A study done by Microsoft says 84 per cent of respondents agreed gaming has positively impacted their mental health over the past year. 71 per cent said gaming helped them feel less isolated. Photo by Zach Lalin.
As they treat their wounds, a timer pops up counting down from 10 seconds. Nearly getting eliminated by the kill circle, there is only one other player with them in the battlefield as the circle narrows in on their general vicinity of their current location.
To what seems like forever, the timer reaches zero, indicating they can finally move around. They quickly scan their surroundings and decide to move to high ground to get a vantage point. As they run to the top, they see the other player hiding in a corner. The enemy quickly realizes their presence and without a doubt immediately shoots each other to try and secure the victory.
After a couple shots, one of them finally gets eliminated. The party chat is silent. A victory message appears on their screen, their squad screams as they get their win for the night.
Just another late night gaming session with Jayden Goulet and his group of friends, an individual who has used video games to cope with his mental health. This get together is just one of many reasons why video games aren’t just for entertainment and that can be used as an escape or a coping tool from depression or any kind of mental suffering.
Video games also have that anonymity when playing in different types of worlds and settings, no one can judge you for who you are because of it.
“I went through a time of contemplation where I didn’t feel anything and felt numb. Video games helped me go through that stage by giving me a chance to escape the real world and enter one where no one knows who you are,” Goulet said.
Of course, not all communities within video games are necessarily kind to others. there are always those who are toxic. But if you find yourself surrounded by other like-minded gamers who are also facing similar hardships, you can help build and be part of a community to help others who are out there facing similar situations who have come to seek help or to escape from it.
Kayla Gomez who also went through a difficult time in the past, has helped her friends through video games who were experiencing personal family issues. Some were lost and didn’t know what to do with their life as they went through constant struggles of being unable to express their feelings for help.
“Yes I have helped some of my friends. They couldn’t decide on what they should do and had no motivation to start doing what’s necessary in order for people to help them. But as they started to meet people and forming friendships through video games, they ended up gaining some social skills to be able to express themselves more and how they feel,” Gomez said.
Whether using video games to escape, overcome or cope with mental problems. It can also be used as a tool to develop skills to slowly get you the courage or confidence to seek help whether that may be a friend, family or someone who you’ve formed a bond with through video games.
