Topic: Gaming habits and mental health

I am not sure where to put this or if this is an appropriate avenue to talk about this stuff but I am here anyway to share my recent experience with my mental health. There are many aspects that have affected my present challenges which ranges from family conflict, finances, coping with the digital world, covid, lockdown and other things but I am not here to talk about that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my gaming habits recently, coupled by these challenges have pushed me to the brink of extreme anxiety and insomnia which also led to instances of depression.

I've been on a gaming diet as of late and seeing a professional, but before all of this, I have been sleeping very late playing a lot of games on my Switch when most people in the household is asleep. Never had any trouble sleeping after putting down the console at around 3 or 4 in the morning (I work on a homebased midshift job for an EU based company so I follow CET in Manila time which is 14.00-23.00). I get up at 11.00 to help out my wife for lunch and chores before my shift starts no problem. All that changed sometime in December when I suddenly had bouts of anxiety and insomnia which got worse for the past couple of months. I tried to improve my sleep hygiene and anxiety as advised by the internet and a free app from a non-profit with a little success. However, sometime recently I had days of insomnia and extreme anxiety again which really scared me and that's only when I decided to book an appointment to the nearest Psychiatrist.

Not really sure where I'm getting at but my situation now is to limit my gaming to about 1-2 hrs. a day during work breaks, aftershift, weekends and such. I find myself also playing happy titles like Pokemon Legends Arceus, Sw/Sh and Snap, as well as getting back to Animal Crossing which really helps me relax. I'm not quitting gaming because it has lots of benefits and is a good stress relief. Not to mention, it is a way for me to bond with my daughter and wife as well. I realized some lessons though. When you disconnect too much and escape problems with too much gaming, it could surely have a negative effect on your mental health. I wouldn't have realized this if not for my recent episodes and despite me having a long ways to go, I am determined to battle and get through this challenging time in my life.

Sorry for the long post or if I have triggered anyone negatively because that is not my intention. I am just opening up and sharing my experience. Talking has been really great for me and I love Nintendolife. This community is really special and not the typical online space where one would feel uncomfortable. To anyone reading this, thank you in advance. Happy gaming everyone! Cheers!

Thanks for this. I've been in a similar situation over the past few years, and one of the recurring symptoms of my condition is a lack of enjoyment of activities that I used to love.

There's an inherent stress in thinking about a back catalogue of well-regarded games that I've bought but just don't feel like playing because I'm not in the mood for them — and may never again be in the mood for them. Arse to it. Gaming is supposed to be fun. I can blow off the whole BioShock saga and play Pokemon for the rest of my life if I want to.

I play late at night or listen to music via the YouTube app (on switch)

On my switch YouTube and Animal Crossing have the most play time. AS of right now I'm trying to cut down on playing/listen to stuff late at night.

and to everyone, to quote Mr. Rogers, “You are special."

That quote might not fit here but I repeat that quote in my head from time to time. Have a great day

I've personally had the opposite experience with gaming. It's one of the most reliable ways for me to deal with being a person with even the slightest knowledge of the world the past few years, since its (usually) so separate from everything and is the one form of entertainment I consistently engage with that doesn't have social media sites conveniently on it (thank god). Otherwise I've been in a neverending and slow descent into a deep sadness and anger at the world for the better part of a decade that has sometimes made it difficult to exist in any sort of conscious existence (though I'm not suicidal or anything so y'know, don't worry too much about me). But I will say, I've very rarely played games for more than a couple of hours a day, which is likely a good thing. I tend to like doing things in a very scheduled, consistent way per day, so its not difficult to avoid getting too addicted to gaming thankfully.

And insomnia is the worst. Whenever I've had it, its just the most miserable experience. Especially the times where I stayed up more than 36 hours in a row. I don't recommend that for anyone ever. I actually installed a program as well a while ago that dims this laptop screen as the day goes on because how this type of lighting works (especially at night) can make it more difficult to sleep based on what I've read. And short play sessions of certain games literally right before bed have helped in the past as well (if you wanna know why I think so highly of Happy Home Designer, this is why).