CherryBelle Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hi. I've suffered from depression and anxiety for around 9 years. I've found that Skyrim often lets my brain relax enough to shut off the constant 'worryworryworry' that seems present at all other times. I was curious if anyone else uses the game for therapeutic purposes like this, and not just for fun? (All though, I do play it for fun as well lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose109 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'll admit Skyrim and a few other games are nice to take a break from real life, but my ultimate escape is books. There's nothing like loosing yourself in a good book (also to escape reality). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jannifer Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I've had problems with anxiety since my teens, but I wasn't formally diagnosed until things got so bad that I was forced to leave work. I do use games like Skyrim as a way to cope. I can play for hours on end, and I spend a lot of time searching for and installing mods. Then, I spend almost as much time getting those mods to work. Like Moose, I also read, and I do other things which help me keep my mind turned away from the anxiety. I would add on a more personal note that if you are not getting treatment, then do. It's important, and there are therapies that can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomriis Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Depression can really be a tricky condition. One of my best female friends has depression and im really having a hard time understanding why???Shes well educated with an bachelor degree and has 2 wonderful kids in which many would envy her but still shes feeling that she dosnt suffice. I do think that games like the TES series are a great way to turn off the real world and immerse yourself with something that has absolutely nothing to do with all the daily bullshit like terror, politics and wars going on everywhere. So now shes an avid gamer of tes IV and V after ive introduced her to them :thumbsup: And shes loving it,A 33 year old housemother which always hated games??. what an achievement ha ha :laugh: So if playing TES games works for you then keep at it, Do!!! remember leaving your warhammer at home on your next visit to the therapist or youll might end up getting arrested by the city guards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saurusmaximus Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Funny you should ask...Depression is something I've fought with since my teens. It's never been severe, I'll just feel like a useless piece of crap for a few months, then it goes away. I've used several coping mechnisims over the years, my #1 is still listening to music, and video games are another. I started playing Skyrim a little over a year ago and I haven't been able to put it down and I couldn't understand why. Many days it's the only thing I want to do. I've tried starting other games but I just can't seem to get into them, for example, I've heard a lot of other people rave about Fallout New Vegas so I tried it, and the little bit I played I enjoyed, but I just can't get into it. I finally realized the reason why was because FNV isn't enough of an escape; it's too close to the real world, at least for me and in my case the RW is part of what bums me out. All this was a long way of saying "Yes, I use Skyrim to help with my depression." :blush: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit1251 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which is linked to severe depression. Playing mild RPG video games are usually the only thing that I have the strength for and all too frequently I don't even have the strength for that. Then it's Solitaire all day. Multiplayer games are strictly out. I'm trying to get into the Sims 3 right now, but it's taking more out of me then I've got to put in to it. Rabbit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherryBelle Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Depression can really be a tricky condition. One of my best female friends has depression and im really having a hard time understanding why???Shes well educated with an bachelor degree and has 2 wonderful kids in which many would envy her but still shes feeling that she dosnt suffice. I do think that games like the TES series are a great way to turn off the real world and immerse yourself with something that has absolutely nothing to do with all the daily bulls*** like terror, politics and wars going on everywhere. So now shes an avid gamer of tes IV and V after ive introduced her to them :thumbsup: And shes loving it,A 33 year old housemother which always hated games??. what an achievement ha ha :laugh: So if playing TES games works for you then keep at it, Do!!! remember leaving your warhammer at home on your next visit to the therapist or youll might end up getting arrested by the city guards. Depression can be really hard to understand. It can strike people that seem to have everything together and have a wonderful life. It's really sinister in that respect. I've had bouts of it pop up for no damn apparent reason, and I take an anti depressant. Of course, crap like exercise, therapy and a support network are also huge. I'm a member of my gym and I use the cross trainer thing for like an hour 6 days a week. Love that thing. I agree with your thoughts on Skyrim too. I get to just live in another world for a few hours. It's so immersive and fun. I just discovered the 'live another life' mod and am thrilled with it. I decided to challenge myself and make my way from the abandoned prison to Riverwood without ever looking at the map. Only road markers (I have point the way installed though, so I have more markers thank goodness). It took forever, and I actually ran into Whiterun first, so I think I went the wrong way, but it was a hoot. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherryBelle Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'll admit Skyrim and a few other games are nice to take a break from real life, but my ultimate escape is books. There's nothing like loosing yourself in a good book (also to escape reality). Oh, I love to read as well. I agree. A good book can just block out the entire world and suck you in! Funny you should ask...Depression is something I've fought with since my teens. It's never been severe, I'll just feel like a useless piece of crap for a few months, then it goes away. I've used several coping mechnisims over the years, my #1 is still listening to music, and video games are another. I started playing Skyrim a little over a year ago and I haven't been able to put it down and I couldn't understand why. Many days it's the only thing I want to do. I've tried starting other games but I just can't seem to get into them, for example, I've heard a lot of other people rave about Fallout New Vegas so I tried it, and the little bit I played I enjoyed, but I just can't get into it. I finally realized the reason why was because FNV isn't enough of an escape; it's too close to the real world, at least for me and in my case the RW is part of what bums me out. All this was a long way of saying "Yes, I use Skyrim to help with my depression." :blush: I felt like that about Skyrim when I finally bought it. Before I dabbled in some free to play mmorpgs and mmos and while I still have them on my hard drive, I haven't played them in ages. Cept for Pangya, my fantasy golf game.. lol. Skyrim just.. it's so overwhelming. It's like 10 different games wrapped into one game, depending on how you wanna play your game. Glad you found ways to deal with your depression. Just keep a lookout on if it suddenly gets worse. That happened to me. I started out with dysthymia which is like a lesser type of depression, which then bloomed into full blown clinical depression. Sucks. I can just get lost in the world of Skyrim though. I enjoy listening to the npcs stories too (have interesting NPCs mod installed). I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which is linked to severe depression. Playing mild RPG video games are usually the only thing that I have the strength for and all too frequently I don't even have the strength for that. Then it's Solitaire all day. Multiplayer games are strictly out. I'm trying to get into the Sims 3 right now, but it's taking more out of me then I've got to put in to it. Rabbit I don't have chronic fagigue syndrom but I am pretty much exhausted every day. It's really sucky. So many things link back to depression or fatigue. I also have a crap thyroid, and while I take meds for it, the doc told me my tiredness coudl still be the result of it. Or it could be from my depression, or a side effect of the med I take for anxiety or the one I take for depression. So it's like.. well shoot.. Hope you might feel better. Have you looked into getting a sunlight simulating light? I got one at costco called the happy light, and it seems to help me a bit. I leave it on for a half hour when I get up in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherryBelle Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 I've had problems with anxiety since my teens, but I wasn't formally diagnosed until things got so bad that I was forced to leave work. I do use games like Skyrim as a way to cope. I can play for hours on end, and I spend a lot of time searching for and installing mods. Then, I spend almost as much time getting those mods to work. Like Moose, I also read, and I do other things which help me keep my mind turned away from the anxiety. I would add on a more personal note that if you are not getting treatment, then do. It's important, and there are therapies that can help. I missed you in my quote somehow, if I could figure out how to edit and add your quote I would lol. I know how you feel about playing for hours. I did that when I first got it. If I get really into it, I can go for hours. I also spend a huge amount of time with mods and getting them to play nice together. Luckily I am getting treatment, but thanks for the concern. :) I've seen the same therapist for all these years so she knows me well. Treatment has definitely made a huge difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose109 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I was in depression once... But then I sat up from my beanbag. But on another note: since we PC gamers sink hundreds of hours in to games and game-related event, maybe we're all just depressed with life in general? I've been told on numerous occasions that I'm mad or crazy to spend so much time gaming or reading(once finished, from cover to cover, a six-hundred+ page book in 2 hours! I'm a fast reader). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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