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Gaming As An Antidepressant

Using video games as a crutch to get through difficult times may seem counterproductive but…well, it works.

I am writing this as a person who feels depressed at this point in time.  Usually I am a happy person with a positive outlook – the kind of person you would turn to if you were feeling low and in need of support.  Lately, the road has been rough and I’m not quite tough enough to get going.  I will be, just not yet.

My family provide great support.  I have an understanding wife, a beautiful toddler and a close network of family and friends.  I am very fortunate.  As lovely as that support is, it doesn’t provide the thing I really need: an escape from everyday reality.  All I need is a break, even just for a few hours.  That’s where video games come in.

The basis of this article hit me as I played Wildstar for the first time earlier this week.  I forgot my woes as I explored the quirky world of Nexus, enjoying those first moments with my brother and cousin online.

True action combat

Of course, escape doesn’t have to come from a game that proposes a world at all.  Thundering around playing football as a remote controlled car in Rocket League is a ton of fun and provides the same medicine.

We are truly blessed that we have a form of entertainment that can create a world for us to get lost in, away from the bindings of everyday life.

I’m not a doctor and I’m certainly not saying that this is healthy.  What I am saying is that, for me, video games help me to get through some bad times when other forms of support cannot.  And, when the road gets a little less rocky and I no longer need a form of escape to get through, I know they’ll still be there to entertain me.

Just a thought.