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Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

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Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#11

Post by VyseofArcadia »

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them.

I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask the doctor to clarify later.

Never works at the dentist, though. I can never tell what the heck is going on in my mouth.

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#12

Post by chairmanwow1 »

VyseofArcadia wrote: post #11

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them. I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask…

I asked my dentist a lot of questions and had them give me a tour of the shop. I was getting a crown and they showed me their CNC machine that took a 3D scan of the original tooth and scan of the nub after eroding it down and just perfectly machined a ceramic replacement.

Pretty fucking sick.

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#15

Post by sidewndr46 »

hirundo wrote: post #7

I think it would be useful to play a simulation of cancer treatment that includes realistic odds of survival. It's difficult to grok the idea that you have an X% chance of surviving for Y months by just looking at the numbers, or that Z treatment will affect those odds for some cost in extra misery. Simulating the meaning of those odds by gameplay, watching your avatars live and die, suffering more or less, could giv…

"Chemotherapy simulator" seems like a bit depressing game.

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#16

Post by quartz »

VyseofArcadia wrote: post #11

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them. I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask…

I have a dentist who loves to use the little remote camera to show me everything about my teeth and let me tell you: it doesn't make it any better!

Totally agree on the "understand to remove fear" side of things though.

When I was learning stick shift I had a terrible time until, frustrated after I had stalled the car for the umpteenth time, my dad stopped the lesson on "what to do" and instead spent a few minutes explaining what was actually happening inside the clutch system.

Suddenly it all made sense and I understood what I was actuating and why the feedback was the way it was. I became proficient quickly after that.

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#18

Post by swasheck »

VyseofArcadia wrote: post #11

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them. I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask…

i did this with air disasters. i'd been terrified of flying for many years so i immersed myself in every kinds of media i could find on the topic. i found it oddly comforting (though i definitely overthink things whilst in the air at times). geeking out has helped me navigate some tense moments.

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#19

Post by 1-more »

swasheck wrote: post #18
VyseofArcadia wrote: post #11

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them. I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask…

i did this with air disasters. i'd been terrified of flying for many years so i immersed myself in every kinds of media i could find on the topic. i found it oddly comforting (though i definitely overthink things whilst in the air at times). geeking out has helped me navigate some tense moments.

The audio recordings of pilots and air traffic controllers doing their best Chuck Yeager voice during a malfunction and going through checklists and binders and clipboards is immensely reassuring to me. There's contingency plans for all the contingency plans. Everyone involved made their bed well enough to bounce a quarter off of it that morning and (where applicable) trimmed their mustaches to conform to some NIST standard. The drilling! Such drilling.

The reenactment in Sully is pretty rad in that regard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6HYMpmxdaA

Re: Playing video games can help to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood

#20

Post by JohnFen »

VyseofArcadia wrote: post #11

Different take on the headline: when I was little and scared at the doctor, my mom would distract me from shots etc. by telling me about how they work and all the science behind them. I still do this at the doctor if I'm nervous about the procedure. Try distracting yourself by attempting to work through the details of what's going on. Even if you're wrong, it's a distraction and a good exercise, and maybe you can ask…

The best dentist I ever had was as much a geek about all things dental as I am a geek about all things computers. He would happily describe, in great technical detail, every aspect of what he was doing, why, etc.

It was pretty awesome, and I left every visit feeling very positive about the experience.

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