StaceyPowers Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 So, I have moderate OCD. I’m mostly functional most of the time, but I do get panic attacks, and I do have trouble sleeping. Literally the only thing that reliably distracts me and calms me down is gaming, so I game before bed and I do so consistently every single night if I can. Anyway, a friend with OCD just told me that her psychiatrist “prescribed” her to play video games for her anxiety! So, apparently this is a thing, not just my thing. He explained that the task-based nature of games is an ideal fit for hijacking the compulsive part of the brain and redirecting it away from the anxiety thoughts and toward doing something relaxing and enjoyable. Makes sense to me. Kind of how I figured it worked, but cool to hear that a psychologist somewhere thinks the same thing and actively advises patients who like gaming and have OCD to game more. kingpotato 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shagger Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 Makes sense to me as well. Gaming is an interactive entertainment media as opposed to TV and film, so is stimulating to the mind in ways those aren't, just like you said. Whilst not surprising, it's still fascinating. Do you know if he recommended any specific types of games? I'm no head doctor, but I would guess something like an RPG or liner story based game would be more helpful than more fast paced, tactical games that put high demands on situational awareness, like an FPS multiplayer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blackangel Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 It doesn't surprise me. Gaming can often lessen stress for a lot of us. With me for example, I have to have my hands occupied or I'll start stressing out severely. Video games take care of that plus my eyes and ears. Assuming I have the sound on. I tried fidget spinners, and rolling a throwing star back and forth through my fingers, as well as "juggling" a knife in one hand. That didn't really cut it. No pun intended. Something that covers eyes, ears, and hands and has a goal is what it takes for me. Otherwise, things get a bit, shall we say, crazy, with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingpotato Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 I agree with everybody here, that makes a lot of sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyPowers Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 On 12/4/2019 at 5:34 PM, Shagger said: . Do you know if he recommended any specific types of games? Elder Scrolls Online, likely because that is his patient's favourite game :) I've had great results from everything from exploring/questing RPGs like Skyrim to FPS games like Quake III Arena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyfire Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I think doing things repeatedly kind of creates the OCD in multiple things. Gaming if done too much I guess leads to other OCDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
