Are video games an aid to combat depression?
Many people go through different problems and for different circumstances fall into depression, anxiety or stress, conditions that often must be treated by professionals because if they are not attacked in a timely manner, they can have irreversible results in the person.
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Emotional disorders trap us, and they function as prisons many times leaving the person trapped in their mood, locking themselves in and leaving to perform different activities such as stop going to work, stop frequenting their friends and stop eating.
A fundamental key to overcome these problems is that our life is no longer controlled by our state of mind, and that it begins to be controlled by our objectives and plans in the short, medium or long term.
But can videogames really help us out of depression, or avoid it?
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As long as they are played in controlled lapses, they are an excellent anti-stress practice and help to get out of the depressions, since our brain releases chemicals that are opposed to depression, besides helping us to distract ourselves and forget about the problems. Many video games can be played online which is wonderful since we interact with other players. A very important note, is that video games must be played at controlled times, since we would fall into another serious problem such as addiction to them.
Several scientific studies have revealed very positive effects of video games on health. Researchers have recorded electroencephalographic activity and variability of heart rate in a group of people while playing different video games. After comparing the results with those of other participants who did not play, they found two fundamental findings. On the one hand, changes in the alpha activity of the frontal areas of the brain that were associated with better mood and mental relief. On the other, a lower cardiac rate that was interpreted as a lower response of the autonomic nervous system and less physical stress.
Videogames like the famous Pokemon GO, are an excellent help since it forces people to go out, to look for things outside their homes, to know new places and to be distracted.
There is a considerably new practice which i have been part of which is called EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). This utilizes hand eye ordination and flashing lights to break thought mental process and intervene particular thoughts.
When i was first introduced to this procedure it was equated to playing simple video games such as tetris, but the "proper" equipment set up is quite different. While all video games many not bet the way to go there is some evidence that "some" video games have this kind of effect, at least to a point that therapists are suggesting to use them in a home environment as an addition to the therapy provided within the therapeutic process completed at their offices.
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I don't think video games are aids to combat depression. They only distract you for a little while bit once you stop playing, you will once more turn to face your reality. It can even lead to addictions as a measure to escape facing reality. There are always better ways i think to handle depression and that is facing it, it's root cause and solving it from there.