Anxiety & Gaming

[Brichter]

I post this every once in a while in the hopes that it helps someone. I suffered from major anxiety issues for a very long time. I tried medications therapy etc to no avail. What finally stopped it for me was when I quit gaming.

I computer gamed heavily most of my life. Hours at a time. I think there is a correlation between the repetition, sound and visual elements and anxiety. After you have been playing for hours and you stop the music and visuals continue in your head. This I believe leads to derealization and then panic attacks.

Posted as is... Your results may vary.

Brichter

[Canary]

I can see it... when i spend a lot of time online, I feel isolated from others, and I feel like I'm in my own world. Then when I suddenly snap out of being on the compy, I'm more on edge.

interesting..

[stumbs]

that could have a lot to do with it, i play world of warcraft alot..i use to play for 8-10 hours a day, i've since cut back to maybe 3-4 to hardly at all a day, i took a 5 day vacation with no computer and felt great...

[dtrotter]

Well, gaming in moderation is good for us. But, getting in to gaming like an obsession will do you more harm than good. It might give you stimulation to distract you from thinking about negative stuffs but it still might cause to you stuck in the virtual gaming world.

[coops025]

Now this is very interesting topic indeed.

I'm an avid wow player and suffer from Anxiety and have wondered if this game has contributed to Anxiety and de-realisation.

As any wow player will tell you its not the sort of game you can just put down and spend hours and hours playing.

So how can i tear myself away from this game??

Any other gamers need to post here, maybe we should all come off our well loved games for a while to see what happens.

[Georgec]

When my brother had anxiety he would get panic attacks while he played video games. Sad to say that I loved it because we only had one computer and I wanted to get on. I know it sounds mean :oops:

In any case, I just wanted to point out that this was not the cause of his anxiety. He still plays video games today and he no longer suffers from panic attacks. The reason for his anxiety was more towards his personality and his ability to cope with different problems related to the family.

Thanks,

George

[trigonometry]

I game (counter-strike) and I have to stop sometimes because it makes me have panic attacks. It didn't always happen, and I quit gaming for years and still had panic attacks, so I know it's not the cause--but obviously something about playing sets it off.

I don't really know what it is..maybe just nerves or getting into it too deeply. When you snap out of it, it's like the real world is there all of a sudden and the shift sets off a panic. Not to mention, the game I like is kind of intense. I really like to play and so I'm trying to work on ways to lessen my anxiety in general, but it's not really working. :shock:

[Georgec]

Agreed. That was the point of what I said, the games are a trigger probably because you are already in a sensitive state with anxiety, but they are usually not the main cause.

Thanks,

George

[fernandogress]

I am also agree with your advice.You have done an great job.. Such an informative and well formed post!Gaming is good but already in a sensitive with anxiety.

[Knawx]

Yeah, I think alot of it has to do with what types of games you play and for how long.

I myself love playing games like Halo, Call of Duty, Fallout 3 etc, but I notice that the more intense the game the more anxiety it induces. I've never had a panic attack while gaming but I imaging it has contributed to increasing the chance.

With that said, I have also noticed that gaming has been a great way to get my mind off of my anxiety and stresses. Especially if I play a low key puzzle game, or something that is slower paced like Super Mario World on the SNES.

I believe gaming is like anything else and too much of it is a bad thing.

[coops025]

Ok i been trying some tests with gaming and Anxiety.

If you play agressive war games etc this is not going to help you, but in saying that it is a distraction. I think we need to play games that dont have the "OMG i got pwned" then throwing your keyboard accross the room.

Playing games can be a good distraction but playing too much can put stain on your eyes thus making Anxiety worse for some.

Basicly monitor how you react when you play, does your heart race ect?

I personally find gaming stimulating but if i do it for too long my de-realisation becomes worse so im taming it down.

[Velrose]

I use gaming as a distraction from my depression and anxiety. I played wow (though not long) EQ2 and Warhammer Online for a while. It helped, but I had to quit, because I began becoming obsessed with the online world and less and less content with the real world, which is a REALLY bad then when you have a child. As of right now, I'm not gaming online, but I do still play a LOT of computer games, PS3 and Wii--

[dtrotter]

Serioosuly, playing games is like avoiding the problem. You need to find out the root of your problem, ask why are you feeling like these? What are you lacking of? What you always wanted but have it? Like you wanted to be the desirable guy in school/college/workplace?

If so, what the hell you are doing now? depressing and playing game, how sad are you? Be anger with yourself for being so useless, and use that anger to fuel yourself to change for good. No one can help you, even the best drugs or physicians, it is only you yourself whether you want to get out of the rut.

good luck

[winry]

I just had to reply to this thread :P

I'm an avid gamer - mainly RPG's (Final Fantasy~~), oh and Zelda~

I've never really considered whether they contributed to my anxiety, but I *really* don't think so in my case. I used to play them much more than I do now, but I didn't have anxiety then lol.

I do agree with what people have said about when you stop playing, it's back to reality and you feel kinda down (let's face it, it's much more fun in games xD), and you have to think about your anxiety again.

I guess there's a medium really - play lots so you can have fun and relax, but don't play so much that you can't deal with real life!

Squall ftw.

[coops025]

I use it as an escape sometimes and forget about my problems, i always feel so much better when im focused on a game rather that stting doing nothing or watching TV.

Problem is that im hiding and need to get out and about to face my fears.

[Velrose]

Well, my own personal fears are pretty hard to face, and honestly the counselor I was seeing was more or less useless. I still take my meds, and now I have a NEW anxiety coming up, hubby and I are buying a house, and I'm scared to friggin death of moving and then--being alone in it at night (he works third shift.)

I slipped back into playing online games again, but I am managing my time better. Though... now... I am totally looking forward to Aion when it is released in September. :D

[coops025]

I do think that with people who find it too much to leave there house can use online games as a starting ponit. Its a way of socialising without going out, but also this can become addictive and make matters worse in some cases. For me its an escape from my problems and helps me to relax.

[hesson81]

No one can help you, even the best drugs or physicians, it is only you yourself whether you want to get out of the rut.

good luck

OKay I didn't realize that's what it was, let me get right on that... I wish it was that easy... :) I never see any sarcasm on this board just had to put it out there.

[hesson81]

On a serious note, I started PLaying BF2 (battle field 2 WAR game) about a year ago. I'm so surprised I came accross this post. I have been telling another friend of mine that also plays, that I think it might play a role in my issue with anxiety. I think I have always dealt with anxiety, just not to the extent I am now. never had pannic attacks untill recently. Today I was playing the game, and I had to stop because I don't think i was having a pannic attack, rather an anxiety attack.

Just to much over stimulation of the nerves. I find my self getting starttled all of a sudden, about 15 times in one hour. It's easy to play that game for hours on end, which i have been doing.

I describe it like a creek, the water is flowing down the creek, the gaming for me seems to widen the creek into a river. So the gaming is not the problem, but a hinderence in my recovery.

I'm so happy i came accross this thread, I'm going to drop the game cold turkey, again, it hasn't been that enjoyable for me lately any way.

One more thing, i found myself getting so hard into the game that i would dream about the game, I wouldn't detatch from it. The game can be intense, grenades, and bullets jumping attacking. Not the thing to be dreaming about, you have to detach.

[coops025]

I think the type of game people play suffering with anxiety is what we need to look at here. I used to play war games and found myself getting aggitated and angry if i died etc. because we as so focused on what we are doing i feel that we overlook what impact this may hove on our bodies and brains.

But........ Dont forget the games can also move you away from real life worries and help you relax so its down to you to make the right choice of game.

Personally i find that i escape my derealisation some what because im not focusing on my symtoms while playing, so i enjoy gaming even more. Problem is i need to remember there is a real world.