When it comes to mental illness, video games often get a bad rap. There is a ton of talk in the media about how video games cause violent behavior (it’s not that simple) and how video game addiction is a real thing (it is, but not as big of a problem as some may lead … Continue reading Video games can help fight depression
As I’ve discussed before, I’m a video game nerd. Hardcore. And, as someone who is a bit obsessed with eradicating stigma that is related to mental illness, I remain fascinated by public portrayal of depression, anxiety and addiction. Video games, I believe, are art. I define art as the ability to make a profound emotional … Continue reading 4 Video Games that portray mental illness
One way I cope with depression is video games, which some studies have noted can help improve social anxiety, depression and stress levels. I wanted to elaborate on this one a bit. First: I love video games. And I mean I loooooove video games. I can tie most major periods of my life to some sort of … Continue reading Video games and depression
As you may know if you have already read this blog, I have previously written about video games and their attempts to tackle the weighty issue of mental illness. I now have a new game to add to that group: Celeste, an incredible platformer that tells a powerful story. Warning: Story spoilers below First of … Continue reading Climb That Mountain: Celeste, the video game that just made me tear up
Video games offer us some critical insight into how we cope with depression.
I’ve written a lot about the importance of trying to push through your mental illness. To clarify, I don’t mean “power through” or “man up” or any of those other absolutely ridiculous cliches. By that, I suppose I more mean “don’t surrender.” As someone who constantly feels like they are being chased by anxiety/depression – … Continue reading When To Take A Step Back
I’ve written about video games before, but never quite like this. Yesterday, I was watching this video on Zelda: Breath of the Wild (awesome game, by the way). In the course of watching, I came across this: For those of you who don’t watch the video, here’s the basic gist: Link, the game’s hero, walks … Continue reading The incredibly sweet tribute to a mental health hero in Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Like many of you – okay, probably all of you – the events of at Majority Stoneman Douglas High School earlier this month took my breath away. There’s simply no other way to say it. Watching those children weep, their parents weep, their families in anguish – you have to be born without an empathetic … Continue reading Depression, Parkland and its affect on us all
The more I think about it, the more convinced I’ve become of this idea: If I didn’t have an escape, I’d go absolutely, positively out of my mind. As I’ve said before, I’m an elected official. It’s not a low-stress job. No matter what anyone tells you, by and large, it’s a pretty grueling gig: … Continue reading You probably need an escape
Here’s one that came up yesterday when I was just having a conversation yesterday: How can you tell this difference between being sad and having a diagnosable depression problem? I mean, everyone gets sad at some point, duh. Life has moments of pain. But, what is the difference? Because it is a crucial one – … Continue reading The difference between being sad and being depressed
