Gaming good for mental health

[skyfire]

I hope that VR unit gives us realistic experience of life soon. I have few broken memories I want to fix in VR world. But I guess I have to save up for that tech instead of letting time make me miserable. 

[StaceyPowers]

19 hours ago, killamch89 said:

And that's the issue we have in society nowadays - the lack of self control and self discipline.

And I'd add an overall lack of balance.

[StaceyPowers]

5 hours ago, skyfire said:

I hope that VR unit gives us realistic experience of life soon. I have few broken memories I want to fix in VR world. But I guess I have to save up for that tech instead of letting time make me miserable. 

Like going back to re-enact old traumas, but repair the outcomes? That sounds like an interesting idea.

[killamch89]

7 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

And I'd add an overall lack of balance.

That's the word I'm looking for!

12 hours ago, skyfire said:

I hope that VR unit gives us realistic experience of life soon. I have few broken memories I want to fix in VR world. But I guess I have to save up for that tech instead of letting time make me miserable. 

A very interesting concept indeed - basically a reset on past circumstances.

7 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

Like going back to re-enact old traumas, but repair the outcomes? That sounds like an interesting idea.

That's what I was thinking. Then again, I also remembered my friend saying I should try watching porn using VR...It's just odd how that came back to me when I saw his idea. 

[skyfire]

5 hours ago, killamch89 said:

A very interesting concept indeed - basically a reset on past circumstances.

Exactly. Start may not be in our hand, but end can be.. 

[Patrik]

I personally fired up games lot of times to get out of depression, you literally feel nothing once you're playing but better moral situation, it comes back less harsher than it was once you are in bed and overthinking but your console/PC is always there to fight it!

[killamch89]

On 1/22/2021 at 3:43 AM, Patrik said:

I personally fired up games lot of times to get out of depression, you literally feel nothing once you're playing but better moral situation, it comes back less harsher than it was once you are in bed and overthinking but your console/PC is always there to fight it!

So true. Video games give you an avenue to help take your mind off things for a while or even work it out in your head. The only real downside to gaming is addiction and that isn't really a gaming related issue as it is a lack of self discipline which causes that.

[Reality vs Adventure]

19 hours ago, killamch89 said:

So true. Video games give you an avenue to help take your mind off things for a while or even work it out in your head. The only real downside to gaming is addiction and that isn't really a gaming related issue as it is a lack of self discipline which causes that.

Addiction is actually a disease and not a lack of self discipline. Many addicts aren't given proper help due to society's failure to see it as a disease and treat it. In the sense of gaming, porn, or anything people do that doesn't require putting substances in their bodies still needs to be diagnosed as a disease. A gaming addict may be sleep deprived, eat little, nutrition deficient, poor social life; can interfere with their work and they lose their jobs or career. It's the same for any addiction. Of course, every case is different. Last thing an addict wants to hear is lacking self discipline as if you really have a choice. In a state of full blown addiction, you no longer have a choice. They usually need medical or psychiatric help. But it's not like a gamer will have life threatening withdrawals, so they won't need medical help. A good psyche evaluation may help find the deeper problem that led to gaming addiction in the first place. It could very well be this pandemic as an example, and anxieties that has worked its way into a person's life. Maybe they lost someone and just wants to do nothing but play games so they won't face it. It just could be anything. Addictions are not normal unless it is a chemical itself inducing it from drugs or alcohol. Otherwise, it's a definite psychological problem that may be at the root of it. But know, it isn't necessarily the psychological problem that is the disease, it is the psychological problem that led to the addiction, where the addiction itself is a disease. Many of us may feel addicted to gaming at times. But if your gaming interferes with your wellness (just like anything else, not excluded to gaming) it becomes a diseased state. Sure, we had the choice in the first place to put something in our bodies or stay up late gaming, but not being able to break the habit is no longer a self discipline issue. If you are into prolonged gaming and consume your required nutrition and get required exercise, and keep your work ethics, social life, etc. then you don't really have an addiction problem. Addiction literally = disease. 

[Crazycrab]

3 hours ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

Addiction is actually a disease and not a lack of self discipline. Many addicts aren't given proper help due to society's failure to see it as a disease and treat it. In the sense of gaming, porn, or anything people do that doesn't require putting substances in their bodies still needs to be diagnosed as a disease. A gaming addict may be sleep deprived, eat little, nutrition deficient, poor social life; can interfere with their work and they lose their jobs or career. It's the same for any addiction. Of course, every case is different. Last thing an addict wants to hear is lacking self discipline as if you really have a choice. In a state of full blown addiction, you no longer have a choice. They usually need medical or psychiatric help. But it's not like a gamer will have life threatening withdrawals, so they won't need medical help. A good psyche evaluation may help find the deeper problem that led to gaming addiction in the first place. It could very well be this pandemic as an example, and anxieties that has worked its way into a person's life. Maybe they lost someone and just wants to do nothing but play games so they won't face it. It just could be anything. Addictions are not normal unless it is a chemical itself inducing it from drugs or alcohol. Otherwise, it's a definite psychological problem that may be at the root of it. But know, it isn't necessarily the psychological problem that is the disease, it is the psychological problem that led to the addiction, where the addiction itself is a disease. Many of us may feel addicted to gaming at times. But if your gaming interferes with your wellness (just like anything else, not excluded to gaming) it becomes a diseased state. Sure, we had the choice in the first place to put something in our bodies or stay up late gaming, but not being able to break the habit is no longer a self discipline issue. If you are into prolonged gaming and consume your required nutrition and get required exercise, and keep your work ethics, social life, etc. then you don't really have an addiction problem. Addiction literally = disease. 

 

^What he said

There are non-chemical addictions to activities like gaming, gambling, exercise, compulsive shopping, sex and more that can be just as if not more damaging than chemical addictions like food, drugs or alcohol...  And people don't seem to know or care that it is a problem.

 

If your eating to much then they say "go on a diet".  If your anorexic then they say "eat a steak".  If they are gambling or compulsive shopping then they say "stop wasting your money you idiot!". But it's never that simple.

 

People need to have a more open minded and educated view of what addiction is before judging.

[Cumulus]

4 hours ago, Crazycrab said:

People need to have a more open minded and educated view of what addiction is before judging.

Here, here.

 

I think as with a lot of things, gaming can become an addiction which is obviously bad, but gaming in itself can be a stress-reliever and an escape from the goings-on around: I know during some of my darkest moments I've turned to games to take my mind off things for a while. Whilst I wouldn't advocate always doing that, it can be a great help sometimes, and even more generally if you're a bit bored/low during the day - especially with lockdown at the moment

[The Blackangel]

15 hours ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

Addiction is actually a disease and not a lack of self discipline. Many addicts aren't given proper help due to society's failure to see it as a disease and treat it. In the sense of gaming, porn, or anything people do that doesn't require putting substances in their bodies still needs to be diagnosed as a disease. A gaming addict may be sleep deprived, eat little, nutrition deficient, poor social life; can interfere with their work and they lose their jobs or career. It's the same for any addiction. Of course, every case is different. Last thing an addict wants to hear is lacking self discipline as if you really have a choice. In a state of full blown addiction, you no longer have a choice. They usually need medical or psychiatric help. But it's not like a gamer will have life threatening withdrawals, so they won't need medical help. A good psyche evaluation may help find the deeper problem that led to gaming addiction in the first place. It could very well be this pandemic as an example, and anxieties that has worked its way into a person's life. Maybe they lost someone and just wants to do nothing but play games so they won't face it. It just could be anything. Addictions are not normal unless it is a chemical itself inducing it from drugs or alcohol. Otherwise, it's a definite psychological problem that may be at the root of it. But know, it isn't necessarily the psychological problem that is the disease, it is the psychological problem that led to the addiction, where the addiction itself is a disease. Many of us may feel addicted to gaming at times. But if your gaming interferes with your wellness (just like anything else, not excluded to gaming) it becomes a diseased state. Sure, we had the choice in the first place to put something in our bodies or stay up late gaming, but not being able to break the habit is no longer a self discipline issue. If you are into prolonged gaming and consume your required nutrition and get required exercise, and keep your work ethics, social life, etc. then you don't really have an addiction problem. Addiction literally = disease. 

Gaming isn't necessarily an non chemical addiction. The pleasure centers of the brain release dopamine when a person does something enjoyable. People have been known to become addicted to that sudden rush of the chemical. Some people can't get away from what it is that is releasing the dopamine, and have literally died from it. There have been gamers who dropped dead because they wouldn't leave their game for days on end. It's a psychological disease when it reaches that point, and a chemical addiction. Sure through therapy, they can learn to give up the games, but the brain will find other avenues to release dopamine. After a person beats an addiction, regardless of what that addiction was, it's 1000 times easier for them to fallback into it than people who haven't been an addict in some form. I'm a former addict. Combining the years I was using and the years it took to get clean, I lost 4 years of my life to heavy drug abuse. I'm 39 now, and with all the chemicals I put in my body, it's entirely possible that I may not make it to 40. I've been clean for 17 years, and every day is a war against myself. I keep thinking "just a taste". But it's never "just a taste". Not for drug abusers. Not for alcoholics. Not for gambling addicts. Not for gaming addicts.

The disease of addiction takes many forms. Some beat it. Some simply can't. Some don't even want to. There's nothing we can do but watch from the sidelines.

[staticradio725]

I have a social anxiety disorder, and I'm on a forum for people who have that sort of thing. One of the users was showing off a VR program/game they were in the process of making, designed to help people with social disorders or autism learn to socialize with other people. It was very cool! There were different settings (like a store, or a party, or whatever), and lots of different difficulty settings to tinker with, including the "friendliness level" of the NPCs. It was very realistic looking, too. I signed up for their email list to hear about future updates, but haven't heard anything yet.

[killamch89]

3 hours ago, staticradio725 said:

I have a social anxiety disorder, and I'm on a forum for people who have that sort of thing. One of the users was showing off a VR program/game they were in the process of making, designed to help people with social disorders or autism learn to socialize with other people. It was very cool! There were different settings (like a store, or a party, or whatever), and lots of different difficulty settings to tinker with, including the "friendliness level" of the NPCs. It was very realistic looking, too. I signed up for their email list to hear about future updates, but haven't heard anything yet.

That sounds like a very interesting project! If it is successful, it may just find use in therapy session in terms of helping people to deal with social disorders. I don't usually probe that deeply into people's affairs but do you have any kind of therapy sessions?

[staticradio725]

23 hours ago, killamch89 said:

That sounds like a very interesting project! If it is successful, it may just find use in therapy session in terms of helping people to deal with social disorders. I don't usually probe that deeply into people's affairs but do you have any kind of therapy sessions?

Yes, although it's all on Zoom these days. I don't necessarily know if this program is something that would be beneficial to me personally, at least not without knowing more about it. But I do know a lot of people who would benefit from something like it. My only concern is that, if it were to be part of therapy or something, that insurance wouldn't cover it, or that clinics wouldn't want to pay for the VR equipment or whatnot. Maybe it would have to be something that each individual person purchases for themselves.

[skyfire]

11 hours ago, staticradio725 said:

Yes, although it's all on Zoom these days. I don't necessarily know if this program is something that would be beneficial to me personally, at least not without knowing more about it. But I do know a lot of people who would benefit from something like it. My only concern is that, if it were to be part of therapy or something, that insurance wouldn't cover it, or that clinics wouldn't want to pay for the VR equipment or whatnot. Maybe it would have to be something that each individual person purchases for themselves.

Many of us have quit the zoom at office places. We make use of the Microsoft teams and that gets the work done. no need of constant video demands for the meeting as long as work is getting done, no need for forceful video chats.