Escapism to a Virtual world:

Why Playing Video Games Can Be Therapeutic

By Amanda Fludd, LCSW-R

When you think about video games and kids, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of obsessed kids, overconsumption, sleep deprivation, and addiction. In recent years, video games have gained a bad reputation for overconsumption and contribute to increased psychological and physical problems for young people. However, research has shown that video games can also positively affect mental health and well-being, especially as a coping mechanism for stress.

Stress is a typical response to changes and challenges, and life is full of those — even during childhood. It can be caused by various factors like moves, unexpected losses, exposure to domestic violence, incarceration, substance use within the family, poor household communication styles, or simply the daily ebbs and flow of life that trigger responses for adults and children alike. Learning to cope with stress is essential to survive life, and in this piece, we explore how one young gamer used video games as a powerful tool for self-care, providing a way to disconnect from the world and find peace from the emotional noise of his childhood.

I want to introduce you to “Anonymous B,” an African American young adult willing to invite us into his virtual world.

Amanda: What should we know about you?

Anonymous B: “I have a very quiet personality and can be nervous or anxious most of the time. My friends would all agree that I am normally quiet, but once I get to know you, I tend to become more active around you like I am with my friends. Video games are my hobby that I’ll continue till the end of my life, and it’s just a part of me at this point”.

Escapism to a Virtual World

Video games are known to help manage stress and anxiety in both children and adults. Games offer an escape from the challenges of everyday life, allowing players to enter a virtual world where they can relax and take their minds off their worries. When playing video games, the player is completely immersed in the game, giving a sense of control and mastery over the situation, which they don’t always have in real life.

Amanda: Did video games become an escape for you? If it did, did it start there, or how did that evolve?

Anonymous B: “When you’re younger, you see it as something to play with, like a toy. When you grow up, you realize it’s more than a game- it’s people, community, and for me, it also became a tool for expression.”

He described one of his favorite activities: creating worlds within the games. He adds the game “lets me make anything I want, and that also lets me sometimes even express my feelings that I may be holding inside into a creation. It really is like a form of art within a video game.”

While some may argue that video games can exacerbate anxiety and addiction, and I believe there is a fine line, research shows that moderate gaming can improve mental health. Gaming in moderation can be a healthy escape and an effective coping mechanism when dealing with stressful or unexpected situations.

Amanda: I think we sometimes perceive video games to have creative and expressive value in how you describe them. Does that translate outside the game?

Anonymous B: “Now I’m in college for gaming so that it can translate into other things. Because I’ve been doing it for so long, my skills have grown, and it helps me in class. Also, when using it to distress and relax, it does boost my mood, I’m more productive when I have that space, and it also helps me socialize and have an open mind outside of the game to other things.”

Why Playing Video Games Can Be Therapeutic

Escapism to a virtual world is a form of coping. Taking a break from life or our triggers and stress is always helpful to give our mind and body time to rest and regulate. One of the goals that we teach clients in therapy is to recognize their zone of tolerance for emotions. As emotions elevate, we want them to utilize coping skills before it gets harder to handle and leads to a response like anger, worry, fast breathing, or freezing at crucial times. So what do you use as a safe and reasonable break for you? As Anonymous B has shared, video games can be a similar outlet to help one regain control, making it a useful coping skill.

As he described, when playing video games, players can focus on the task at hand, putting aside their worries and feeling a sense of accomplishment as they complete tasks. By immersing themselves in a virtual world, players can temporarily forget their problems and focus on something more manageable. This virtual world can be an effective way to unwind or take a break from the pressures of everyday life.

Amanda: How did video games help you cope with stress and regulate some of your experiences?

“I would probably be a completely different person without it.”

Anonymous B: “I have also experienced quite a lot of family trauma and things that I shouldn’t have had to experience at a young age which could have affected my future self. With everything that’s happened in my past, it is sometimes hard to look forward, but I am actively trying to improve myself.”

Gaming as a form of self-care: how video games can improve mental health.”

Although it may seem unlikely, video games are emerging as a popular form of self-care for individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Video games allow people to immerse themselves in something different than their reality, where they can put their problems on pause- the goal of any good self-care task.

But When is it Too Much?

Amanda: What do you wish people understood about video games?

Anonymous B: “That it’s not a bad thing, and you shouldn’t judge it so quickly if you don’t know anything about it.”

Amanda: What about the parents who worry it’s too much for their children?

Anonymous B: “As a kid, you want to play video games more than anything else, and it’s up to parents to set some limits because they don’t have it. But, it would help if you also learned to loosen up as they get older. You don’t want to control your child for too long because they must enter the real world. The more you do for them or shelter them from, the harder it will be for them to figure out that world.”

Where Do You Stand?

This article was an insightful conversation on the positives of video games, and I appreciate the openness of this interview. I agree with B that we have to provide limits for our children and teach them how to make decisions so they can better navigate their real worlds as well. I’m not sure where you stand, but it’s allowed me to come from a place of greater understanding with my children and clients around the value of limits, and their perceived value of video games, which can be a coping tool for them whether it is socially or emotionally.

While video games may not be a substitute for professional treatment, video games can be a valuable tool for self-care, relaxation, and mental health support. Ultimately, the key is to find a healthy balance in how we use video games in our lives, just like any other form of entertainment or self-care activity.