About Ballast and how these pages are written
Ballast is made by one person, Mohamed Elatabany, an independent iOS developer. I am not a clinician, and Ballast is not treatment. These pages try to tell you what's known, how well it's known, and where I have a reason to be biased.
Who writes this
I'm Mohamed Elatabany. I build iPhone apps on my own: you can find my work on GitHub. Ballast's design, code and every page on this site are mine. I use AI tools to help with research, drafting and building, and I'm responsible for what's published.
I have no medical, psychological or counselling qualification. No clinician has reviewed this site. Where a page says what research found, read the linked study and not just my summary, and for decisions about your own health, talk to someone qualified.
Email: atabany.apps@gmail.com. Mail reaches me.
What Ballast is, and isn't
- It isn't treatment. It doesn't diagnose anything or replace professional care.
- It has no outcome data. I can't tell you what share of people it helps, and I won't invent a number. It has no server and collects no analytics, so I couldn't measure that if I wanted to.
- It's built on two rules. A slip is data, never a verdict. And no pseudoscience: the app's automated tests scan its copy for banned claims, and the build stops if they appear.
How these pages are written
- Primary sources first. Studies are read at the abstract or full text where it's open, Apple's steps come from Apple's own guides, and each claim links to where it came from.
- Size and weakness together. A study is described with who was in it and what limits it. If something hasn't been tested on pornography, the page says so.
- Dated. Each page shows when it was last checked. App Store facts and settings paths go stale, so treat the date as part of the claim.
- Attributed. When something comes from a journalist, a competitor or a tracker, the page says who, and doesn't state it as my own knowledge.
- No invented numbers. No user counts, success rates, ratings or "#1" claims. Ballast has no App Store ratings yet, so this site shows none.
- Prices stay in the App Store. They vary by country and change, so the site doesn't print them.
The product claims on this site are checked by a validator before publishing, which also rejects banned phrases, invented ratings and broken links.
Conflict of interest
I earn money if you buy Ballast Pro. Each page that mentions a competitor says so at the top, and each guide leads with the free or non-Ballast option where there is one. You can use the plan builder and the Screen Time steps without ever installing anything.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, out of date or unfair, including to a competitor, email me. I'll check it and fix it, and for anything material I'll note the change on the page with its date.
This website's privacy
This site sets no cookies, runs no analytics and loads nothing from third parties. App Store links carry a campaign tag so that Apple's reports can show which page a download came from; that tag doesn't identify you to me. The host, GitHub Pages, may keep ordinary server logs under its own policy. For the app, see the privacy policy.
When to look for more help
Ballast is a self-tracking and educational tool, not treatment. None of these is a diagnosis, but any one is a fair reason to book a conversation: you've tried to cut back several times and it keeps coming back; it's eating into sleep, work or time with people; it has become the main way you deal with stress or low mood; or you feel low or anxious most days.
- A therapist. Look for someone who works with CBT or ACT and is comfortable talking about sex.
- Your GP or family doctor. A good first stop if you're unsure. They can check what else might be going on and refer you on.
- SMART Recovery. Free peer meetings, online and in person, built on practical CBT-style tools.
- SAA. A twelve-step fellowship with free meetings in many countries and online.
If things feel very dark: if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line now. In the US, call or text 988. Elsewhere, findahelpline.com lists free lines by country.