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Researchers found that 50% of world population will experience mental illness during their lifetime. Although the severity and symptoms of these problems differ, they all tend to impact the affected people’s day-to-day living. Recent research suggests that online gaming is a new generation therapy for mental health illness. In other words, online games can improve how an individual thinks, feels, acts, and relates to other people.
How do online games treat these health issues? Are there games developed for this purpose? This article answers these questions and more.
How online games help treat mental illness
According to many studies, online games provide the following benefits:
- Improved mental capacity
Sprint Club Nitro, Empire World War 3, and other online games require quick thinking and decision-making. Your ability to think on your feet influences your performances in these games. You are forced to continuously reason and evaluate your circumstances before deciding how to navigate your way. These activities help you develop and improve your critical thinking skills. They enhance your cognition as you deal with different complex situations.
As a result of these tasks, certain online games can boost your mental capacity. Visit AddictingGames, MyRealGames or Pogo to find free games that can stimulate you mentally.
- Better relaxation
Studies have shown that stress is one of the leading causes of numerous mental disorders. Fortunately, you can take advantage of online gaming to relieve stress. Gaming helps you switch off and makes you relax. Online games take your mind away from the stressful activities you have dealt with during the day. Hence, they make you feel better about yourself.
Therefore, if you are dealing with stress at work, school, or home, do not hesitate to spend some moments on online gaming. This simple therapy can help you relax and improve your mental health.
- Feeling of accomplishment
Online games usually have set objectives that each player is expected to achieve. Every online player works all around the clock to reach these objectives. A study published in the journal of American Psychological Association states that the satisfaction derived from reaching the objectives of online games can boost gamers’ mental well-being. This experience can lead to a feeling of accomplishment.
Apart from feeling accomplished, you tend to look forward to achieving more goals in online games. This can keep you focused and psyched, improving your mental wellness.
- Enhanced visual and spatial perception
As online games boost critical thinking skills and fast-thinking, they aid visual and spatial perception. Playing games involves viewing everything and judging distance quickly. Given this, the games help you develop your brain power and could aid your ability to pay attention to the most important things. This benefit may go beyond the virtual world of gaming and impact your life.
- Improved socialization
Nowadays, we live in a world where physical social interaction is limited. Unfortunately, this has led to poor socialization and various mental challenges. The good news is that playing online games may aid your social interaction.
Generally, online multi-player games like Among Us, Desert Operations, QuizUp, and Hungry Shark Arena require forming a team with others. Everyone works together to accomplish a common goal. In addition to building teamwork skills, the games contribute to socialization. While playing online, you will learn more about cooperation and trust.
Furthermore, multi-player games assist in developing communication skills as you have to talk to other players. The combination of these factors can play a vital role in improving your social skills, which boost your mental health.
- Heightened emotional resilience
When playing video games online, you are bound to fail in diverse situations. While you may feel frustrated over the failure, it could serve as a form of a character-building activity. Studies show that online gaming aids psychological resilience as it makes you understand that failure is part of life and encourages you to embrace it. It motivates you to continue trying and looking for ways to succeed in the game. This experience can translate into real life. Therefore, it is not strange that online games can make you more emotionally resilient.
- Relief of existing mental illnesses
Are you suffering from poor mood, loneliness, depression, anxiety? Online games may alleviate these conditions. According to a 2021 peer review, gaming may lower the symptoms of these mental illnesses. Portal 2, Flappy Bird, and Mario Kart aid goal achievement and may boost mood. The review also suggests that Rayman, Bejeweled II, Angry Birds, Bookworm Adventures, and other video games may alleviate different forms of anxiety.
Important things to note about online games for mental illness
To maximize the benefits of various online games for mental health, note the following things:
- Enjoy games designed for mental health:
Certain games have been specifically created to improve your mental capability and relieve mental health issues like anxiety and depression. These games include Nights in the Woods, Depression Quest, Sea of Solitude, Gris, and Celeste. Take advantage of these games.
- Limit your gaming
While online games are helpful, moderation is key to enjoying their benefits. Excessive gaming may lead to gaming disorder, which is the inability to control gaming. It tends to have a negative impact on your health, as it encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Apart from its well-known physical problems, a sedentary lifestyle may also lead to anger, low mood, isolation, and loneliness.
To avoid these problems, limit how much time you spend playing online games. If it seems you cannot stop playing online games, seek help.
- Don’t replace traditional treatment with gaming
Although online gaming is a low-cost method for treating mental illness, it should not be considered as a replacement for conventional therapies. It should rather be combined with other methods for effective treatment. Get support from mental health experts and family when dealing with any illness.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, online games are recommended for people looking for an alternative method for dealing with mental illnesses. This new generation therapy can offer several benefits as it relieves stress, depression, anxiety, and other related problems.