The healing power of video games

I've read similar stories of teenagers with cancer turning to online games, because everyone treats them differently in real life once they're diagnosed. In games though, they'll get yelled at and raged at like everyone else which is ironically welcomed.

Sadly "I hope you die from cancer" (or "I hope your mum dies from cancer" etc.) is a message one sometimes gets when one beat a player online. Some kids/teens/twenteens are looking for the worst ways to hurt others with words just because they can't stand losing. If one wants to use video games as a therapy helper, one should avoid competitive online games.

There is also research being done and even practical use of that research that shows how some video games can help soldiers who are suffering from PTSD.<p>The basics of the theory are that our brains haven&#x27;t really evolved to truly tell the difference from what we are seeing on the screen and what we are seeing in real life. So, you can guide a soldier through a really violent battle scene in a video game, with things exploding and people shooting at them, and their brain can eventually &quot;rewire&quot; itself to not be afraid of these things because no harm is happening to the actual person. It&#x27;s fascinating stuff.<p>[edit]<p>Here&#x27;s one reference but there are loads more:<p><a href="https://intro2psych.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/can-video-games-treat-ptsd/" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;intro2psych.wordpress.com&#x2F;2008&#x2F;11&#x2F;26&#x2F;can-video-games...</a>

I swear I keep seeing this come up. :\

Awesome article.

I don&#x27;t have cancer, but for me, video games (esp. Minecraft) provide an escape from the psychological ravages of just being a person among people.