget. This is why keeping information related to recovery in one place (like the iPhone) can increase success rates.
3. Emotions – Addicts and alcoholics in early recovery have a difficult time recognizing emotions. In fact, there is up to a 40% incidence of alexithymia in people recovering from addiction. Alexithymia is the clinical terms we use for the inability or trouble in recognizing and expressing feelings. Addicts can be volatile but do not have early warning awareness to manage the experiences down. The iPromises iPhone app lets you ID your own personal triggers to drug or alcohol use. And then you can plot these triggers over days, weeks and months to become more conscious of your feelings and see trends emerging.
Recovery tools 101
So, looking into free smart phone applications that help addicts in recovery seems, well … smart. The features for these applications vary, and although I generally like the iPromises app, I thought I’d give you a list for basic feature options that a good recovery app should have.
1. The ability to geo-locate where you are now (GPS)
2. A searchable meeting finder or directory for 12 step groups (including 800 numbers to inter groups)
3. A way to track recovery progress over days, weeks or months
– Time clean counter for days sober
– Step work progress
– Emotions tracking
– Triggers tracking
– Meeting attendance
– Meetings with your sponsors
4. Daily inspirational thoughts or words
5. Guided meditations (Audio files)
Should addicts buy iPhone apps for addiction?
If you use an iPhone app once a week, I’d say that it’s worth your while to invest in it. But the safest bet is to find some free apps, try them out and see which you like. And remember, the goals to using any tool in recovery should be simple. An iPhone app for recovery should help you to:
* get connected to others
* find meetings
* track progress
What do you think? Are any features missing? Can IT solutions really enhance recovery, or does life with an iPhone just make life more complicated? Is it better to K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) off technology and keep with recovery basics?
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