How gaming helped my mental health

Topics mentioned: gaming and mental health, feeling out of control

About: We often hear about the negative aspects of gaming, but can it be a positive thing too? Our guest blogger, Wes, shares how gaming helped his mental health when he was struggling.

Electronic gaming is a new and often misunderstood hobby. The idea that someone can enjoy sitting around twiddling their thumbs for hours seems almost alien to a lot of people. And so, when it becomes an issue, it can be a lot harder to recognise than other mental health issues.

But there is a difference between a healthy relationship with gaming and one that is negatively affecting your mental health. If your “hobby” is causing you stress and anger, or you’re using it as a coping mechanism to forget about the world around you, then it may be worth thinking about.

For me, gaming became a place where I could escape my degree, my life and my mental health conditions when things were tough. This wasn’t obvious at first because I was living at university where habits and problems can very easily go unnoticed - studying hard in your room and playing 12 hours of video games a day look very similar to a housemate or outsider.

For many people, gaming has a bad image. They may think of a lone person hidden away in their room and decide that this is a hobby that can ultimately only be bad for you. What people don’t realise, however, is that - in my case at least - it isn’t all bad.

I mean yes, there was a point in time when I was playing too much and it was having a negative effect on the rest of my life. However, gaming also allowed me to do all the things we are told to do to deal with depression and anxiety.

Now I am back to a healthier relationship with gaming. I am an engineering undergrad, a volleyball player and a YoungMinds Activist among other things, but I still find time almost every day for anywhere between ten minutes to a couple of hours to connect with friends, get lost in another world or compete against other gamers.

However, now I don’t allow it to dominate my life as it has done in the past as I am successfully dealing with the problems that previously led to excessive gaming.

If you take anything away from this, I hope it is that any excessive behaviour can be bad for either your physical or mental health, but too often gaming is painted in a negative light when it is a place for friendship and shared passions. Gaming is not just an electric-powered fidget spinner, but a fun day out with friends, an awe-inspiring movie and an adrenaline-inducing competitive sport all rolled into one.

If you are struggling with your mental health, check out our find help guide for information and advice on ways to get help.