Gaming has become a vital cultural force, reshaping entertainment, technological innovation, social life, and the way we learn and interact with the world. It has become a medium that supports a healthy mind and protects the mental health of players, especially victims dealing with domestic violence. There are many ways gaming can help support your mental health, especially when you are going through a stressful experience. In this article, we will be discussing some of the best ways gaming is helping victims of domestic violence cope.
Emotional Escape
One of the reasons gaming helps victims deal with domestic violence is because it provides them with an emotional escape. Domestic violence can take a significant toll on victims, which is why gaming seems like an alternative reality. Gaming offers an escape from the sad reality, allowing players to immerse themselves in a different environment, thereby taking a break from the violence. If the domestic violence ever gets too aggravated in a way that it could result in injury, you can always reach out to our domestic violence attorney, Indianapolis, to file a restraining or protective order for your safety.
Community and Connection
Another way victims of domestic violence deal with the emotional ordeal is with the community and connection gaming provides. Online gaming, in particular, provides an avenue for players to talk to others and make friends. So, even when a player is not emotionally or physically able to leave their homes, online gaming gives them the ability to build connections with other people, which is a healthy step towards healing from domestic violence. Connecting with other online gaming players can help you find a support group that will give you the emotional support you need to deal with domestic violence better.
Building Confidence and Control
Gaming can be more than just a way of entertaining yourself; it can also help those who are socially inept gain confidence and impulse control. Gaming helps to improve the frontal lobe of the brain, which is the part of the brain responsible for personalities. As such, it rewards players with things like attentiveness, confidence, and impulses, amongst other different aspects of their personalities. Also, the online game teaches players to learn to control their actions in order to improve; as such, this helps victims of domestic violence better control their actions.
Therapeutic Benefit
Gaming is a popular leisure activity for many people across the world, especially when it comes to using VR and AR. However, despite some of the negative publicity, research shows that it has therapeutic benefits. Some therapeutic benefits of gaming include:
Distractor in pain management
Cognitive remediation
Physiotherapy and occupational therapy
Development of social and communication skills
Psychotherapeutic settings
Stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation
When used in the right context, gaming can have a positive therapeutic benefit to a large range of different subgroups. It's been a considerable success, especially when games are specifically designed to address a specific problem or teach a certain skill.
Access to Resources
When dealing with domestic violence, you will be amazed at how many resources you can find while gaming to deal with it. In the online gaming community, there are several people dealing with or having dealt with one issue or the other. You can easily find other victims of domestic violence who can share hands-on experience on things they did and how it helped their situation. While not every domestic violence case is the same, getting advice from people who have experienced it can be a game changer.
