Depression and Video Games | Sidcourse
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2017
- Check out the Patreon: / leonardodasidci
In this episode of the Sidcourse, we take a look at mental health, depression and how games and gaming can or could help for those suffering.
Depression is something that affects an alarming number of people and it’s effects can lead to extreme issues, including suicide. Whatever your opinions on the matter, the loss of human life is always a tragedy regardless of quantity. And it’s incredibly scary that something as silent as our minds can lead us through a downward spiral.
Can video games help in some capacity? Using controlled mechanics, narratives and shared experiences, is the power of immersion able to engage someone to get help and make a difference?
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Игры
An excellent video as always, Sid. You've got a bar of quality within three videos that most never reach.
I'll definitely have to check out Night in the Woods, as I find mental health to be one of the most unjustly unexplored areas of or day to day lives. Games are ripe for exploring it, and at least some are doing it with subtlety and relevance.
+Raycevick thanks man. I have such a love/hate relationship with this game its unreal. On a personal level I hate the story and the main character, but the fact I hate her just means her authenticity as a character is even better.
Personally I kinda love her, but I say that with the realization that I think you're not SUPPOSED to like her. Like even liking her as much as I do, I have to imagine I said "oh girl, are you for REAL right now?!" at all the same points in the game that you did.
I saw someone else make this comment weeks ago, and I have to agree: she's almost like a villain protagonist on a redemption arc. Like, yeah, she's shitty right NOW, but you still root for her in the sense that you hope she'll turn it around and become a better person. And I at least got the sense that, towards the end, she was on the way to doing just that. We just don't really get to see it, unfortunately.
Yeah, what I got from it was that she's pretty terrible person. However that just means she's an incredibly fleshed out and well written character. She's violent, selfish and thieving amongst other things and it just adds to the depth of this character. and because you play her, you assume you can make better decisions for her but the choices that you do have are limited to what she would do.
It's so frustrating but so good. I wish the ending was much better though. God, I hated the ending.
>Find an amazing video
>Raycevick already commented on it
This is my seal of quality
Raycevick be
One of the biggest reasons why i feel so empty and depressed is because when i game, i have a goal and a reward assosciated to it, but in real life, i have no goal and the only “reward” is the end of your existance and the decay of anything you have ever done, created or had anything to do with
I feel your burden my guy.
The worst thing is when people tell you youre wasting your time with gaming... and you start to believe them. Gaming has been added to the list of things i dont enjoy anymore and i find myself stuck in a rut impossible to get out of.
Chrissy Kitty I quit games for a year and I was just as depressed. Just more bored.
King Aria If you don’t mind me asking, did you end up getting back into it? I quit WoW in college, after feeling guilty of “wasting time” for a whole decade, and 7 years later, here I am getting back into WoW and the new expac. I’m having a good time but I can feel the dread seeping in just a little bit every day I play, and I feel like I’ll end up quitting again to pay more attention to the unfulfilled pillars of life around me.
Same. Most of the time whenever I tell my mother that video games help me with my depression, she just shrugs it off and says "get back to work. college is up ahead". Some parents might not help you much with it due to their thinking being more ancient/outdated compared to their children. This doesn't apply to all parents, it's mainly the ones who don't get it anymore.
Fliegende Wolke People can spend time how they see fit and dont have to live life to impress others.
Fliegende Wolke I honestly couldnt give a shit how much self worth you have. Whether youre rich, are married, or know multiple languages. Nobody cares and we have to focus on ourselves what WE want to live our lives out for.
*"Don't you dare go hollow."*
I cant believe u said it before me
Never go hollow my friend
Why not...
I cant beat the first boss anyway
Dark souls got me through some very dark times
if I can beat pontiff Sulyvahn then I might be able to beat depression
@@jimmiebullitt9059 me too man, me too. FromSoftware titles will always have a special place in my heart and soul.
Edit: I hope you’re doing well mate.
The days where I played MMO's were some of the best years of my life. Even when I hit a low point with my depression, getting online and chatting with friends, forming a party to go PvP, or completing dungeons, all got me through the shittiness. Seriously, I felt like I had nothing to live for other than that game and those people. I actually made myself think that I was worth living because, "what if my friends don't know where I went" or "what if they need my help for the next war"? It sounds stupid, but in my eyes, gaming saved my life. I miss those times... I would do anything to have those days and friends back.
:(
I get that man. Back in 2006-7, I had a group of friends in school who'd play Battlefield 2 every night and it got me through. In 2005, I was part of some Sims 2 community (which was literally just middle-aged women in Middle America) who we'd just make dumb Sims 2 videos and mods for each other. Thinking about it makes me miss those days.
But hey, if you wanna hang out with some cool people, just swing by man. We've got some cool people and we'd love for you to join us!
Haha that sounds awesome! It never mattered to me how old or young the people were that I was playing with. We all were friends, and in ways, I looked up to them since I was much younger than 95% of them. Honestly, online gaming made me mentally stronger; it taught me how to talk to people and kind of just stand up for myself or others more. I know that sounds cheesy, but I definitely took away a lot through that experience.
And hey, I'd love to chat with you and other people! Do ya'll chat here or elsewhere? :)
Ve Mo at the end of this video he links a Discord channel, mate.
Me too man, awesome times
Your voice is so dry and deadpan, but it's weirdly hypnotic. It's so compelling, like I could listen to you talk all day.
Thanks, I guess?
I meant it as a compliment, don't worry! And I did actually listen to the words you were saying, in case you were wondering.
He sounds like jigsaw from saw hahahaa
it's like his voice is your own in your head
Now that you mention it, I could probably listen to him read aloud a story for sleep and it might actually work. Last time I tried one, it was too consciously sedate, listening it for 20+ minutes just became extremely hilarious. XD
Know what, just listening to this has made me feel better.
Merrsharr same I've been is a slump the last couple days
Same thing
No truer words have ben said. Thank you
"If there is an obstacle in front of you, you're going in the right direction."
Thanks for that video
Realy
I found myself crying during this video
Can we be friends?
Also it's completely normal to cry. It's good to let everything out when life overwhelms you.
You shouldn't be ashamed of it either, I'm a guy and I openly admit that there were a lot of instances where I find myself crying.
Same lol
Stay strong madude
I broke down too dude im with ya
Same here T_T
Criminally underrated channel. Spectacular video man! Keep up the awesome work.
Thank you my friend :)
I agree totally.
love it when someone put their heart out infront of our face. Even tho i don't have video game addiction, but i feel sympathy for another young man who felt being lost in the path of life.
ItsDmaster the algorthm doesnt like videos about depression so it is hard to find this guys content so he makes great work but it is wrongly clasifyed as hate speech or discouragement in the form of intimidation
>uras. Is that so? so they censor videos about depression?
"If there's an obstacle in front of you your going in the right direction" wow just wow
I'm dropping tears of happiness. Thank you
This video might've saved my life a while ago. I am at a high point in my mental health right now, and I want to say thank you.
The Witcher 3 was the best escape for me. I spent hundreds of hours slowly exploring the world and all of the side quests, as slow as I could, honestly. It saved me so many times.
I really wish I could give the Witcher 3 the time that it deserves. It looks so incredible and I've heard nothing but praise for it, but I have a ridiculously busy life and I don't know if I could ever get the time to just sit down and play it
Leonardo Da Sidci For the best result you should also play Witcher 1&2 and read books, so yeah, it takes a lot of time. It's more like a journey into another world.
I feel like I'd need to take a month or so off from life just to do all that! Haha
And there I was thinking the same while watching the video. It is a really immersive game.
I suffer from crippling depression and anxiety and the Witcher 3 was my escape game too. Sailing in the seas of skellige listening to the soundtrack and watching Geralt’s interactions with the villagers and just seeing what an amazing and larger than life character he was made me feel like I was alive, and adventuring with a good friend.
As you are aware, I suffer from many of these problems but video games have gotten me through life. Through the best and worst times, sitting down to play games with friends or conquering massive monsters alone will always be there for me. This video hit the nail on the head about what it's like to go through depression & how to start coping with it.
Another excellent video, buddy.
Thank you my dude!
Same homie 😁
Core Ideas you’re so lucky! I’m going through all of these things but I can’t escape at all. My dad comes in my room and smashes all my video games whenever I try to escape the pain of reality and my suicidal thoughts. But I can never do that.
JayTheBoss98 have you tried explaining that video games are the cure to your depression?
#metoo
For me that game is Nier:Automata,
its atmosphere and story had griped me so strongly that even listening to "rays of light" or "amusement park" from its soundtrack can pick me up from the dirt even on my worst days.
That game gives me deep anger, and depression..I find that I can't take anything that's a challenge.
@@mitch65009 kinda late but doesn't it have a easy mode?
"If there's an obstacle in front of you, you're going in the right direction"
RuneScape was always my depression game. When I was a kid, it was so much fun to explore the wide world of Gielinor, and when I started growing up, I always found myself missing the simpler times I associated with the game. Starting sometime around 2013, I got really depressed. I didn't really have a reason I don't think; I was with my first ever serious girlfriend, I was doing alright in school, was relatively fit... but something was missing. My self worth just dropped away, and I started contemplating suicide. I dropped out of the lives of my close friends in college, stopped taking care of myself physically and mentally, and did the worst I've ever done in school. I remember sitting in my room the night our final grades were posted and just sobbing uncontrollably. Of course I lied to everyone about it; all was well in my camp as it always had been. Meanwhile, I couldn't stop asking what went wrong. How could I have let this happen? What was wrong with me that I couldn't appreciate all the great things I had, that instead I just threw it all away?
Another semester came, and as it got further in, I feel deeper and deeper into depression. I found myself oddly nostalgic at that point. Maybe it was because I wanted one last rush before what I saw as my inevitable end. Maybe I thought satisfying that itch could bring me happiness again, if only for a little bit. So I mustered the strength to get out of bed, take a shower, and sort through the pile on my floor for the most presentable dirty clothes I had. I walked down to the local drugstore and got one of those prepaid VISA cards, paid in cash; I was ashamed of what I was about to do. When I settled back in, I got an OSRS membership, and honestly had the best time I'd had for a while. I remember laughing so hard at the derpy graphics and the wonderful tutorial island music that I started tearing up. It was wonderful.
For the next few weeks, I would spend hours and hours leveling up, grinding quests, being dirt poor and nooby as fuck, and loving every minute. Through finals that semester I felt some of the shittiest feelings I'd felt in a while, but it was okay since I had RS again. I went back home and never even bothered to look at my grades; I knew they would be awful. I'd sit at home and make my eventual plans, and the day finally came. I was going to do it; I was finally going to die. Just before I went out to the porch with my rope, I logged in one last time and finished up my fighter torso. I felt an odd feeling of closure, like me and an old friend were parting ways for a while again. I was tearing up hard as I logged out for the last time.
I stood on that porch for what felt like forever, noose around my neck, wind softly rustling the trees behind the house. I knew I had to do it; for some reason that much I was sure about. Somehow, amazingly, my dad came up behind me and pulled me back from the edge. I don't remember much after that; I think I just sort of disconnected the time that followed.
I eventually talked to someone, and got the help I so desperately needed. I'd say I'll always be on that path to recovery; depression isn't really something you can cure I don't think. It's been 3 years since that night on the porch, 3 long years since I so desperately wanted to end it all. To say your video resonated with me is an understatement. I've always held a deep love and appreciation for the escapism a good game can provide, but I'm also glad that now I can play with the more conscious mental state I've got since coming back.
Anyways, I'm sure this wall of text has gone on long enough. Cheers, man!
Holy shit, that was a lot to share, but I'm glad you shared it with me. Feel free to hit me up if you wanna talk about stuff or just play a game together or something
It was really cathartic to write! I find that just letting it all out every now and then helps. thanks for being an open ear :)
Thanks for sharing. Gave me chills to be honest. A lot resonated with me, not least good old RS :)
I hope you're in a better place now. Most important thing to remember is you're not the first, last or only person to feel that way and it WILL get better.
Yo HundredMillionViews - I was wondering... I'm super curious if you found out what made you lose appreciation, because I have a little of that still, but my friend has that BAD and I'm worried.
I personally fixed that problem in a weird way. I mean, I felt like a lot of things were... broken? Like Yeah, I could buy a house, but how am I going to afford that? I'm supposed to move out? With who? No one is as clean as me. I guess I also had... I'm not going to say "unrealistic" standards for a GF, but "difficult" would be fair. Look those standards are standards I meet. I don't think it's right to ask for something you can't give (Exceptions should be made for biological differences and the application of time to develop skills... Blah blah blah, semantics), but I couldn't find someone like that. It was problem after problem... Like the future was going to be a massive chore list, you know? Why would I want to live THAT!? It was all so meaningless.
What I ended up doing was embracing it! I socially committed suicide. I quit my job, got rid of tones of my toxic, intolerant, bullshit friends and kinda became a bit of an asshole. I stopped waiting for someone else's validation of the things I cared about. THEY don't matter! Value/meaning only exists in the individuals mind, so that means whatever I want to matter, actually matters! It's a hard perspective to keep, because of the super ego's attempts to... Uh, never mind. It's just not an easy perspective to hold, however ever since I've been focusing I've been really smashing my depression! I've been focused on my projects and am really proud of myself.
Anyway... Any personal insight you have found around the "loosing value" thing and where you are now would be appreciated. My strategy is an option that I'm afraid of suggesting to my friend, as it might not be interpreted right, you know? I'm not going to risk that...
Thanks, and I hope you keep talking about things like this whenever you need to, hey? People do care...
HundredMillionViews you made me tear a bit especially when your dad pulled you out
The past month I've fallen in into one of the deepest depression pits of my life (that's how I refer to them, they are rare, but when they get me, it feels like I'm sinking into darkness more and more). It literally feels like I'm suffocating every day, I sometimes catch myself taking deep breaths, like when you resurface from below water. Anyway, it's been getting worse and worse, I tried to talk to some people about it, but I don't want to be a downer, and some just don't respond well when mental health issues are brought up. Luckily one of my best friends noticed it just from talking with me, and told me to contact him whenever I need to or whatever, or that we should play something when I feel like so. I'm so glad I did. I tried to suppress the darkness inside, but it was just swallowing me up, even out in the streets I was sucked into my mind, with no sense of what was happening around me. I was trying to sleep it away, but not only did I not feel one bit rested after, the feeling still lingered, but at least it didn't feel like it was killing me during sleeping. Unfortunately it got to the point today where I just couldn't sleep right anymore, kept waking up constantly, felt like I was drowning and that my mind will just collapse. That was the braking point, luckily my friend was online, so we loaded up Saints Row 3 and started a new game. Holy hell was it a good choice, not only do I love that game, playing with my friend finally shone some light through the darkness, and helped me see the issue that's got me depressed in the first place from a different angle, and has got my hopes up. I hope it will last. We've just finished an hour ago, and I've found this video. Thank you for it, it's made me see more clearly.
Now that I think of it nearly every time, videogames have saved me from depression, and from suicide. That's why I hate it when people diss on videogames for no apparent reason other than "they're childish and a waste of time"...
We're still in that transition phase where people still in that old mentality who consider everything to be toys and a waste of time are still at odds with this new medium and what can be done. I believe in time games will be a staple to educate, inform and present ideas and thoughts in ways that books and film do. It's just a matter of time.
Thank you for sharing your story, I really appreciate you opening up to me on here. If you ever feel like talking or hanging out, just holla!
TSLlol - Hey! I read your comment and thought I'd check on how you're doing! It's crazy how much doing something with a friend can shake you out of depression hey? I hope things are clearer for you man... Oh yeah! Also, from personal experience don't try to swallow that darkness. There are always people who aren't fazed by the weight of darkness. Usually people who care for you personally or people who have lived with it... there are always people willing to talk man!
They're nothing but Karens, ignore them and do what you must to avoid those situations. If you feel depressed watch this video again.
Don't worry, you're not alone. My biggest issue in life is college and society. When I feel depressed or suffering mental illness they keep pushing me and it just got worse. But I ignored their advices and kept playing video games even more to escape the utter bullshit society has done to me.
What if some have no friend at all to play with ?
Come play with me
I`m crying right now. I did not expect you to respond this.
I'll play with you
oops sorry. didn't mean to ruin the moment
that's one of the reasons I'm depressed all the time. I'm so alone. I spend every day playing World of Warcraft, yet I consider it a single-player game because I'm always playing by myself. My friends don't play it. And I almost never get to see my friends in person; it's like they exist solely on Facebook. I'm an extrovert, but circumstances have forced me to live as a reclusive hermit, which might be heaven for many introverts but for me it's hell.
i just turned 46, and i'm more or less shut since... always. i have a job, an apartment - but other than this, nothing else. my life has no direction, no personal achievements - no relationships, no friends, no family, no hobbies, nothing. i dont want to die, but the question why live, how to enjoy life, is always on my mind... dont have a slightest idea
this made me tear up and makes me really thoughtful about talking about my problems. i admire how openly you spoke of important moments you had with your friend, and as someone who is anxious in multiplayer games it makes me hopeful i can find a similar friend to enjoy games with. breath of the wild is definitely my sad game of this year, but animal crossing will always be number one. thanks a lot for making this video it really helped me !
I picked up a Nintendo Switch about a week ago and Breath of the Wild is giving me so much anxiety! I'm glad that you liked the video :D Thanks for leaving a comment too, I really appreciate that
Hey enya... I would recommend messaging people on games. I personally get kinda anxious with mic's. Straight up multiplayer is also a hard place to meet people. Plus, you can get some real assholes too. Sending a message to people you can a good feeling from (Like I'm doing now) tends to work for me. You can hang back and then not commit too much to hurt, you know?
Xa0s_ov_th3_M1nd - Yeah well, the fact it's easier to *NOT* commit cuts both ways. You don't have to put yourself out too much, but the other person might not either. Even might be more likely to leave and abandon you when you need them most...
May I ask, what's been the most reoccurring source of pain for you?
Xa0s_ov_th3_M1nd - People who seem to only use you as entertainment and safety... I specifically hate those people. I seek honesty and reason above all (Well a bit of pleasure is good too, but not enough to distract me). I want to find truth and purpose, those give meaning to life. Otherwise, it's just a pursuit of pleasure and that shit is unreliable. I guess I'm looking for some stability and that might be a type of "safety"... Society's ethics don't matter to me unless it is honest and reasonable. Most of it has incomplete reasoning.
I will display ethical conduct appropriate to the relationships parameters. That is established between me and the other individual I'm talking/dealing/playing with. Fuck societies generalised standards. I'm an individual and I have my own moral compass. I'm not going to throw away my own value system, for the sake of being accepted and I'm glad that you haven't either.
If you honestly don't give a shit... Then you're lucky. I still don't like being alone. I guess from a utilitarian perspective, I'm afraid that I can't always look after myself and I'd like people to be there for me when I need them. I would obviously be happy to do the same. From an emotional/symbolic perspective... Well, I guess intimacy is nice. Some one who wants to actually see me. Know my inner workings, rather then projecting themselves onto me. It makes me feel, for a lack of a better word, Truly Loved.
"Hey sexy! Want to fuck!?" - Disgusts me. You don't know me and I don't know you. I like sex, it's great, but truly intimate sex, where you really know and trust each other... Oh man! That's the dream. Fun, deep and free all at the same time...
I love life... because I care for it and want to understand it. *ALL OF IT!* Even the dark parts. It's such a beautiful thing but misplaced values can cause us to not see it. I hope through conversation, that I might see life from new perspectives! So I can continue to build my understanding and appreciation for it, but like I said, it means you have to look at the ugly, dark and sometimes down right evil parts to truly understand the big picture. Society doesn't like that...
So many people... Just don't care...
Xa0s_ov_th3_M1nd - No worries! I got the feeling you personally learnt the lesson of, "You can't force people". I'm sorry whatever relationship it was didn't work out. I know the feeling. There are always signs, hey? We just aren't really taught them, or we're taught bullshit, fairy-tale lies and want to believe in them so badly. Everything is a learning experience I guess.
Some people... are just shit, and other times we are too blind to see the signs.
From the sounds of things, you seem pretty level headed, but I can see your fear seeping through your words. I'm not saying it's unwarranted either. Just please be mindful of it. "Not caring" is a type of safety mechanism. Again, it's not a bad thing, just swinging the pendulum ALL the way to the other extreme where you don't believe that relationships are good at all, is obviously not healthy.
Take for instance your comment: "I don't care about the temporary". Well, *YOU* are temporary (Yes. There might be a spirit you, but you don't *KNOW* that. You do know that you are here in flesh and blood, so it would be more logical to value that, as the alternate could actually be a lie). You shape the future in this moment. Who you were isn't you. That's a memory in the past and the future you? That's only a possibility. The most important time is this moment... and now... and now... So be careful if you're going to mark something as "temporary", because every action within the moment shapes the possibility of the future and your perception of reality through your recollection of the past...
Look, I understand what you meant to say though. You don't care about fleeting, meaningless things and to that I'd say, "Remember meaning is not objective. It's subjective, so never *EVER* devalue your individuality".
I wish you all the best in... Actually... I am interested in what you believe *isn't* meaningless. Um, you know? I mean, what do you believe matters? What matters to you? Why are you alive? They're all the same question really.
I can't stress this enough, Max Payne is one of the best characters out there that explains depression, those games helped me so much to understand my condition, when I was at my worst, when the meds didn't do shit, the stuff my psychologist and psychiatrist wasn't just making any sense to me, those game happened, it helped me so much to understand depression and why I got it in first place, the consequences on yourself and the people you care about, Max is a character so well written...it actually hurts, and the best part is that gameplay wise is fucking amazing too.
Oh shit! I can't believe I didn't think about Max Payne. I absolutely loved the first two games and their subtext. Obviously the gameplay was fantastic too! Thank you for bringing those games up again, I might have to replay them again :)
A beautiful ending thought. Hit me like a hammer. "If there's an obstacle. You know your going to the right direction". Got me smilinig. I've a serious tendency to isolate myself and I've struggled with depression for many years now, for some time now its been getting better but my drug addictions (which started as self treatment) are a serious issue and I've been doing my "best" to taper them down and trying to get help to get clean completely. I've bought a shitload of games within this time period and they've helped me cope with a lot of things but I think I wouldnt have also isolated myself so much if there'd be no games. I dunno. Good observational video tho !
@ashy actually yeah, been finally with a proper tapering program now for 6 weeks, still a long journey ahead of me but I've made leaps of progress thx ~~
@@issaoldboi Do you regret having spent that much time on video games? I'm in the process of giving up drugs myself and have recently also not been doing much else than staying home gaming and watching youtube videos
@@emilio_mlx well a part of me is totally content with it and a part of me could say regrets it, its kinda the thought of "i could be doing more by now" but ts also made things easier if that makes sense ?
@@issaoldboi yeah, thanks for taking the time to reply
You almost made me cry, right when you said you've been depressed to the point of suicidal thoughts. Having experienced it myself (and still am) I can't imagine anything worse, probably not even physical torture. Much love, RPG
I just stopped using Effexor and Escitalopram, they didn't help and even made it worse. Especially Effexor, the physical symptoms were, in my opinion, worse than coming off nicotine. Don't use it.
I got here from Raycevick, this video is great! It makes me want to finish my video on how Final Fantasy helped me get through the hardest point in my life. Thanks for the video, excellent content.
+The Sphere Hunter any Final Fantasy in particular? I'd like to watch that. And thanks, both for watching and leaving a comment. I really appreciate that :D
The Sphere Hunter yes final fantasy 7 really helped me when i was a teen i made me get closer to my friends ever since then i can stop thinking about it now i dont have time to play other rpgs and im older i miss my friends because of it and i would do it all again.
10:56 to 12:12 is exactly how I feel towards life and socializing.
Thank you for making this video.
Video games really have been a major part of my life. Barring the hundreds of thousands of other things games have done for me, helping me with loneliness, depression, and anxiety is by far the biggest thing it has done for me. Many games i played during middle school were simple. CoD WaW, Super Smash Bros Melee, Lego Star Wars, etc, and they all helped me fight off depression through teaching lessons or just being an escape. Then, in high school, i got more into story games that explored the human psyche, often noting how truly strange love is and how depression can form beautiful things. Games also gave me a sense of accomplishment when i was always just the second best at anything, or worse. I felt overshadowed and forgotten by everyone, but games gave me someplace where i was not forgotten. Even just the friends i met online remembered me better than the friends i had in real life. I was given an outlet for anger, a place to feel like i was home, friends who i knew would have my back, and a silly, but necessary purpose for the time being. Gaming is fun, no doubt, and it is an art form, but i will always be a gamer for one simple fact: when i was at my lowest, i knew what could bring me up or pass the time until i was feeling a bit better. Games kept me from being idle and thinking far too much, and im quite certain they saved me and taught me. Games are more than what people see in them. They really are more...
Also, i wrote this up with the video paused at the spoiler alert, but soon after, i know how you feel. I, too, became depressed around the ages of 9 or 10 after constant physical and sociological bullying that didnt stop till the year before i switched schools, sophomore year. It never does end, just 2 days ago i finally got out of a small depressive episode.
12:00 man, same here. Im a legend of zelda nut, and i loved BOTW, but it wasnt my favorite game. Mines actually tied between 3, Terraria, GR: Wildlands, and Fallout 4. I feel better when im able to build something cool, organize equipment, and beat huge bosses that take some planning and preparation. I love challenging myself to clear bases faster than i did last time, or quieter, or what have you, and its a ton of fun with friends. (Sadly, im the only one of my friends who actually like that game, so playing alone can get boring after a month). And i love exploring the world, helping people, and building a home for the wandering and lost. In fact, a lot of the things people get pissed at these games for are exactly what help calm me and steel me for the next week of life. My friends get upset at me when i loot rooms over and over in games where you cant carry much, but it helps to calm my nerves and it helps me to not lose it later in the week. Hell, this past weekend there was a free play time for PUBG, so a couple of my friends and i played it. They had so much fun shooting people and finding out new things in the game, but i loved organizing my inventory and looting and relooting. I earned the nickname loot whore, and got poked at for it, but it helped me to relax and enjoy life for the time being, in the middle of my most recent depressive episode.
Also, this is a fucking essay... sorry?
"If there's an obstacle in front of you, you're going in the right direction."
That's a powerful quote, one of my all time favorites. I'm saving that one.
I personally find it very difficult to play games at all when I'm going through a depressive period as I find it highly difficult to focus myself for enough time to engage with a narrative or any particularly taxing challenge. As a result this tended to lead me towards playing very basic puzzle games (match 3 type things) essentially just as something to fidget with as my mind drifted. Considering the often rather insidious ways games like this are structure I would absolutely NOT advise anything like that as a "sad game" and recently I have managed to find something else that can perform the same function a lot more healthily. I have been making games in Bitsy and Flickgame, two little art tools for making very basic videogames with little more than drawing, they both require working with quite fiddly pixel art which satisfies my need for something to mindlessly fidget with when I'm thinking, but as I work I slowly build a game world around myself to escape into, gradually regain my ability to focus and also get the enjoyment of having produced something rather than simply filling time.
I can relate to this. Klondike solitaire for me, and other games like Domina, Civ 5. Games without narrative other than my own. Even though I save my game in both games, perhaps out of habit, it's very rare I pick up where I left off, but I'd rather just start over again from the beginning. And then I rotate between games all day. Basically replace one type of procrastinating with another.
I get that too. Most times when I'm down, I end up staring at the list of games and make myself feel worse for buying all these games. It's only when someone like Phil comes about and suggest we play Wildlands do I kind of make it my "sad game". Can you send me some links to the games that you made? I'd love to see them/try them out
There was an entire week whilst writing this episode where all I did was play Civ 6 every night. Genuinely felt no drive to do anything other than that
Can do, (I think, sometimes youtube doesn't like links) acgodliman.itch.io/four-corners
Thanks for taking all the time to make this video, and even more time to polish it up to look gorgeous too. That ending zinger was great, I'll remember that for a long time!
+TryHard Videos thank you for watching! Took me a while to work out how I wanted to end it, but I think it worked out okay
TryHard Videos How did you get here-
I'm an accountant and essentially just use my money to rent a tiny studio apt and buy games. I have no wife or kids after 25 years of trying to get someone to go out with me. I accepted that it's apparently just not meant to be and have discovered a relatively comfortable level of serenity in my freedom. It's a very simple life with a lot of free time. I think I would have been happier with a family, but I'm not necessarily unhappy without one either. Things were really bad when I was in my 20's. All I will say is I know how most of these hikikomori feel. We didn't have that word back in the 90s when I had it. The only advice I might have is, if you just don't want to do anything, that's actually ok. Try not to be much of a burden on parents/relatives if you can help it. Get whatever job lets you work about 30-40 hours a week and live very simply. Adopt a healthy lifestyle, to give your mind a chance to become healthier by starting with a healthy body. It's hard to feel good mentally if you never feel good physically. And that's about it.
you don't need a romantic partner to be happy and realized as a person
Endymion766 Thank you, that advice helps me a bit.
My dad got married and had me in his 40s so not finding anyone yet isn't some end-all scenario. From personal experience finding someone special is 30% skill (which is something you develop and build up like muscles and not something someone just "has") and 70% pure dumb luck which is mitigated by just rolling the dice over and over again.
Took me a long ass time and I wouldn't describe myself as "skilled" but eventually I landed on a 6.
Mine has to be Oblivion from the elder scrolls, it has been my go to for years, it helps me immerse and forget while I remain in the wonderful world full of fantasy.
it's really nice to hear someone else feels that way about oblivion. all the attention on the game is on how silly it can be. but it's a place i've always gone to when i want go to another world, and feel secure in my understanding of how that world works, i guess.
I suffer from severe PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders. Skyrim has helped me through the first three or four years of facing my PTSD head on. It gives me somewhere to go, somewhere that the voices aren't. It is refreshing to have my mind worry about where I can find more iron to build my house rather than circle over and over things I have thought about since I was three. I am grateful for Skyrim
I wish there was a game like that for me. I hear all these stories about how such and such book or game or TV show helped someone. Not for me.
Talking, running, eating, watching, sleeping, working, playing, studying, it all feels the same. It's been years. People tell me it's part of growing up, but they're not saying how long it's going to be. I eat my meds and I wait.
For a long while I was like that, and it took what felt like forever to get past it. I don't know what would or could help, but if you wanna hang out and talk or play a game, you can come hang out with us
This was a really good video and very interesting, but instead it makes me wonder if the negatives of videogames outweigh the positives.
I really liked your friend's quote because it's so applicable to learning a craft, but videogames are so stimulating that it seems a lot of people nowadays go into routines for games and social media when they feel bored or sad, rather than out of enjoyment. So to me, a "sad game" sounds like taking short-term goals inside a game, rather than participating in long-term goals in life, which would be a lot worse in the long-run. Like eating fast-food, or how when you procrastinate but then do the task later, you still feel bad for it because doing it doesn't mean you didn't procrastinate.
I'm doing some generalisations here, but are the people who spent years playing World of Warcraft as their 'sad game' better for it? Then why did so many seem possessed by the game? People wanted that new level, to get the gear, or beat the big raid-thing, and when we did it the game asked us to surpass it, spend more time in it and spend more money. To the depressive type, this might seem a lot more attractive than applying the positives they learned to real life.
Not every game is as mischievous as a MMO, but should we tell depressive types that it's okay to live in these worlds and that you should be in your 'sad game' when you are sad?
I like being able to play games to immerse myself in different worlds and play as different characters or play with friends, but when it comes to applying what we learn in games to real life, it seems these same ideas can be taught by really dedicating yourself to any task, learning a language, learning to draw and paint, exercise like swimming or running. In summary, I'm really into the idea of depressed people working towards small goals, and learning from their mistakes to get better, so they can feel like they're making progress towards a higher goal, along socialising with people on the journey.
Videogames can be a stepping-stone for that, but so often it seems to me that the games are designed to keep you too safe and hidden away from the real world. Current games are designed with xp mechanics for an easy sense of achievement, lootbox gambling mechanics to gain dopamine rushes, and a lot of loss situations that end with frustration and anger outbursts.
This was what came to my mind based on my experiences, and maybe we just have different experiences.
Hi and thanks for your comment.
A lot of what you say, I understand and agree with to some extent. For example, my friend who's played WoW since launch. I can't speak for him personally but I imagine that when he played the game at launch it was because he was a fan of Blizzard and the franchise as a whole. He's grown with the property, formed friendships and relationships and is a part of his life. I know some of the hardships he's had to go through in life and when speaking with him about it, for the purpose of the video, he described it as a constant. In dark times, he knew that Azeroth was there and it'd be his escape.
Obviously, there is the darker side of gaming. The malicious and cynical part where, like you said, mechanics are designed for short dopamine bursts to get people to buy more and more loot-boxes, DLC, microtransactions etc. This is definitely there and for the purpose of the video, it's something I intentionally didn't include.
My aim for this essay was to show some positive examples that players could or do use as ways to make the next step. Night In The Woods, for example, is, in my opinion, the game that bests describes and talks about depression and mental health. The game is based around forming relationships with friends, family, old school teachers and being a part of the world. The overall narrative is the weakest part of the whole game, but the interactions in an easy-to-play and easy-to-read format is what I believe what had players gravitate towards it.
Personaly, I prefer playing for fun and immersive entertainment, but sometimes I need something to escape to, take my mind off things, which is where the chapter on Sharing Experiences with my friend came in. I have other hobbies too, like painting, illustration, web development and game design, but I do those things as part of my job and goofing about in Wildlands is something I realised was the thing that helped me the most. Especially whilst I was making the video.
I'd love to talk more about this if you're up for it, and thank you again for your comment!
You touch on something that I have wondered a lot about. Now, I don't spend money on lootboxes or ingame items (2-3 exceptions, but no big sums), so I can't relate to that too much, but I am talking about time and time wasted (something my parents love to accuse me of). And after thinking about it thoroughly, I came to the conclusion: This time is not wasted away. I would not have been able to use it for sports, music or learning new skills. All these things work well for reducing stress and spacing out time between lows. But once I am down, I sit in front of the piano and don't remember how to play. In fact, I would use this time to harm myself in some kind of way. The more I harm myself, the more I think about killing myself. And the more I think about it, the more I am ready to do it.
Time spent harming myself, hating myself, wanting to die is negative time, as it actively brings me closer to the moment when I will have run out of time forever. Working towards my goals, living a productive and healthy life, being a good influence is positive time, since I am using the time I have been given wisely. Playing video games when I am down counts as neutral to me, maybe as frozen. It was not benefitial, but also not harmful. And for the moment anything that keeps me from falling into a slump completely, dropping out of college or making me give up on life entirely, counts as a win.
Very well put.
But besides your point, wich is right on point, there are different games out there that do the opposite of what you are saying. I mean games that aint in to the whole quick dopamine kick and instead make you engage in someting that challenges you in different ways. Games that make you try hard and only reward you when it's "proper"
For me, the witness was one of those games. Dandara was ai slight different challenge but still in the same reach. Both those games do have a distinct ending wich most of the dopamine games don't have...
Mattias Pilhede I saw one of your videos one day, it was an amazing video, but I remember you said something about "do this or that instead of idk, playing videogames" and I instantly knew you were one of those "do something in life, videogames are all about shooting and gaining xp" but there's so much than that, it's easy to miss on the great games when the blockbusters triple A games are the ones who take the spotlight, and many of those give a bad image to the gaming world with all those dlc, lootboxes and easy rewards that keep you there wasting time and money.
I think if I wasn't born and raised in a third world country with working class parents that barely earned enough, I wouldn't be the kind of gamer I am today. All of my friends playing the newest dumb game, while I had this old PC, a ps1 and later a ps2, and used emulators to play big classics, games from the golden age of gaming, with amazing stories and worlds. So now I can easily know which game is worth my time and money, wich game is the one who deserves attention.
I have so much respect to the classics and their developers who were there challenging expectations and telling amazing stories, that I can't help but defend them when someone just says videogames in general are just about dopamine rushes.
Don't get me wrong, I love your videos about drawing and the like, just wanted to say this badly.
Jesus Christ some people like to write essays on god damn RUclips videos.
The Witcher 3 is the game I always refer to as a “sad game”. The story and immersion of this game just takes me out of the stress of school and shit. This game fucking saves me.
That last sentence, “if there’s an object in the way” your going the right way genuinely almost made me cry
I had my guard up, just thinking about clicking this video. I’m stressed out every day due to the nature of my job and the depression I deal with as one of the many symptoms of severe ADHD. That depression is of course fueled by my position and is relieved when I come home to game.
With that in mind, please believe me when I say how well written and expertly delivered this video was. Relatable, honest, and most importantly, helpful. It feels good to know others might feel as I do.
Thank you.
This video was wonderful, quite a few of my friends are diagnosed with depression. A lot of them are post Uni and got dumped on by society, but even the success stories suffer depression and anxiety. It's hard to find any common link, but the games that explore it are super useful.
Lately I've lost interest in nearly everything I used to love, including games, books, shows. Everything is overwhelming and I feel heavy and exhausted like I could sleep all the time. But I wonder if I start playing the right type of game just a little while each day it might be therapeutic. Thank you for making this.
I always come back to this video. I never considered myself depressed, but you perfectly described the hopelessness I've been feeling for so long. It's a bottomless spiral of despair, and my only reprise has been through video games and the friends therein. Thank you, Sid, for being so eloquent and helpful ❤
Wow, I have no words. This is such a wonderfully-made video, and I'm so grateful to have stumbled across it. It's rare to see someone talking about the positives of gaming in relation to mental health, it seems like many people would rather demonize or blame videogames instead. Thank you for explaining this sensitive subject in such an accurate and eloquent way. I'd be an entirely different person without videogames-they not only keep me going but they allow me to have something to truly look forward to. Thank you, again.
Your voice is absolutely astounding. I love it!
Thank you
As a kid in middle school I suffered severely from depression and still do but I remember this as a time when I had nothing else but video games. As they were my only escape. From going through my everyday life getting made fun of, harassed and dealing with home trouble I found one of the only ways I could escape was to play Call of Duty 4/Halo 3/Modern Warfare 2 with what little friends I had. It made me feel like I was on top, like I was good at something and for once people wanted me to be apart of their experiences even though it was online. While that was a tough time in my life I believe that video games helped me through, even now I still use them to escape and get by. The past two relationships that have ended for me over the past couple years have sucked and everytime I start up a playthrough of the Last of Us. The sheer comraderie and meloncholic atmosphere have helped to keep my mind off things and allowed me to relate to something and keep my mind off the severance of those relationships. Video games are an incredible medium. I know it was offered in the video but should someone feel uncomfortable about talking about their depression/anxieties with someone they know i’m always here and can be reached on this account.
Sid I just have to say that you have an amazing talent in articulating emotion with concepts. And I just have to say I'm glad I found your channel. And please keep making videos like this, we need more people like you.
Awesome video dude. I’ve been suffering with depression and loneliness since about 2012 (I was 12 at the time) I play games pretty much all the time and most of the time I’m happy with it. Sometimes I get really low and feel like I’m wasting my life playing video games and want to give up on them but it’s all I have. I’m currently unemployed and signed off (meaning I claim benefits but can’t work) so I just sit around either playing games or feeling depressed. But I really like the quote at the end “if there’s obstacles your going the right way”. That really put a smile on my face and gave me a bit of hope. So thanks dude and keep up the good work.
"If there's an obstacle in front of you, you're going in the right direction." Goosebumps.
This man deserves a noble prize
This is something that really helped me and I really relate and love that there is other people out there that feel like I do and can open up as it really helps me with what I'm dealing with during this section of life. I enjoy your videos and appreciate the way you portray these areas and how well made they are. Thank you
This video needs to be promoted more. Thank you Sid, thank you so much for opening up and sharing. It has helped me realize that I do need to seek help after 5 years of depression and more than 15 or anxiety that has affected my life and made me miserable. So once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Hey Sid! I'm new to your channel. Your video just popped up in my suggestions feed and I was blown away. You spoke about a very difficult and powerful subject in a meaningful and interesting way. It was very enlightening.
I have many friends who have suffered and endured depression. I myself have been going through some difficult times with the stresses of life becoming ever more prominent.
This video was very enlightening and quite frankly made me appreciate the little joys of life. It showed me how great video games are for binding us all together and immersing us on in exciting new adventures and fantasies. A means of stepping away from the things that burden our everyday lives. Of course, we must also be careful that we do not become disenchanted with the outside world. However, some small in-game experiences and moments can go a long way to rekindle a spark of joy and fulfilment within your soul.
Really what I want to say is thank you for this incredible video. You worked hard on this and it most definitely shows!! Keep up the great job!
*SUBSCRIBED!!!!*
Thank you for this video. It's impressive how much of an impact 16 minutes of your thoughts has had on me. This video dives into a difficult, complex subject and only someone as genuine as yourself could pull it off. I'm going to be sharing this with friends. You earned a loyal, new sub from me.
Thank you so much! Your subscription and sharing means a lot to me, I'm pretty new to this and I just want to make some good and meaningful content
This video was absolutely eye-opening and accurate... I do this... I cope like this, and to know that other people cope like this is huge. I didn't know it, but this is what I really needed to hear. Thank you for taking your time, and putting in so much effort to make such an amazing video.
Thank you for this. I was going to write out some big life story comment of my struggles and how finding yourself post graduation is insanely rough (I turn 20 in a few months) but I just want to say that gaming has helped me a lot. Endless memories with friends. I struggle to dedicate myself to any one guy but recently Final Fantasy XV has me in the story and connecting to the characters.
Games like Life is Strange had me crying my eyes out. As controversial as 13 Reasons Why the first episode was the first time anything had really "triggered" me. I was crying uncontrollably because how deeply I could relate to some things just bubbled emotions up. But with these forms of media it feels so good afterwards to have an outlet. They help me work through how I'm feeling whether it's a show or game.
Thank you for the video. It really resonated with me on many levels. I agree with what you said about playing with your friend, I have a small group of friends who almost all have moved out of my town for studies. Usually we sit and play Counter Strike and talk about stupid things over Discord. Its times like those that makes me, maybe forget, about my troubles for just a few hours before I have to return to reality again. I really appreciate that you made this video! Thank you!
Without Games i'm dead
You can do it man. If you wanna talk, come join me on Discord. I'm more than happy to listen.
One friend just showed me this video, and i love it!! I suffered anxiety and depression back in 2014/2015 and video games and also a psychologist help me to overcome, i loved and ill remember the GTAV sessions with my best friends (I was an expat back in the days) that helped me with the anxiety. Good work Sid and thank you!!!
thank you for this video... honestly. this video helped me understand different perspectives of depression and gaming. i have depression and anxiety myself, and i've had thoughts of making games and comics related to the subject. i now have a better understanding of what to look for and strive for when making them. you're a good guy from the sound of it. you deserve all the compliments and praise you've gotten on this video. have a good day, my dude.
I know that you connected with so many in this video. There are things some don't take into consideration. Video games give movement when a person stalls, and it is extremely important to keep the mind moving while trying to find a way around what they are dealing with. Thank you for showing by example. Thank you for helping others. There is much love for what you are doing.
This video is fantastic. I love how much effort you put into each and every video. No time is wasted, yet it doesn't feel like I'm being bombarded with information. Amazing like always.
PS: Husky sent me c:
Thanks! Tell Lars (trust me he'll understand) I said Hi lol
This is one of my favorite videos i've ever seen, currently going through a pretty bad period in life, hoping it will end soon, one of the few things that still makes me happy are videogames, mostly when talking about/ or playing them with my brother/friends, not sure i would wanna keep living without videogames, they help me so much, I also just wanna say I love you for spreading awarness and making such a great video
This is your first video Im watching and I absolutely adored this, especially as someone who’s suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. Your videos not only very well written and edited, but it’s also very personal and I hope your mental health has been well
I suffered with Depression but I have improved and for the most part recovered and I'm happy again and gaming was quiet useful for me with coping even if i was very shut in but the people you meet can make you feel great and help you, even from people you least expect it from! GG amazing vid.
I'm glad you pointed out the expressiveness of the characters in NitW. That's something I really appreciated too.
And that part about Dark Souls 3 and you're friend. Woof. I think I kinda relate to that one. It's a game I frequently come back to as well. Because, yeah, it's a way to feel like you're achieving progress, somewhere.
I wanted to do a video on just Night In The Woods, but I knew I would start getting overly critical about the things that I didn't like about it and it would detract from the heart and soul of this game.
And I get it, Dark Souls is really popular and has managed to find that thing that people want from games. I still haven't played because I'm honestly too scared to get started lol
Not to say you shouldn't do or shouldn't have done a NitW specific video, but I really like this video, and how it explores a theme across multiple games, as well as multiple gamers. I think it ended up being more thought provoking overall.
I don't think I will. I've got what I felt about the game out of my system and I'm not one to linger on a game. Plus, now that I animated that whole Scott McCloud thing, what am I going to follow up with??
Thank you so much for putting out a video like this and sharing some of your deeply personal experience. It really helps to know there are others out there. I have been struggling my whole life with depression, emptiness, and thoughts of suicide- and I can't take being around people because it doesn't feel real. Videogames are often the only place I feel safe. My family does not understand or support me- and my dad who I live with, especially humiliates me every chance he can. I will make him watch this video. Thank you again
Nicely put together and it really help's hearing that you just didn't whip this up in an afternoon, since it gives me hope that someday i might be able to express myself.
just cried watching your vid, it just feels so true espetially in early 2021. I feel like what i'm studying doesn't make sense anymore. I can't find motivation to work and feel like i'm slowly loosing pace. I already had a very bad exam session of chrismas but in the current status, i dont see how i can do better for the next exams and that terrefies me. I think video games really helped me but i'm not sure tho. They could be part of the problem.
What i am suro of is that i'm gonna seek some help. And thank you for making me realise that a maybe need it (help).
Anyway great vid. I discoverd you thanks to razbuten and you instantly became one of my favorite content creator.
A truly remarkable video that hits me right in the heart and soul.
There has been so much heartache from different corners of society and I do have to strongly agree with nearly everything in this video. Video games and the internet have been a lifesaver for me in a way. Basically a time when I get to escape from drama and sorrow. In a time when I felt like an outcast compared to rest of society. But the escape was not just from my surroundings, but to escape from my own head. There has been a lot to deal with, like betrayal, bullying, rape, stress and fear. Trying to deal with these has been a big issue for me, since they always end up coming back to my head, reminding me how my life is worthless and meaningless. And... partly I agree, but in a way... My biggest reason to move on and keep fighting with life is because of the very few wonderful I met through the Internet. From my very first moments on my first mmorpg, Maplestory, to me discovering Steam and it's games, communities and people. These very few people who I have shared lives with in a way. It is great meet to meet people like that. But still, there is its own share of bad moments and horrible people who I have trusted and cared. But in the end of the day, I have somehow endured by playing games with my friends and getting my mind off from things. To play and have fun, letting the sorrow of the past slowly fade away as each day goes. It won't fade completely, there will always be a scar, but I can safely say if it wasn't for these friends from random games from many years ago, my life would be different, maybe I wouldn't even stand here. My friends keep me strong, I don't want them to feel sorrow of seeing me go, nor do I want to see them go, even if me and many others of us has seen someone go. Thank you for listening.
Thank you for this great video.
Thank you sharing your story. If you want to talk, please do come talk to me :)
Leonardo Da Sidci, I'd love that. But do you think we could talk via Discord, Skype or something similar?
Thank you for giving me the offer.
That last line gave me chills, Thanks for making such a great, thought-provoking video, man
It's been more then a year since I first saw this video. And it's like my 5th or 6th time watching it now.
Everytime I cry, everytime i'm in a low point, but I feel a tiny bit better afterward.
Thank you for the video you made, especially this one, it helps.
Thanks for the great vid man! I can definitely relate. I'm really glad you powered through your anxiety to put this together.
Some of my fondest memories as a kid were of the experiences I had with friends playing video games. It brought me a joy I cannot describe. It has given me ideas and a brighter imagination of what is possible. I think that if you are into TV, books, audiobooks, or music, you should like video games. They are interactive, and thus provide some mental challenge, choice, and active learning opportunities as opposed to just spectating.
I have gone back and forth about my guilt playing video games due to me feeling stuck and not accomplishing things when playing them. However, of late, I have found that I was depressed for totally different reasons. I had another addiction that was much more harmful (porn and masturbation) that would drain the happiness and life out of me. I couldn't delineate if video games or porn were causing me to feel how I did. Now I know that porn was the real issue, and the constant masturbation (once a day, not totally crazy) was draining me of nutrients, harming my nervous system, setting back my dopamine reward center, and fucking me up completely.
Now, I think that video games can be a very cool way to escape reality and have an "active meditation" of sorts where we get to play out possible realities and situations using our minds. I think that this will only increase in the future, and it will allow us to learn and experience things in a much more sustainable and fun way.
All in all, I think your video hits the nail on the head. We are too hard on ourselves sometimes. We know we need to do the right thing, and that's important, but our ancestors were as lazy as they possibly could be. I think we do need to work hard and contribute to society, but video games give us a really cool way to relax and explore realities we have never known.
Cheers,
Matt
Well this so far was the most sad year for me and i find video games to be such a reliff sometime... just doing nothing with yourself and having fun as (sometimes) "someone else" or yourself in a fantasy you always had, for me my sad game will be: the silent hill series (1-4) and the legend of zelda (specificly ocarina of time and sometimes just rpgs you just immerse into. It's the first video of you i watched ever and it was great i seen it the middle of a night of confusion and anxiety and it just calmed me you have a great voice and intersting content i will surely watch more of your stuff and check on your new stuff.
Thx my dude.
orbak2 yeah, for the past couple months video games have really been an escape for me. I know I’m late to reply but I just need to get it out
the quality of your channel is stunning! subbed, really genuine and thoughtful.
This is the best video I've seen this year. You really made me think a lot. Thank you.
“Playing with friends is one of the easiest ways to deal with depression”
I am crying while writing this comment, knowing tomorrow will be another day of playing alone because no one i offer to, want to play with me, and since i have no friends except 1, who doesn’t game and i very rarely see, it is impossible for me to hold back my tears, after 15 years of not having a good friend to rely on, and probably many more to come
Or it can ruin your own confidence If you are playing with a fake nice friend
Don't try to find happiness outside. It's in you. You try to help others; especially.who can't help you back. Try gardening. Do exercise. Drink a lot of water. Keep in touch with parents. Help aged or disabled people to move out and see the world. These are the things we suggest to children in India. Anyway, helping others will surely give happiness and ward off depression. Think of so many who are struggling to get daily food. Some can't even walk, some can't see etc. U r much luckier than them. When u feel ur life is useless,live for others. Naturally, u will get everything you want. *I feel it's stupidity to play game to relieve depression.* May God bless.
I'm a 16 year old higikimori. My parents refuse to allow me to seek mental help so I'm otherwise hopeless. Maybe I can keep it together for 2 more years...
Why?! What kind of reason can they possibly come up with?
Self diagnosis...
Stay strong madude!
@@articcenturion8387 Traditionalism, always because of ignorance. More so in south american communities, at least with my experience as chilean. People can come up with the idea that psychology and mental health are a bunch of nonsense. Specially the old. That and the weight of the idea that gives the word "crazy".
@@lamellarm6546 this person obviously can't even get an "official" diagnosis so why comment this? Also it's better that they know what their mental health status is rather than be ignorant of it.
You are by far the most touching RUclipsr I've ever met, I don't think anyone else has understood how I have felt almost all my life like you
Your video has been added to my "Eye-opener" playlist and you've earned my subscription with this wonderful video.
"To bring forward initiative" hand violently just flops around with a high powered cutting tool
Thank you for making this and putting it in very eloquent words that anyone can understand and relate to. Great job on the trigger warnings too, something that is missing from videos like these (something I am guilty of).
+HeavyEyed omg MITCH! Thank you for watching! And yeah, this was one of those topics that seriously needed warnings for the different types of people who may be watching with such a tough subject
Thank you for your time and effort putting together your video series. I have loved ones who suffer from depression and it's often hard to relate to Thier plight. Videos like this help enlighten those that lack the understanding of what depression really is and can help cultivate empathy and understanding. It's a very brave thing to put your self out there with a person issue like this and I just want you to know it's appreciated.
i just searched "games about mental illness" because i enjoy these videos and i get a man with the most calmest voice on earth and a good video
Something I´ve realized over the years is that I´ve sinked hundreds of hours of game playing whenever I felt more "depressed", or simply unable to find any other kind of productive thing to do. And even though I´m feeling pretty shitty these days, I haven´t played a single video game in years (even though I´m sometimes briefly tempted by it) simply because I´ve learnt that whenever I feel the urge, it´s just because I´m FUCKED.; it´s simply because I´ve learnt getting lost in virtual worlds is not the solution to the problems that lead me to feel like getting lost in them. And while I might not be able to deal with life as I should, I know a new video card to "max settings" (so I can be able to do exactly the same thing that a 12yo without any other resources is doing) won´t make me a happier person.
So PLEASE be careful with what you find comfort with, since games are OK when you´re young enough to lose enough time with them; then they might become just "digital alcohol": a cheap numbing that is most likely to prevent you from doing what you should probably be doing, but haven´t found the "strenght" to do, yet.
Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your comment and I agree. Games aren't the end solution. If anything it's a coping mechanism and a stepping stone. Games like Night In The Woods are excellent in expressing and talking about depression and we need more games to talk about it, and get people into the direction of seeking professional help.
"Games" cannot be, by definition, the "solution" to anything. Just a way to spend time when you feel unable to deal with "it", whether you feel prepared to accept it as such, or not.
And while I know nothing about the game you mentioned, I rather stay away from it, since I believe every month I steer clear of "games", whatever they are, it´s one month I stay closer from "it".
And BTW, I never managed to think I need "professional help", since I don´t think my neurotransmitters are "betraying" me: I just think I just need to get my shit together, without investing any more time in anything that would potentially allow me to communicate in a new foreign language, if I were to put the same number of hours into it.
Cheers, mate.
1650million, what is your hobby now?
Video games addiction is real, whoever joked about it being an addiction has no idea how bad it can get. I have tried drugs, alcohol, cigars, sex but nothing nothing is as addictive as videogames to me. I can smoke a joint one day and then dont smoke nothing for weeks, months or even years and I wont have a problem. But I play a videogame for 1 hour, and more likely I will be playing that game at the next day for hours and hours, ignoring my chores and homework, ignoring my friends and even loved ones. I discovered I had no addiction to other sustances, because I am already addicted to playing videogames.
I feel that somtimes Ill play a short but sweet game not a constant hundred somthing hour time sink but a game thats 8-20 hours long that after youve played it you learn a lesson or you feel somthing greater has happened that has made you look at life better games like these i can give as examples are hyperlight drifter, bioshock, hotline miami, hollowknight, and darksouls,(those last two are an exception since theyre a bit longer than the time stated) thise games made me feel, learn, realize, give out emotions. Not all games are a shitty lootbox timesink.
8:36 and 10:34 - genius... loved how you presented these explanations to very complex topics that could and should be obvious but is not. I have been thoroughly enriched by these gems.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video =) it's extremely insightful and was honestly a blessing for me to watch. I'm currently struggling with my own downward spikes in energy and motivation. I really appreciate you sharing yours and your friend's experiences with gaming and how it's helped you both get through difficult times. Gaming has always been there for me ever since I was a young teen and has helped shape me who I am today. We all deal with our own battles and strives, but keeping that end goal in mind for what it is you truly want in life is extremely important. And in a lot of cases you can lose track of that.
If your feeling depressed or especially suicidal, do NOT tell a health care professional. They keep what you say on file, and that can ruin your life when it comes to getting certain careers, especially government ones. I know this, because I attempted to join the army afterwards because it was my dream to do so, but when they needed my files from my clinic, they assumed that I was ill, even though I was having those problems for reasons like: my dad being an alcoholic, my mom being bipolar, trying to finish school, and pass the aptitude test to join the military all at the same time, which caused me severe stress, to the point of losing sleep, in turn causing the aforementioned problems.
I'm sorry to hear that :(
Leonardo Da Sidci It's okay now. I'm half owner of a small business with my older brother, doing some sweat-equity property investing with the help of my dad, have passed high school with a high school certificate, still have over $20,000 in the bank, have some good references/connections from my old job, invested a little money in the stock market, and I'm only 20 years old. Life can suck my d***!
damn it dude, I ran away from my shrink 4 years ago and my life is just becoming more shitty and these weeks I was thinking I must go find a shrink again and be honest that I don't just have a problem with people, I have crippling depression!
Hey, I am sorry that happened to you. A GOOD mental health professional talks about your suicidal ideations and the underlying problems behind them and they work on it with you. Generally speaking, no one has the rights to access your medical file without your consent, although I know that the military is a different beast, so I don't know how they got your files. Some people who are having SI may be concerned that the mental health professional might detain them to a psychiatric hospital. Again, this is not necessarily true. If you really do not want to talk to a professional, at least talk to somebody you trust, like a friend or family. Don't keep it to yourself.
my happy game is the Sims. I've been playing it since ~2007, it was one of my first games. it's just so comforting to be able to create these lives and places.
recently I've started playing dragon age and it's been making me feel better. night in the woods is also a really good game. I've sorta found a bit of myself in Mae, cause I too disassociate to cope with stuff.
anyways, great video, subbed, belled :D
Ah man, I love The Sims. The Sims 2 was how my career in filmmaking began haha
Thank you for discussing these important things in life through your platform in an unique way for people, gamers like us. I can relate to allot you are saying and I'm just grateful in moments like this. Channels like yours reminds me that there is still hope for our evolution and sticking through it all together. Keep going I'm full on supporting you.
I could relate to this so much. I’m so glad that someone finally talked about this! I have suffered from clinical depression and anxiety for about 5 years now, and video games was my only escape. I wouldn’t really shut myself in, but when I had nobody who understood me, I played games to make myself feel better (cause I felt that the characters in the game needed me and I had a sense of self worth from that). My parents don’t understand why, but games are what drives me to do what I want in the future: concept art/design and animation. I need to show this video to my parents honestly, you explain everything so well. You deserve so much more subscribers because your content is absolutely amazing. Again, thank you for talking about this, it is rare to see videos like these.
Incredible video as always Sid. It's crazy how well these are produced. Do have a patreon or something of the sort? I'd love to help in anyway I can
I don't have a Patreon right now. I mean, I'm pretty new on here, let's face it and I do this as a hobby. I'd much rather that people enjoy the video and/or get something from it for now. But thank you nonetheless, the fact that you're open to it means a lot to me :)
Really well put together video. Subbed!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it :D
I didn't come here expecting such a soft, gentle voice. Wow. You're nice to listen to. Great video!
I'm so glad to find someone talking about how video games correlate to depression. Years ago I find I game (life is strange) that inspired me so much when I didn't have anything to fight for, that game and many others that I have play after helped me find a reason to stay alive and seek help.
I'm happy to see someone talking about this, really great video.
Thanks! You saved my life!
I used to play alot of games and it helped me with depression but recently quarantine and homework has hit me Hard and i Cant play alot of games anymore since im not allowed to... I just Cant get out of it and.. Im have been hiding it for years..
Im not diagnosed with Depression but I do everything. And I feel everything. I loved your video, and I cope it by playing videogames so I can forget about everything.
This video truly opened my eyes about how we play video games to avoid the pressure of life. The video is well structured and your voice is the most soothing thing I’ve ever heard. Tbh, I thought I was the only one who had a sad game.
One of the best video i ve ever seen
I would highly recommend any video by KaptainKristian or Nerdwriter for pop culture. Every Frame a Painting for film. And channels like Raycevick, Writing on Games, Joseph Anderson and Shammy for games.
They all create MUCH better content than I do.
But thank you nonetheless. I appreciate the sentiment :)
Man, never thought I'll heard batman talking to me about depression.
YOU MEAN BRUCE WAYNE
i shall treasure this video till my days have passed , i need that , thank u
Great video! Some years ago I went through a major depressive episode. The reason for contemplating suicide at the time was the isolating nature and stress of medical school. Playing video games online with friends was the only thing comforting me. Before seeing this video I assumed that this couldn't be a common problem. Your essay taught me that apparently many people in their twenties worldwide have similar issues. Thank you for your insightful work! Your artstyle, editing and pacing are amazing!
"People say turning into a mug in pray is the best experience they've had in 2017." 😂😂