Healing Through Games

[Kstar]

Hey everyone,

I know way back we did an article about Gaming as Therapy that you all enjoyed. A question came up if there was scientific evidence supporting if games helped.  Well, I decided to do some hard reporting and discuss my pain disorder for Official Xbox Magazine. It's in this issue, but they just also put it up online: http://www.oxmonline.com/healing-pain-through-videogames

Just wanted to share it with you all!

[GrimReality]

Kim fails to mention that she got a total rock star to spill his guts for her article.
; - )

p.s. Read it. It's very well written and researched. I am proud to be a part of it.

[beLIEve?]

i was watching this show last weekend about healing though games and i thought you might be interested so here's a link.

http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-next-list/

if the link doesn't work for you you could search Jane McGonigal and superbetter.

[Bytor]

I also feel privileged to have contributed and hopefully the article can/will give others some hope. Dealing with any lingering/life threatening illness is a living hell and IMO if gaming can provide some comfort then wonderful!

[Dincrest]

I gave praise to this article over in staffland, but this is definitely a great read.  If not for anything else, to see how gaming can enhance a person's life.  We read so many stories about the evils of gaming, how it's insulating people from "real life" that we need this side of the story.   

I'm sure all the outpouring of support you've gotten from the article makes you feel like you're less alone in your battles.  *Starts imitating the "You Are Not Alone" scene from Final Fantasy IX.*

So I apologize profusely to Kim if I'm threadjacking, but I'd like to see how gaming has affected other peoples lives in positive and profound ways.  I remember reading somewhere on these forums that gaming helped someone in their struggle with alcoholism.  I also remember reading an article elsewhere on the web about how Guitar Hero saved a couples' relationship.  And there's snippet I've written for the site: http://www.rpgfan.com/news/2010/376.html

Because, heck, we are not alone:P 

[Marshmallow]

Read the article a few days ago and it gave me a lot of insight into how gaming can be a helpful tool for people. I can't imagine being in constant pain all the time though. As it is, I'll occasionally get bad headaches or tooth pain, and the last thing I want to do is play games when I'm experiencing pain--I just want to curl up and sleep. I figure being able to focus on anything at all while in pain is a good first step.

To answer Neal's question, back when I was a sadder individual I tended to use gaming as a way to escape being unhappy, although I've come to realize that that is not necessarily a good thing if relied upon. Still, it gave me a temporary break from reality when I needed it most. Now, I'd say gaming helps me in that it acts as a tool to facilitate relaxation at the end of the day. My fiance and I also play games together (or one of us watches the other) so it works for us partially as an entertainment/bonding tool.