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Psykana Librarius

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originally posted in:Psykana Librarius
Edited by FoMan123: 1/21/2014 5:15:08 PM
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Using Video Games to beat Depression and Anxiety

I came across this on the BBC's website, it piqued my interest and I think it will be interesting to others on here. [quote]Many of the headlines around video games tend to be about violence, addiction and spending too much time glued to a screen. But could some help to make you feel better? A recent report from the American Psychological Association (APA) described it as an area that's been "largely untapped" and holds "great potential". Recently a number of games have been developed to raise awareness of mental health conditions and treat them.[/quote]I would cut/paste more from the article but unfortunately it has pictures that are relevant to each game description so it's best if you view the page in it's original form. What I will add is an excerpt from the article where they interviewed a therapist on it.[quote]Lindsay Dobson helps young people deal with bereavement and terminal illness at East Cheshire Hospice. She's convinced of the benefits of gaming and uses it in her sessions. "If they're feeling angry they might come in and go onto a game that's violent. If they're feeling really boxed in they might go onto Minecraft and build a tiny room and lock themselves in it," she says. "They might say they've been on Second Life or World of Warcraft and they'll talk to me about what they've been doing on there. "We explore the character they've chosen and why they've chosen to be that character." Lindsay admits some parents and other therapists are still very suspicious of the benefits of playing video games. "It's never going to replace an actual real person sat with you listening to you, but it can help," she adds.[/quote] Obviously you can discuss the article, but I'd like to see if anyone else has had a similar experience or is presently using video games to help cope with any difficulties, whether it's something like Anxiety or Depression or just milder things like worrying too much or shyness. I can't name a specific game, but in general video gaming has helped keep me sane (Or close enough) for the last few years. If I didn't have a violent/gorey outlet for my temper (Particularly a year or so ago, when I was infinitely worse than I am now) I might have ended up doing something horrific in the real world. Which is one of the reasons why people spouting off about 'Violent games cause real life violence' pisses me off (Almost to the point of real life violence <.<) because of how the exact opposite to their faulty logic applied to me. 'Violent video games prevented real life violence) Anyways, I'd love to hear any of your stories on this or just some general discussion!

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  • Edited by Navy: 3/4/2014 1:25:04 AM
    Sometimes games cause an uncalled for amount of stress

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    • Pretty much my reason to play. Its a good escape from worldly issues, with a chance to play with friend, have fun and laugh at each other. people ask why i still play, i tell them that basically.

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    • Pfft, games only cause violence in children, you twat. [spoiler]jk, lolz[/spoiler]

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      • Hump. [spoiler]I swear I meant bump[/spoiler]

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        • Games offer achievement on a small scale knowing it won't be the outcome that bring you joy; it will be the effort. Whether you're in down time or researching there is this profitless outlet available. Some say it offers hope, but hope without truth is pointless. The concept that you can fully master a game, that at a certain point your endeavor will end and you can share your success, and that this success might get you somewhere (though much structure in video gaming is dire) does incrementally end personal depression where success begets success. It is where artistic gaming lays its foundation. It is also a threat to the prevailing ideology of our times.

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        • Rather odd this got bumped right now hehe.

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          • I have suffered from PTSD and had counselling for it but the counsellor seemed so disinterested in what i had to say so it did not help much and that is where vidya games came in, playing RPGs calmed me down a lot while shooters helped relieve my anger i am definitely way better than i was one of the main thing about video games is that you are cut from the world for while and absorbed into another with no worries.

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            • Video games have helped me get through a lot, it's nice people are actually starting to realize their uses.

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            • Edited by Boomdeyadah: 1/21/2014 10:53:04 PM
              I can completely agree with the article. I've been dealing with depression for the past few years now and I've had a bad case of social anxiety for my entire life. In high school I was an easy target for bullying and was an outcast, I eventually dropped out because of it. It even got to a point where I attempted to kill myself. I've always used video games as an escape from all the problems happening in the real world, just so I can forget the bad things even if it was only a temporary fix. I remember the days where I come home from school and boot up my 360 and a game like Halo through the rest of the day into the evening just so my mind would be more focused on the game not what might have been going on earlier in the day. Live has really helped with my anxiety, I'm a lot comfortable talking with a friend online now then I used to be. Although in person I'm still extremely quiet, I rarely make a peep even to close family members, it's a lot better in comparison to a few years ago. I don't regret having played so many video games growing up as it's helped me more than anything ever could. Perhaps it will still help in the future.

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            • i recently got through a tremendous bout of depression and anxiety by playing video games. yeah it totally works.

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            • What're talking about Psychololgist? Video games turn people into violent murderers and serial killers! I would've thought you'd have enough intelligence to know that, man. :/ [spoiler]huehuehue jk[/spoiler] [spoiler]#orami?[/spoiler]

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              • MFW I've been using video games to battle my anxiety most of my life.

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              • Edited by Big John: 1/21/2014 2:22:39 AM
                Has anyone tried abstaining from the internet for a full year? I'd go nuts. Single Player ONLY [b]*GASP*[/b]

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                • Plays video games to beat depression. Constanly loses and gets more depressed.

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                  • I use videogames as a stress reliever, and exercise as a pain reliever.

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                  • Running over hundreds of people on GTA has always helped me get through the day.

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                  • When I was bullied I played video games to escape from reality. The best friends I had were on xbox live.

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                  • [quote]They might say they've been on Second Life or World of Warcraft and they'll talk to me about what they've been doing on there[/quote] What is this, 2008? Does your 720p HDTV have speakers mounted on the side as well? In all seriousness, though, I think the article has only some merit - it seems video games would only seem to be effective with people who haven't played them before. As much as I hate to admit it, there are a good chunk of people who suffer from depression and anxiety [i]because[/i] of their obsession with video games, although you could also chalk that up to being merely a stimulant for a child experiencing puberty or the like. (I've been lucky enough to have video games positively impact my life, but I do know that some people with certain conditions have worsened as a result of playing them). I don't know - with video games, it seems your mileage may vary.

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                    • When I was in high school I was depressed, and when I got home I would play video games and I would forget about everything that was outside of whatever I was playing(usually H3). It just helped me to forget about all of the BS that was going on and I was actually happy when I was playing.

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                    • when i get mad i just smash stuff with a baseball bat(one time i had to substitute with a wood log bc i lost my bat)or set something on fire.

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                      • They let me tune out the reality of my current place in life. Which is pretty nice.

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                      • My sister contracted a disease that paralyzes your body. It starts with a G and I will not write to save myself from the emberassment of butchering it. For both physical therapy and an outlet for energy, they suggested we get an N64. It helped hand eye coordination and allowed her to have fun while severely phsyically limited as she recovered. Videogames have been used to help recover from physical deficits, why not mental too? [spoiler]I think it is spelled like Geamboray? I'm not sure.[/spoiler]

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                        • Nothing quite like chainsawing locusts when you're pissed off

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                        • Edited by Banned Dave: 1/20/2014 10:30:00 PM
                          sounds better than beating your fists against the wall that was my method of choice

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                          • I agree with this mostly but there was that one time on minecraft where I got butt -blam!-ed by a skeleton and jumped into the nearest pool of lava with 2 hours worth of mining in my inventory. Not what I would call stress relief.

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                            • Video games kind of make me feel more depressed if I'm already in a bad mood. I feel like it's just a time waster. When I'm depressed going out usually makes me feel better. When I'm happy I can enjoy the games more. But I can see how it helps people relieve stress and all.

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