Gaming?

[bhupendra]

It's been a long time, probably years, since I last played any video game.
They were fun but also good stress relievers and means of cognitive enhancement. Moreover unlike any other mental activity they require lots of focus and decision making. They engage a person more than any other leisure mental activity can. You don't always require a partner to play them with. The experience you have after playing a game is totally different than when you've just watched a movie, listened to a song or read a book. When played with another person they're also good form of emotional bonding with that person.
It's sad that in many families parents never play video games with their kids even during their leisure time and prefer to watch TV or these days—social media.
My creativity and motor skills used to be quite good when I used to play video games as a kid.

Nongamers or any of those gamers who play them all day without any intent other than simply scoring, passing and unlocking the levels in a game often have bad things to say about video games without ever studying them and appreciating their beauty.
I know it's a bit of a generalization still it's from my personal experiences with people... most of the gamers I've met I had found them to be pretty down to earth no nonsense people.
Any gamers in here? Or anybody who had explored gaming as means of cognitive stimulation?
What kind of genre/s do you prefer?
Which titles you play/played?
Have you ever tried socializing with other gamers?

[Rainagain]

I find games help to pass the time and stop intrusive thoughts while I am concentrating on playing. It also takes my mind off other things like chronic pain.

The problem is that it feels like I'm not doing anything useful, I'm not in the real world which is good but there is something slightly sad about playing for hours like I used to.

I haven't played any for a year or so but am thinking of getting a modern console and some new games as I miss the zoning out thing sometimes when times are especially tough.

I'm not sure it develops any skills, for me it allows the world to get paused for a bit.

[bhupendra]

I find games help to pass the time and stop intrusive thoughts while I am concentrating on playing. It also takes my mind off other things like chronic pain.

I think video games can help people with cptsd issues or any cognition related issues. Firstly, you don't have to use them or view them as distraction, choose the title that you like and allocate specific days and duration for gaming. Having a partner to play with would be even more beneficial if it's a multiplayer game.

The problem is that it feels like I'm not doing anything useful, I'm not in the real world which is good but there is something slightly sad about playing for hours like I used to.

Yes. That's why most people just give up gaming. Except, maybe if you're some professional gamer and getting payed for it. But that'd require immense practice and diehard passion for gaming. You don't have to be a professional gamer. You can allocate time for it as per your needs and purpose. Some of the titles, storyline and gameplay can be very enticing.
The key is not to get lost and lose track of time finding the key to unlock the next level or lose yourself in hoarding the keys.

I haven't played any for a year or so but am thinking of getting a modern console and some new games as I miss the zoning out thing sometimes when times are especially tough.

I'm not sure it develops any skills, for me it allows the world to get paused for a bit.

I don't think video games directly help develop skills. They probably help your cognition so that you can efficiently use the skills you already possess and learn new skills faster. I guess it's the same with coding. I have experienced that I can process information more efficiently and my mood is also quite good when I do activities that provide cognitive stimulation like playing video games, coding etc.
It's not mere zoning out. They actually put your mind in a Zen state. Which also depends on the title you're playing and if you're interested in the gameplay or simply want to score points and get to the next level.

[Rainagain]

A friend of mine in Europe (55yrs old) got so good at one game that he and his 3 team mates were flown to USA for a convention so their fans could meet them in person and watch them play.

The funny thing is he had never met his team mates before as they were from all over the world.

Nice story I always think, might have been call of duty or something like that, its not his main job either......

[bhupendra]

Thank you Rainagain. Your post reminds me that I should only speak for myself and not others.

[Rainagain]

Bhupendra,

It was just a nice funny story of a middle aged guy becoming some sort of teen hero and getting flown to the USA, wasn't meant to shut you down at all, sorry if it sounded like it.

[Erebor]

I love games, but I wasn't allowed to get into gaming beyond PC games so much of that world is very new and exciting for me. I love learning about things, so even though I still haven't played most of the games people talk about, I'd love to get the chance to! I find their worlds and stories very interesting, although plenty of games seem like a bad idea for someone with CPTSD - at least they do for me. My body and reactions seem to struggle to distinguish between a pretend threat and a real one, so things I'd love to play are in many cases too stressful. I'd love to heal this.

[kdke]

I think gaming has a lot of great benefits and can be used as a tool for coping with certain challenges that trauma has caused in someone's life. I think it's obvious, however, that gaming is one of those tools that can be overused and must be utilized in moderation.

From my own personal experience, gaming can evolve into a very effective dissociative activity, helping escape for hours to whole days. We definitely are all allowed our escapes, but that level of dissociation (As I believe not all levels of dissociation are harmful) is debilitating on its own and can negatively impact a person's life, I've noticed. I've done it and I've watched friends go through it, too.

There are some great ideas about the benefits of gaming since they can help to encourage interpersonal relationships and teamwork environments. They obviously also inspire creativity in many people, which I think is a huge bonus as that, in turn, makes people want to create themselves. What awesome coping mechanisms.

But as I've hypothesized before, the biggest challenge is moderation. We gotta make sure we create boundaries and be mindful of when gaming goes from a healthy escape to just another challenge we have to overcome.

Other than that, I loooove gaming and I've been trying to get my boyfriend to play The Last Guardian. That is one game that really inspires so many feelings of compassion, patience, and love because of the amazing companionship between the boy and Trico. Such a beautiful game. Makes me cry at the end, haha.

[Erebor]

From my own personal experience, gaming can evolve into a very effective dissociative activity, helping escape for hours to whole days. We definitely are all allowed our escapes, but that level of dissociation (As I believe not all levels of dissociation are harmful) is debilitating on its own and can negatively impact a person's life, I've noticed. I've done it and I've watched friends go through it, too.

There are some great ideas about the benefits of gaming since they can help to encourage interpersonal relationships and teamwork environments. They obviously also inspire creativity in many people, which I think is a huge bonus as that, in turn, makes people want to create themselves. What awesome coping mechanisms.

But as I've hypothesized before, the biggest challenge is moderation. We gotta make sure we create boundaries and be mindful of when gaming goes from a healthy escape to just another challenge we have to overcome.

Other than that, I loooove gaming and I've been trying to get my boyfriend to play The Last Guardian. That is one game that really inspires so many feelings of compassion, patience, and love because of the amazing companionship between the boy and Trico. Such a beautiful game. Makes me cry at the end, haha.

I completely agree.