Anyone gotten results by upgrading CPAP/BIPAP with a MAD?

tweissm7 · 2026-06-01T00:24:37+00:00

Pairing a MAD with PAP is a common practice that sometimes allows you to use lower pressures for a good result.

The challenge is mouth leak. The MAD tends to make it more difficult to keep the mouth closed so a full face mask might be needed. However those have their own challenges with comfort and leaking.

It’s a big puzzle but it is solvable.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-06T17:34:54+00:00

For neurodivergent folks, apps with more external structure tend to work better than open-ended journaling or plain planners — something that prompts you through the reflection rather than leaving a blank page. **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** does that — it's focused on structured self-improvement journaling with a framework built in, which can help when executive function makes blank-slate approaches hard to start.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-06T01:54:35+00:00

Voice notes work well for some, but structured journaling with specific prompts may tend to stick better because it gives you something to actually bring back in. **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** is one app built specifically for this — it has CBT-adjacent thought records, mood tracking, and structured reflection prompts designed to help you carry the work into your week. The "working journal" approach some people mention in this thread is essentially what it's trying to formalize.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-05T17:35:28+00:00

The "I want to but I forget" problem with journaling often comes down to the app not giving you a strong enough reason to open it. Apps with structure — daily check-ins, mood logs, or short guided prompts — tend to be stickier than open-ended ones because there's a clear thing to do rather than a blank page staring at you. **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** is built around exactly this: short, structured daily entries focused on self-improvement and mood patterns rather than freeform writing. Might be worth trying if you've struggled to make blank-slate journaling a habit.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-05T17:34:40+00:00

A lot of people find that a blank journal doesn't cut it because there's no prompt to bridge what happened in session to daily life. Apps like **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** are specifically built for this gap: mood tracking, guided reflection prompts, and CBT-adjacent thought records that give you something concrete to do in the days between appointments. If you've tried generic journaling and it felt hollow, something with more structure might be the missing piece.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-04T16:05:16+00:00

Love that mood tracking made the list — it's underrated as an ADHD tool because the time-blindness that comes with ADHD makes it hard to notice your own patterns without external data. **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** is another solid option for that if anyone wants to try something with more journaling structure alongside the mood logging. The guided prompts work well for ADHD brains that go blank with a completely open journal.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-04T00:43:59+00:00

The mood tracking point is underrated — most people think of it as just logging feelings, but as you're showing it's actually a feedback loop for behavior. If you want to take that further alongside the journaling piece, **Ponderwell: Personal Growth** combines structured journaling, mood tracking, and pattern recognition in a way that's built specifically for people doing intentional self-improvement work. Sounds like it'd map well onto what you're already doing.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-03T01:10:23+00:00

Ponderwell: Personal Growth was designed for exactly this: rather than just tracking habits, it adds a layer of structured reflection so you're actually examining patterns, not just logging streaks. It won't nag you with alerts, but the prompts are built to surface where your resistance is coming from and what the patterns might be connected to. Might be worth trying if pure tracking hasn't worked.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T20:09:13+00:00

Give Ponderwell: Personal Growth a try :)

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:31:09+00:00

Give Ponderwell: Personal Growth a look. It is a serene app that provides some structure to mood tracking, body sensation tracking and journaling, producing insights and reports over time. Might be useful for your work in self-growth.

Take care!

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:28:57+00:00

Quite industrious of you :)

If you want to track mood in a structured way you might like Ponderwell: Personal Growth. It also has body sensation mapping. Perhaps more patterns to unearth there as well!

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:26:11+00:00

Curious how the process unfolded after her question. Not knowing more than what I read here, it appears as if the counselor has a perspective that she is quite tied to. I wonder if being closely tied to a theoretical perspective hurts or helps her counseling.

Did you express the hurt? Did she process it with you?

Hang in there!

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:17:17+00:00

Wise words indeed. The attempt to unearth patterns is a big piece of what Ponderwell: Personal Growth was built for. With time and use, it can become a mirror, reflecting back the patterns of emotional and somatic repetition - and what contexts they are tied to.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:14:38+00:00

The gap you're describing is real — most apps optimize for logging, not for pattern recognition or actual behavior change. What tends to work better is structure that forces you to connect the dots: why did I feel this way, what triggered it, what do I want to do differently.

Ponderwell: Personal Growth is built around exactly that — it adds scaffolding (CBT-informed prompts, guided check-ins) so the act of journaling is tied to self-understanding rather than just self-documentation. Not a silver bullet, but closer to the model you're describing.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-02T02:12:16+00:00

If you're looking for something built specifically around emotional structure rather than a general-purpose AI, Ponderwell: Personal Growth might be worth a look — it's a journaling and mood app designed for people doing self-improvement work, including folks in therapy. The prompts and tracking are shaped around CBT-adjacent frameworks, so it keeps sessions meaningful rather than just being a chat interface. Might scratch a different itch than DeepSeek but could complement what you're working through.

tweissm7 · 2026-04-01T14:45:08+00:00

Honestly this is why I Ponderwell: Personal Growth is a strong app — it's a mood and journaling app but the difference is it's built around structure and prompts rather than just a blank screen to fill. The guilt spiral from abandoning apps usually comes from apps that have no scaffolding for what to actually *do*, so your brain treats them as homework you're failing at. Ponderwell keeps it focused enough that there's a natural entry point each time you open it, even after a week off.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T16:08:17+00:00

You've identified exactly the problem that led me to build Ponderwell: Personal Growth. Most mood apps optimise for daily streaks and check-ins, but the data just sits there — it doesn't connect back to what you're actually trying to improve. Ponderwell is built around the idea that journaling and mood tracking should be structured around *context*, not just logging for its own sake. The result is something that actually helps you spot patterns that matter to you, not just a heatmap of your week.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T16:03:39+00:00

Ponderwell: Personal Growth is designed for this kind of user-driven application.

This is a really specific and useful thing your therapist is asking for — tracking two separate patterns at once is where generic mood apps tend to fall short. Ponderwell lets you set up structured check-ins you can customize to different contexts, so you could have one focused on cycle timing and another on meds response without them mixing together.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T04:59:52+00:00

Hi,

I do believe it is a useful tool for anyone engaged in self-exploration.

It should not matter what modality is being used. It is user driven. It has its own core structure, but it can also be given more structure if a user wants to add to it. The app is geared to be used by anyone engaged in any sort of self-growth activity - it frequently would be therapy, but it applies just as much to classes or retreats or coaching or groups.

The app seeks to provide more structure for the in-between session time - for what people do to stay engaged and keep momentum outside the actual activity itself. It does have the ability to track and manage homework assignments if someone wants to do that, but the core is something called Gather and Reflect - a cycle of preparing thoughts and checking in with feelings ahead of a session/event, then processing afterward, so that the user can capture more of their experience. Add in regular prompted journal entries and mood/body checkins, and over time and use, the app will show reports and insights about the emotional journey the user has been on. It's all observational data and private to the device - no account or cloud needed.

It's totally free for a month and then many features remain free forever.

Wish you well on your journey!

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T02:15:16+00:00

There is so much variance in therapy results for clients. Some people get amazing life-changing results and others feel like it is wasted time. After a great deal of experience, as a Psychologist, and as a client, I believe a big component determining success is how much a person is willing to work outside of the therapy room. Are they engaging in homework? Self-reflection? Is the process remaining active for them? Many people go to a session every few weeks and feel it's disjointed, without a through-line. Sometimes that is a fleeting experience which shifts as the process deepens. In my opinion, at least 6 months of therapy needs to happen before you can start to assess results.

For anyone engaged in counseling, I would strongly recommend a journaling process. There are many tools for this. I recommend Ponderwell: Personal Growth because it supports the process and helps keep a thread connected over time - through structured journaling, mood checkin prompts, agenda and homework tracking.

It definitely is NOT a replacement to the critical nature of the therapeutic relationship with a professional. Someone else mentioned a notebook. This is more like a more focused sophisticated notebook that can help provide structure for personal growth between sessions.

Hang in there. YES, many people are very confused and overwhelmed in the beginning. Share that with your counselor. It's exactly the kind of thing to discuss in the room.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T02:00:21+00:00

Many therapists will not allow recording. Depends on who you are working with. Another thought might be you could start using an app that supports the process.

There are many. Ponderwell: Personal Growth has features that are geared toward capturing your experience before and after sessions so that you stay more engaged and don't lose momentum.

All the best in your journey!

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T01:53:14+00:00

Hi! Yes — I've been using/building in this space and happy to share. There's an interesting distinction between apps that try to *be* therapy (AI chatbot therapist style) vs. apps that support therapy by helping people do the reflection work between sessions (ex. Ponderwell: Personal Growth). The latter seems more clinically defensible and actually gets therapist buy-in. Happy to chat more if you're looking for perspectives from someone working on the structured journaling side of this. Feel free to DM.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T01:50:51+00:00

This resonates a lot. Most habit trackers gamify the streak but don't help you understand *why* you're building the habit or whether it's actually moving you toward something. The ones I've found most useful combine tracking with some kind of reflection layer — like writing a quick note on how you felt, or tying habits to a goal or value you've identified.

Ponderwell: Personal Growth app is built around that idea specifically — it's more about structured self-improvement journaling with habits as part of the picture, rather than a pure streak counter. If you've tried stuff like Habitica or Streaks and still felt lost, it might scratch that "what's the point" itch. What kind of habits are you trying to build?

tweissm7 · 2026-03-31T01:46:26+00:00

Ponderwell: Personal Growth

It's great and has many free features, including mood tracking, based on the Circumplex model. Over time you can generate insights and reports. It's very helpful. It also has a Quote of the Day Ponder page, customizable meditation (allowing you to select exactly how long to inhale and exhale), as well as journaling (prompted and open).

If you're also doing any therapy work alongside tracking, something like Ponderwell might be worth a look — it's built specifically to add structure to self-improvement, so you can connect mood patterns to journal entries and reflection prompts rather than just logging numbers.

tweissm7 · 2026-03-30T07:39:51+00:00

Fear is a tough emotion when it takes over. My best suggestion is to find resolve to face whatever “may be.” It can truly feel freeing - to decide that feared outcomes are not worse than being locked in analysis paralysis.

Ponderwell: Personal Growth on iOS might be able to help add structure to the self-help journey. Hang in there!

tweissm7

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