Names may have changed.
Adrenaline rushes through your body, your heart rate increases, and your entire body goes into fight or flight mode. These are the emotions that video game players like Adriana experience.
Gaming helped Adriana battle depression and anxiety while she awaited a decision on her asylum claim in the UK.
“I found the game helpful and a kind of therapy when I was feeling down, which is to say most of the time. I was disconnected. I became that character and was reincarnated into another realm.”
Anyone who plays video games knows how fascinating it is to embark on an immersive journey into the realms of the imagination. From simple mobile games to stepping up to epic adventures in endless fantasy worlds, to the joy of overcoming challenges and complex strategic problems, gaming not only offers an escape from reality and boring moments, but also a sense of accomplishment. It also provides a sense of victory.
You will feel a sense of pride and fulfillment as you overcome difficult levels or defeat tough enemies.
“Unlike in real life, I overcame all obstacles and defeated evil. It helped me continue each day and made me more resilient to the harsh realities of life.” said Adriana.
Excessive release of adrenaline can contribute to anxiety and other mental health problems, but moderate exposure to adrenaline-inducing activities can have a positive effect on mental health and resilience. may bring.
Another important aspect of gaming that is often overlooked is the connection and camaraderie that comes from multiplayer games, where players work together to achieve a common goal or compete against rivals in intense competition.
Recent studies have shown that video games can reduce symptoms of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
in Enjoying mental health with games (2021), Magdalena Kowal’s research team argues that:
“Commercial video games are being considered as an alternative solution to traditional mental health treatments… [they] As an inexpensive, easily accessible, internationally available, effective, and non-stigmatizing resource to alleviate some mental health problems in the absence of, or in addition to, conventional treatments. It shows great expectations. ”
Ariana, like many other refugees, experiences high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.
The mental health problems experienced by people seeking asylum are unique and rooted in a combination of pre-migration trauma, frightening journeys to safety, and the re-traumatizing effects of the UK’s hostile asylum system.
For example, people seeking asylum in the UK are forced to live in isolation in uninhabitable asylum facilities. They are separated from their loved ones and their support networks.
They experience language barriers and cultural differences, and with very few exceptions, are prohibited from working. This forces those seeking safety to live in poverty, amplifying the mental health challenges they already face.
For Adriana, gaming provides a much-needed escape.
“When you jump into the immersive world of a game, you momentarily forget your traumatic memories. It brings temporary relief, especially a game with a rich story and captivating imagery.”
“When you play games, you find new friends. They care about where you come from, what you believe in, what language you speak, how you identify. We don’t. We get along and we play together to win. It’s very refreshing and maybe I’m wrong, but I like them a lot and they’re people I’ve never really seen before. .”
Some of the game’s most famous characters are refugees who are forced to flee their homes and embark on uncertain and dangerous survival journeys that real-life refugees are all too familiar with. Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us, Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn, and even lesser known Abe from the Oddworld series.
Although gaming is a valuable coping mechanism, it is clearly not a solution to the mental health issues faced by refugees. The root causes of poor mental health in the asylum system are hostility, forced poverty and poor housing conditions. These are the priorities that Refugee Action focuses on.
But healthy coping skills, such as games, alongside therapy and emotional support, can help people like Adriana enjoy their lives while they rebuild in the UK.
