Kids are turning to video games to help with their anxiety

[Ryan Blake]

Kids are turning to a lot of things to help them with their anxiety. Its better if their choice is video games 😞

[Empire]

Gaming can be a great thing but too much of it can also have its negative impacts. Please learn to balance life and gaming before it’s become an addiction. I’ve battled that for a long time to the point that my escape route (video games) was my addiction and if I wasn’t gaming I was pissed off and upset at the world. I’m glad it is helping you. Be sure to balance it though and that applies to everything in life. Too much of something can be a bad thing.

[Heatman]

There is a possibility that it may work for some kids and not work for others. There are better ways to treat anxiety problems than resorting to games. 

[egghead]

Isn't it a well known fact that people like doing that they find fund and entertaining whenever they are bored or distressed.

[Heatman]

1 hour ago, egghead said:

Isn't it a well known fact that people like doing that they find fund and entertaining whenever they are bored or distressed.

Yeah, that's something that's going to work for some who knows what they really need to do in order to change their current disposition and mood to something good. 

Although, there are some who can't even point out what they like to do that makes them happy. I have seen such people. 

[egghead]

On 4/22/2022 at 2:49 PM, Heatman said:

Yeah, that's something that's going to work for some who knows what they really need to do in order to change their current disposition and mood to something good. 

Although, there are some who can't even point out what they like to do that makes them happy. I have seen such people. 

I don't understand what you actually mean. I think people perfectly know what makes them happy.

[killamch89]

I honestly would rather parents try to guide their kids on how to deal with anxiety but most parents nowadays are kids themselves. I'd rather they not go on medication because anxiety medication has some severe effects especially on kids and their nervous system.

[Heatman]

2 hours ago, killamch89 said:

I honestly would rather parents try to guide their kids on how to deal with anxiety but most parents nowadays are kids themselves. I'd rather they not go on medication because anxiety medication has some severe effects especially on kids and their nervous system.

Seriously, some of these parents if not most of them are not really ready to be parents or understand fully what it means to be a parent. It's why they all fail so woefully at their jobs. 

[StaceyPowers]

On 12/23/2021 at 8:09 PM, Shagger said:

This is stupid. The people who funded this study are stupid. The "Scientists" who performed the study are stupid.

 

What they "discovered" here is that when people (whether it be kids or adults) spend time engaging with a hobby, it provides relief from anxiety and escape from the pressures and stresses of day to day life, you know, WHAT HOBBIES DO BY THIER VERY NATURE! When are these ignorant pricks going to realise that gaming is no different? I mean for fuck sake, it really isn't that complicated.

I'm not sure it's that simple. I say this as someone who uses video games to manage my anxiety. They help in ways my other hobbies do not. I have OCD, which means my brain compulsively fixates on its anxiety-inducing obsessive thoughts. The task/reward-based nature of video games seems to hijack my compulsions and steer them instead toward the game. I do not get this effect from writing, crafting, or outdoor hobbies.

My OCD also keeps me awake at night. But the dreamlike quality of video game exploration facilitates a smoother transition into actual sleep/dreaming as well, and this also seems unique.

[Shagger]

3 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

I'm not sure it's that simple. I say this as someone who uses video games to manage my anxiety. They help in ways my other hobbies do not. I have OCD, which means my brain compulsively fixates on its anxiety-inducing obsessive thoughts. The task/reward-based nature of video games seems to hijack my compulsions and steer them instead toward the game. I do not get this effect from writing, crafting, or outdoor hobbies.

My OCD also keeps me awake at night. But the dreamlike quality of video game exploration facilitates a smoother transition into actual sleep/dreaming as well, and this also seems unique.

 

Of course, each individual will have thier own methods and things that work better than others. I can totally see why video games could be a great help for some, I just don't like the idea that somebody could say "people who are depressed should do this", that's all. Everybody is different and only professionals should be the ones who advise people on this sort of thing. Lie I said in my post, I though the study was stupid because video games are a hobby and obviously the right hobby for the fight person is of great importance when it comes to metal health, but that doesn't grant video games and additional power to help more that others.

[Heatman]

There is always a possibility that what worked for Mr A would never work for Mr B. This why even in the health, the same diagnostic have different results and as such different treatment methods are used. 

[StaceyPowers]

2 hours ago, Shagger said:

 

Of course, each individual will have thier own methods and things that work better than others. I can totally see why video games could be a great help for some, I just don't like the idea that somebody could say "people who are depressed should do this", that's all. Everybody is different and only professionals should be the ones who advise people on this sort of thing. Lie I said in my post, I though the study was stupid because video games are a hobby and obviously the right hobby for the fight person is of great importance when it comes to metal health, but that doesn't grant video games and additional power to help more that others.

I think that the ability of video games to induce "flow" also exists across a wide range of hobbies, and could account for many of their potential mental health benefits.

I am suggesting though that I think video games may have a particular and unique effect for OCD based on a specific mechanic involving hijacking a malfunctioning reward system and putting it to better use. That is not necessarily applicable across all hobbies. Video games are programmed with our reward circuits in mind. Again, I do not get this effect from my other hobbies.

My friend's therapist did actually suggest she play video games to manage her OCD.

[Shagger]

5 minutes ago, StaceyPowers said:

I think that the ability of video games to induce "flow" also exists across a wide range of hobbies, and could account for many of their potential mental health benefits.

I am suggesting though that I think video games may have a particular and unique effect for OCD based on a specific mechanic involving hijacking a malfunctioning reward system and putting it to better use. That is not necessarily applicable across all hobbies. Video games are programmed with our reward circuits in mind. Again, I do not get this effect from my other hobbies.

My friend's therapist did actually suggest she play video games to manage her OCD.

 

Like I said, I totally get how video games can be used to support people suffering from mental ill health, I never they couldn't the couldn't. I think the fantasy, role play and not to mention the empowering aspect of video games could be very good for depression and other conditions, like you aforementioned OCD. All I'm saying that people should take the results of these studies with a grain of salt. Turn to games as a kind of "therapy" if a professional recommends it. I guarantee your friend's therapist will not to recommending video games to every one of her patents. It all comes down to the individual.

[StaceyPowers]

1 hour ago, Shagger said:

 

Like I said, I totally get how video games can be used to support people suffering from mental ill health, I never they couldn't the couldn't. I think the fantasy, role play and not to mention the empowering aspect of video games could be very good for depression and other conditions, like you aforementioned OCD. All I'm saying that people should take the results of these studies with a grain of salt. Turn to games as a kind of "therapy" if a professional recommends it. I guarantee your friend's therapist will not to recommending video games to every one of her patents. It all comes down to the individual.

I've read there has been a kind of mass crisis regarding psych studies not being replicable: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2015.18248

My guess is that the reason for this is that there are likely so many individual factors that vary that it is simply hard to conduct psych studies. What works for one person with OCD with neurotype X and cultural belief Y may not fit another person with OCD and neurotype Z and belief Q.

I don't think that necessarily means the study data isn't sometimes potentially valid and useful--just that it may apply to a narrower slice of the population than assumed in some cases.

Edited May 5, 2022 by StaceyPowers

[Heatman]

4 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

I've read there has been a kind of mass crisis regarding psych studies not being replicable: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2015.18248

My guess is that the reason for this is that there are likely so many individual factors that vary that it is simply hard to conduct psych studies. What works for one person with OCD with neurotype X and cultural belief Y may not fit another person with OCD and neurotype Z and belief Q.

I don't think that necessarily means the study data isn't sometimes potentially valid and useful--just that it may apply to a narrower slice of the population than assumed in some cases.

Now, that's exactly what I tried pointing out initially. Everything depends on how a patient has been diagnosed to know exactly what may or may not work for such individuals and just like Shagger pointed out, there is no way you would expect a therapist to recommend playing video games to all his patient's that suffer from mental illness like OCD.