Do you play games to help relieve anxiety?

[Deeishere111]

Playing games for me is always a stress reliever. I think it is because it gets my mind off my problems and I focus on fun. I like to play games generally but when I am stressing or worried I will grab my Kindle. I like time management games because I like to put things in order or focus on getting things to the character in a timely manner.

 

[solana]

My greatest stress reliever is physical activity. Swimming and long walks do wonders for me. Also reading helps me to unwind when I can't go outside and disperse all those pent-up energies inside me.


I must be one of the few people these days who has never played any kind of computer games. I've never had any interest in them. But I can see how people find a way of escaping their reality for a while by playing games. For me it's important to organize and use that excess energy that is afflicting me in some productive or creative way. Painting and carving wood also tend to balance me quickly when I have some kind of emotional problem.

 

[SirJoe]

The biggest enemy that anyone can have that is suffering from anxiety is not doing anything. This can make people play things over and over in their head and increase their anxiety. Games can keep a persons occupied and relive them from this cycle if only for a little bit.

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

I am a video gamer but when I get really depressed or anxious I lost motivation in everything, even eating, it is not good. I sometimes will try and game even when I feel down though just to do something different and gaming is a great way to put my mind elsewhere. Writing in a journal also helps me a lot too.

 

[Hedgehog]

I do play videogames a lot to help with my anxiety and depression both, as well as my anger management related to other diagnoses. I noticed physical activity being mentioned, but because this doesn't work for me due to my depression giving me not enough energy to exercise, videogames provides a great refuge for me. My favorites are action / adventure like Skyrim that I can really immerse myself in the world and culture, but still run around killing things. I also got addicted to Sims 3 for quite some time, as it is an ultimate escape to me with alternate lives and easier career tracks / social lives etc...

 

[kelden]

Yes, It is my main stress reliever and also to cope with usual reality problems. Nothing than playing a game with a heavy phantasy setting to be unplugged from reality for a while, and sometimes are even encouraging to try new things or learn something new.

 

[JusApee]

Playing games makes all my problems go POOF! Even if I get in an argument with someone and I end up angry, a game would just relax me and make me feel better. When I'm in a bus and feel anxious about people sitting next to me, usually playing Tetris on my phone solves all the problems. That or talking to people on facebook.

 

[JWright]

It works for me, but I think it depends on the exact type of game. For example, I think most will agree when I say a game about murder and killings isn't gonna help solve anxiety. If it's a more calm game, about farming or something less violent, it's a great reliever.

 

[MVLaHearse]

I do the same thing. When I'm overwhelmed I play city builder games and like you time management games. I have always found playing video games a way to de-stress. I've been playing Fallout 4 on PS4 and doing the missions, building, and decimating ghouls and raiders has been amazing for my anxiety.

 

[amy88]

Maybe not as much as I did back in my late teens/early 20's, as I have a child now and I don't have the same amount of free time as I once did! But I do love relaxing from time to time with a video game, or even a TV show or movie (I love comedies!) to get my mind off whatever is causing my anxiety. I just think that people need to be mindful of the level of use and reliance they have on them. Other coping skills to me are also really helpful in managing my anxiety so I think it's important to have other avenues with it.

 

[rz3300]

Oh yes, I find that anything that can keep my mind occupied is a great tool to have in circumstances when I would otherwise probably just be sitting there feeling anxious about others looking at me or something like that. I have always been big on crossword puzzles and things like Soduko or word jumbles, and those are really my go to. I am not a big gamer on the phone, but I am more and more getting into it, but is still mostly the word games like Words With Friends, or some good trivia games. If my mind is busy with other things, that is just less time to worry about things that I should not be worrying about. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Corzhens]

I have to admit that I still play computer games at this age. When the younger generation would see me, they would tease me and say I am too old for candy crush. That is one way of relieving the mounting tension inside of me - playing computer games. With my husband, any distraction is good enough to relieve his anxiety. Last year when we were touring in Malaysia, he was attacked by mild abdominal pains due to indigestion. That is reason enough for anxiety to set in. What we did was go to the nearest mall and roam around to divert his attention from the budding anxiety attack. And true enough, he was okay after an hour then we had dinner and went back to the hotel in his normal self.

 

[MissTea]

I do a lot of puzzle games. That always helps me to relax and forget about the outside world for a while. Writing actually calms me down, I don't know why, but the simple act of picking up a pen or pencil and paper and just scribbling something on it will have a seriously calming effect on me. Does anyone else ever feel that way or is it just me?

 

[AlysBunny]

My first thing if I'm depressed is to get lost in a book and it's my comfort zone even when I'm anxious in a new place. My kindle is practically like a teddy bear to me. It has to be with me.


Sometimes though, I'm so anxious that I can't concentrate on a book. In those cases, games, especially puzzle games that get me to focus down on them to complete them help me a lot. My favorite are logic puzzles (you know, the grids where you use a set of facts to figure out which variables go together, like which person ate what pasta and the price they paid) and memory based games like Simon. I think in some ways, turning my concentration to those instead of the thoughts swirling in my head, hurting me, is almost like meditation. It makes me focus.


Once I play a few games and am calmer, I can try again to face whatever freaked me out initially.


I also find interactive games to be a safe way to interact with new people. That may sound silly but when I moved recently, the first thing I found was a game shop. One of th

 

[beautifullybree]

I enjoy playing games on my phone or tablet. I'm not good with games on game systems. I do find it stress relieving . I've recently downloaded Oregon trail settler game. Its pretty fun and I recommend it to anyone who want to check if out.

 

[fuzyon]

I play video games a lot, them and movies/tv shows are the only things that make me comfortable. I sometimes get so focused in a video game or so invested in a TV show that I forget about all my problems and fears for a while. I guess that's why I love them so much, it allows me to feel like a normal person without my mind going a thousand thoughts per second.

 

[BeeDrill22]

I do play a lot of games when i'm stressed but it doesn't really work as a reliever but more as a way to keep my mind off whatever is bothering me at the time. Maybe it is because the games I like are usually stressful themselves so it would be like throwing gasoline into a fire.


With that being said I think that once I’m done playing whatever I was playing I’m ready to truly relax and/or deal with my problems.

 

[Houille]

I used to play a lot of Professor Layton on my DS and 3DS, it helped a lot with distracting me and relieving me of my anxiety. The incredibly beautiful OST helped a lot, too - it always calmed me down. Other games I like to play to calm me down are silly games on my phone (like Neko Atsume or Mushroom Garden)... and browser games. I have an account on Kongregate, they have a lot of games there.

 

[CrepesforDapes]

Kind of, I play video games as a way of just disconnecting from the world around me. Some of the games that have come out in recent years are super easy to get lost in, like Witcher 3 or Skyrim. There are some really insane games coming out soon too that I plan to spend a couple of weeks, if not months on. The amount of time you can spend on certain games these days is so insane, so I use it to escape any negative emotions I experience. Definitely helps with anxiety, and I'm sure it helps lots of other people as well.

 

[SirJoe]

I am a video gamer but when I get really depressed or anxious I lost motivation in everything' date=' even eating, it is not good. I sometimes will try and game even when I feel down though just to do something different and gaming is a great way to put my mind elsewhere. Writing in a journal also helps me a lot too.[/quote']
Games can really bring relief because they don't let you think of anything else. They will at least give you some temporary relief. Movies aren't as good as games because unless you are completely engulfed by the game your mind can still wonder and before you know it you anxiety has come back.