Is It Healthy For A Ptsd Survivor To Play Video Games?

[Kas_Can_Fly]

I prefer, personally, to maximize potential benefit. Perhaps you do not.

Woah! What's with the attack?! Maybe you have misunderstood my post, maybe I misunderstood yours, maybe both. It was not an attack. I have been criticised by my therapist (who I've seen a handful of times and is my first therapist) and my social worker for wanting too much healing too fast and to give things time and to not spend all my time focussed on trauma and getting better - so spending time in hobbies and other activities is good. My personal problem is that I am unable to enjoy anything nor am I able to focus for any length of time - everything I used to do to pass time, everything that I used to enjoy (including gaming) I can't - so I do try anything and everything to get better, because I literally have nothing else. I don't know what else to do to get better, I just wish someone would tell me, but I'm told to slow down, hold-my horses and that I'm doing well - well I'm not.

For me not being in a panic state or horrifically dissociated is an achievement, something in the past I have only ever been able to with a distraction. I have no social life as I am unable to maintain it - I find it too difficult and too painful. For the same reasons and many more, I don't have a job. Unfortunately many of my abusers live literally in 0.2 miles of my house - so I rarely, if ever go out and never alone. Also when you try to sleep but can't - there are many hours in the day - far more than 12 and that's not easy to fill when you are trapped and with no company. Now I don't know the situation of the OP, but they may have a lot of time on their hands too, they may have limited social company. Filling that time with something even slightly too much of one thing is better than doing nothing.

I'm not sure where you got the "12+ hours a day to look for cognitive benefits" or that I focus "on only healing".

I got the number from this:

Personally, since there are only so many hours in a day, my preference is to seek cognitive benefit and possible improvement

If I leave between 8 and 12 hours for sleep (of which I'll hopefully get a few hours) a day 24 hour period, then there are 12+ hours of a day and I never said you spend 12+ hours a day to look for cognitive benefits/healing. Also I didn't say that the remaining time awake had to be spent doing one thing. What I said and meant was when you aren't healing, or doing other things, gaming is as good a hobby or downtime recharge as any, spending half and hour, or even a few hours here and there, even time daily isn't the end of the world - PTSD or not, how you spend your downtime is surely your own (and my own for mine) decision. A small amount of escapism is nice and often necessary especially for those with PTSD surely?

but mindful play gives me the extra added bonus of perhaps some cognitive benefit.

I'm not sure what you mean by mindful play, If I've misunderstood please explain - I think many types of games may be mindful. Puzzles require intelligence, but many games require strategy and tactic. Role-playing fantasy games such as the one mentioned by the OP are very mindful for me because they help me analyse and understand the development of relationships on top of the strategy and tactics - as well as the strategy/tactics line. Plus they are the least adrenaline and anxiety inducing games for me.

Of course time is finite - it is for you, and it is for everyone else but when you aren't doing healing activities and other things like maybe housework, a job if you have one, maintaining relationships etc, etc, you may like to game. Depending on how much healing, work, social and other experiences fill your life you may have more time left in the day - gaming may be what you enjoy, or something else and you may choose to fill your spare time with that or a combination of things, I don't think that's unhealthy. In fact I think it is healthy to do things that please you and that you derive enjoyment from.

 

[DharmaGirl]

I enjoy RPGs. I get to play the hero and right the wrongs of the world. It feels good to me to be able to save the world, or homeland or New Vegas. I don't watch TV, so I have some hours to play if I want. I haven't played in awhile. The last game I got triggered me so I stopped. I will play again, but its more a winter time thing for me. There is a thread on Skyrim on here, you would have to search it out but lots of people play.

 

[The Albatross]

Kansas Can Fly, yeah your arbitrary statement caused me some irritation. Though perhaps not the best thought out post I've ever written, my apologies. I am far less reactive, personally, when I am grounded in the present as things are. Fantasy gaming doesn't do a thing for me and as I'm reactive to noises and certain situations can make it more difficult.

As for the last post, it is too loaded for me to reply to, so I won't. Except to say that I have not been discouraged from pursuing or exploring restorative or healing or well being activities, education or hobbies as you say you have. So far are the perception of being criticized though, I think I might re-investigate that perception as it came from you're two well intentioned people.

The only time I was cautioned to slow down by my shrink was when my symptoms were increasing (frustration, self harm, suicidal ideation, depression, racing thoughts, body reactions, high stress/anxiety). I heeded the point, and realized I needed to put some stress management techniques into practice and work on them for a while before I pressed on.

Off topic so carry on.

 

[JarHed]

As always, just my opinions.

I think, perhaps, it's best to say that you should find something that you like doing that can help to lessen the affects of your condition. I do think that the time you spend with a positive pursuit of your choice can be beneficial. For me those things help me to not focus on the problems of the moment and actually help give me some perspective.

JarHed