Simple computer games as stimming?

[Gift2humanity]

Does anybody play simple computer games to stim?
I used to play soitaire on my PC
Some mindless games apps where you clicked on blocks.
The one I play mainly now, is bubble shooter, it requires no thought.
Before the Spring, I used to spend hours on it, while having what I think are dissociative fantasies, as I am BPD and my old CPN has asked me to enquire about C-PTSD as my ex psychiatrist mentioned it.
Here's a picture of the game.
I do it now when I am stressed and cannot concentrate on hobbies, or if stress makes me feel queasy or off colour.

 

[Judge]

Sometimes I think I may be doing just that in playing Hoyle Slot Machines on my Legacy PC with Windows XP. Lots of mindless keystrokes, not having to pay much attention to what pays out.

But it does keep me away from the real thing, just a half mile down the road.

 

[Progster]

I do the bubble shooter one because I find it stimulating without being particularly demanding or needing huge amounts of concentration. Another one is a block game, another is Lumeno. I like Pong, too, or sometimes something like Slither. I don't play them that often, though.
What is CPN?

 

[Thinx]

I do word search puzzles. I used to do other puzzles but my tabby is rather elderly now and won't load them. Yes I often do them to switch off. Just before I sleep. It works well. CPN is Community Psychiatric Nurse I think.

 

[Misery]

I do it, but sort of with the opposite sort of game. I need complexity and difficulty... it allows it to sort of overwhelm the negative feelings I might be having at the time, because it's something I can really focus on.

 

[tkcartoonist]

I played Tetris on my old RAZR phone all the time, to the point that I became obsessed with Tetris for a while. I've also played Kings in the Corner on my various different smartphones over the years.

 

[Gift2humanity]

I do the bubble shooter one because I find it stimulating without being particularly demanding or needing huge amounts of concentration. Another one is a block game, another is Lumeno. I like Pong, too, or sometimes something like Slither. I don't play them that often, though.
What is CPN?

CPN=community psychiatric nurse.

 

[Bolletje]

Replaying my favorite old video games is how I soothe my nerves. Just like rewatching my favorite shows and movies. They’re not necessarily simple games, but they’re not challenging since I know them from memory. It’s just revisiting familiar things that make me feel good.

 

[watersprite]

Yes, I use them as a stim too. If I get bored while doing a bike workout, I can spin & play one of the games on my phone. Double stim, I guess.

 

[Suzette]

Anagrams, tangrams, solitaire, majong solitaire, complex mazes...

These are my stims too. I can play for hours. I also enjoy escape room type puzzles. Also of value is looking at pictures of kittens.

When things are really tough you can find me in a corner looking at kittens or petting a real one if possible.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I play simple games as a way to relax. I play Cribbage Pro, Kakuro, Paper.io, and Slither.io. I also use a deck of cards to play cribbage solitaire and accordion solitaire. I can play those using just my hands - no table necessary, so it's easy for me to do anywhere.

It's one of the few ways I can shut off all the noise in my head. My wife once asked why I like to play those games and I said, "When I play them, I don't have to think."

For make-me-think puzzles, I do these daily online puzzles every morning:
7littlewords
jumble
Lovatt's Elevenses Crossword
Lovatt's Code Cracker
Lovatt's Cryptic Crossword

 

[Judge]

My wife once asked why I like to play those games and I said, "When I play them, I don't have to think."

Stimming for me is much more of an involuntary process. Where thinking is minimal. Though I have to qualify that given one of my stims. That while no thought really goes into pacing itself, I'm usually deep in thought over something else.

When I stand in front of a tv set, I'm likely to begin swaying back and forth while remaining stationary. Where I'm paying attention to what's on tv- not my swaying back and forth.

And playing a game like video slots...damn. It's like I'm "zoning out". Unless I score a big jackpot. Even then sometimes I just keep hitting the buttons to continue, but with no real objective. Sounds silly, but there ya have it.

 

[Gift2humanity]

Anagrams, tangrams, solitaire, majong solitaire, complex mazes...

These are my stims too. I can play for hours. I also enjoy escape room type puzzles. Also of value is looking at pictures of kittens.

When things are really tough you can find me in a corner looking at kittens or petting a real one if possible.

Kittens are far too cute

 

[Suzette]

Stimming for me is much more of an involuntary process. Where thinking is minimal. Though I have to qualify that given one of my stims. That while no thought really goes into pacing itself, I'm usually deep in thought over something else

As I have gotten older I am in much better control of stress and involuntarily stim much less. I still do some hand flapping, teeth grinding and pacing if my husband and I are upset at each other. But most if the time I feel my anxiety building long before I pop and simply step aside, groove on some non-stressful games until I feel better.

I do have other stims such as pen twirling, finger rubbing, knee jiggling etc these are also controlled by me. I allow it or I don't.