Question of the Day, July 15, 2010

[Jamous]

Usually. Games that scare the crap out of me are better, because my response to fear is hysterics. XD

 

[ajofflight]

Stress yes, depression no.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Most definitely. A few months ago I was severely stressed as it came to the last few days before my degree dissertation was due in. I knew it was garbage and that there was no way to finish it before the deadline. I was very close to cracking and there was no one I could go to for help or simply for a hug. It came to the point where some seriously dark thoughts were going through my head and I was almost in hysterics. I just stopped what I was doing watched an episode of Firefly and played some "Flower". It saved me from having a breakdown, or worse. Maybe a hot bath would have done the same thing and some credit has to go to Firefly, but that's beside the point. A game forces you to engage and become engrossed and it washed away the dark thoughts.

 

[Furious Styles]

in the short term, yes. In the long term, not so sure

 

[8bitmaster]

yes cause smashing people in games like just cause 2 makes me laugh.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I've known this for a long time. I play violent games when I feel angry to help me feel better.

It beats doing drugs, or drinking or beating up something.

 

[westx207]

Nothing can relieve my depression :-(

*weeps softly*

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Some games make me rage but those are the outliers.

 

[Drexlor]

Absolutely, without my beloved video games, I would most certainly have gone insane by now.

 

[Zing]

I wish there was a sometimes option. Sometimes they do, when I'm playing some game that challenges me but I'm still having fun, then there's retarded games like Demon's Souls where I can feel my blood pressure rising.

 

[Stevo_s]

Well sometimes..
I mean isn't that one of the reasons we all love playing video games so much?

To escape our stresses and problems? and if its not to escape problems
then its to escape to being the savior, or destruct-er of these realms that are truly only real in our heads.

Don't we all love that feeling as though your the baddest "mutha effer" in a game?
Like "BRING IT NPC your so foolish to challenge me!" Its so fun being that guy!

The reason for me at least, that it only sometimes reduces stress and anger is that you can not go into a game pissed off at the world and want to deliver these fake pixels your wrath its not enough. Games aren't real and when we go into them to knowingly escape, we realize were only running.

In my alcohol induced opinion anyway.

 

[Cain_Zeros]

For me it's more of a distraction. As soon as I stop I'll start focusing on everything again.

 

[rekabdarb]

UH YES

Since i can't (or ... can i?) do this [below] in real life i'd at least like to simulate it

 

[Nemu]

Yep, definitely relieve my stress.

Especially when PVPing.

 

[Woodsey]

They relieve me of boredom.

They probably help me ignore stress, but that's not the same as relieving it. As for depression, I'm not clinically depressed so there's nothing to relieve; bit of an odd question.