This is where your story begins. It really is only because of independent support that I am able to take the time to research, consult on, and write videos on sensitive topics like this. >>> www.patreon.com/hellofutureme
Great video, Tim. By the way, have you played Fire Emblem: Three Houses? That game explores multiple forms of mental illness through its different characters, and you mainly play as Byleth: a teacher for a lot of these characters, and I wonder what you would think of the game with that in mind.
I would like to see you do a video on mental health for either or both the game Fire Emblem Three Houses and the anime Beastars. They both are tackle different forms of handling trauma and dealing with it very well in my uneducated opinion.
Sorry I admit I watched the whole thing but I got a bit confused. Are you saying that its bad if any game misrepresents mental illness or just if a game tries to take mental illness seriously that it shouldn't follow normal systems that are not designed for mental illness. Are you fine with a game that is not trying to focus on mental illness that maybe doesn't show mental illness properly as long as the player is not given this wrong information as fact while there is an increase in games that more accurately show mental health?
The phrase "This is where your story begins" is interesting to me as it hold certain personal significance. The Marlee Sutton Foundation has sort of had "Don't let your story end" as I guess what your phrase is, maybe check them out sometime, I'd mean the world. If you haven't guessed. The reason it's so personal is because Marlee Sutton was a girl I used to know, we were friends, she was kind to me, and I can even remember one day when our class was attending a play put on by a school program, me and this other guy were making jokes at it's expense, I don't. She was behind us, I didn't hear a lot, or at least I don't think so, but I remember one excerpt. "Chase ain't so bad." It was clear from tone what she was talking about. Anyway, one day, I came home from school ready to take part in a little ritual that had started where I would do my homework while watching TV with my mom. This time she was on the phone and I could tell it was bad. I'm just gonna tell you now and skip the jazz, she killed herself. Nobody knows why, but I can remember looking back and seeing a sign that I ignored but that may be an issue for another time. When I was listening to the video while playing ARK: Survival Evolved and I remember relating to those memories. I guess I'll end that there but I'd also like to point out that I've been subscribed for a while, and I would listen to your videos while gaming. Because of you, as well as others like Terrible Writing Advice, but mostly you since it was when I was watching your video that I decided to write my own Fantasy book. Thank you for leading me on the path I'm currently looking towards making a career out of. Thank you from your subscriber Battlebro115, or just Chase Rose.
I had a panic attack in my home about a year ago, and during it I remembered how I used the feather breathing method as Madeline in Celeste. Focusing on the feather in my head, while it did not end the attack, made me less afraid and helped me ride it out. I'm so glad that I played Celeste before I had that attack, and i cannot thank the developers enough for making dealing with anxiety the core theme of their game.
TheMaskedPikmin, I had a similar experience 6 years ago and boy did breath control help immensely. A wise quote (a bit of a stretch) from uncle iroh: “power comes from the breath, not the muscle”
My psychologist used a thinking exercise similar to this for when my mind races. Imagine you are floating in a river and all your self hatred and negative thoughts are leaves floating by. You can touch those leaves but they are not you, nor do they define you. You are in a safe space, and the sun is shining and you’re completely relaxed, almost asleep in the water. ⛅️ Might work for yourself as it’s been good for me. Or if you have a fear of water, ignore this.
One of the other things that makes Celeste such a phenomenal portrayal of anxiety is the fact that it isn't as simple as it may seem to an outsider. Even after fusing with Badeline, it's a grind to get to the resolution of the game, and then ther further trials with chapters 8 and 9. Words cannot express how much an unassuming 2d platformer that I heard of from a failboat video helped me through 2020.
I guess I should check out Celeste. It might help me out. I've recently developed panic attacks out of no where, or maybe it was building up over time and I just didn't realize it. I struggles to realize things about myself until it gets extremely bad. Wether it was about my body disphoria, extreme harmful OCD, or my recent anxiety/panic attacks when I get too stressed out or overwhelmed in a certain environment, or stuck in a crowd full of people. I have issues that I need help with and I'm starting to realize it. I just don't know where to go for it. Or if it's worth trusting a stranger to help with such a difficult, private, intimate part of me. It's hard and I'm still thinking, studying, and trying to figure it out. I wish and hope for the best anyone else suffering or dealing with such hard difficult issues. You matter so much and I pray nothing but the utmost best for you and you're life.💖💖🌸🌺💮
"Video games are a fictional way to explore real things, and that's their strength, not their weakness." Beautifully said Hello Future Me. What I love about your videos is not only your writing tips, talking about video games, honest and unapologetic critiques, but also these short and sweet sentences like this in a thirty-three min video essay. Thank you for this piece of work!
Dan Oleson of Folding Ideas actually expressed a similar sentiment in "A Lukewarm Defense of Fifty Shades of Grey (The Movie)" and more recently in his episode about the film Contagion. As Dan puts it, fiction allows you to experience intense emotional states and while that doesn't make fiction harmless, it's at least somewhat safer and you effectively have the ultimate safeword - you can exit the program at any time and it will stop instantly.
That is the most analytical, specific and well composed breakdown of the issues about mental illness in gaming that I've watched. Very nice job on this video.
I remember playing What remains of Edith finch for the first time and when I came to Luis's story I cried. I've been struggling with depression and more notably maladaptive daydreaming for a very long time now, but I could never really explain it to my family or friends. Whenever I tried explaining what my mental disorder is they would just brush it off as "everybody daydreams sometimes". I would never find the right words to make them believe what I'm going through is actually making my life incredibly difficult without any help. But after playing this game, I sat down with a friend and made her play just this segment of it. I asked her what she thought of it, and she replied that it most be exhausting to live with a mind like this. I told her that this is how I live everyday and for the first time in my life someone believed me. Someone actually belived me when I told them I have a mental disorder, and they said they would support me. I love this game so much because it didn't have to name my mental disorder or accurately name every study that was ever conducted on it, all it did was make the players feel the way I have felt my entire life and made them understand that my struggles aren't just made up or me being lazy. My struggles, and the struggles of all other mentally ill people are valid and I think video games are a wonderful place to explore our experiences.
Thanks you for your comment. I now know what to call what I have been experiencing and hopefully it will allow people to understand. I did the same as you showing the game to my mother but the outcome wasn't the same. She is more anti video game now than she was before.
@@darya4512 I'm so sorry that your family doesn't understand your strugle... Don't give up!! One day you will find people who will be more supportive :)
I have Maladaptive daydreaming as well I pace in my kitchen while day dreaming for hours on end it's made me very irritated when people are with me for very long periods of time because I want to daydream I want to pace my family pushed it aside when I first found out I've put my daydreams to use by writing stories but they still take over most of my life video games are therapeutic for me with anxiety and daydreaming it helps me socialize without getting irritated
Interesting. I don't have maladaptive daydreaming, but my daydreaming is still pretty strong and distracting. I had to figure out a way to start noticing the moment, casue sometimes I walk without thinking and shit. I am sure many peiople are like that. I remember seeing taht part of the game and thinking how this is me taken to 11. Itneteresting that it was actually accurate. The moment when she said "He found more" or something and teh labiryth game goes from two to 3d was such a nice touch it stayed in my mind. I still don't get what this game is about tho.
*Me:* doesn't play or even know anything about video games *Also me:* watches a 33 minute video about mental illness in video games because Hello Future Me *Also also me:* is genuinely choked up, teary eyed and seriously considering getting into video games
@Narita Zaraki give it a try! If you think you might be into more sorta personal stuff, and you are somehow unspoiled even after all these years, do try my favourite video game ever, Undertale! It's short, cheap, runs on anything, and even if it doesn't strike you like a lightning bolt as it did to me, anyone can appreciate the humour and the music; so give it a go! :D
I recommend Journey by ThatGameCompany. As a game with tight controls, a simple premise, and short length, it's a perfect entry for someone who hasn't played video games before.
@@luigivercotti6410 Thank you for the recommendation! And although I have no idea how I've managed it (since video games as a whole is a massively popular medium) I can say with confidence that I'm completely unspoiled for Undertale and/or literally any other game. ^_^ You've already got me excited for this one though since I do think the more personal stuff might be a good gateway for me so I'll give it a try! Thanks again. :D
@@disconnected7737 I think I really am gonna! :D And thank you, this doesn't feel like pressure at all, just ... infectious enthusiasm?? XD It's nice to hear. Also yeah, there were a couple that were calling to me from this vid. alone and I've had a recommendation now but the one mentioned at 20:34 is ... really pulling me in right now. The way he described it and the absolutely breathtaking animation is quite irresistible. O_O
I had my girlfriend play Life is Strange. She was defistated after the jump. She cared about Kate only because of that jump. She indeed didn't know anything about Kate. She took this pretty hard as a critique of her person though. We had a very long conversation that evening. Crucially the question is who is doing the critiquing. It's not the Devs, it's not the Game, both have provided all the tools to save Kate, it is your critique. She remarkt and she noticibly has been far more observant of friends and moods. It was a harsh, but ultimately fruitful lesson.
I've seen people fluff that, even when playing it observantly. Especially, if you overanalyse choices, you can set it up poorly. And I've seen how brutal that scene can be for people with certain disorders. One friend, almost two years after playing that game, said "I wasn't even able to save Kate" while having a breakdown, as a way to express how worthless and incompetent he feels. I love that game, but it can leave scars.
Me and one of my best friends both love the game. We had another friend play it and he hates it and doesn't like talking about it. He felt like every choice just made you a terrible person. For me the fact that they're rarely a purely good choice is all part of the experience. You can only do the best you can based off of what you're character values
I got my girlfriend to play life is strange but unfortunately she only got through the first episode so far. Hopefully she'll finish it at some point since I really want to discuss that game with her. Also regarding Kate's suicide, when I played that part, I cheated and googled the answer :'( Kind of wish I tried to solve it normally if only to check that I could have done it but I think I still learned the overall lesson from that scene? Idk I definitely try to help people deal with their mental illnesses and doing that requires knowing how to make them feel valued which consists of listening to them, displaying empathy, showing you understand them, and just generally being there for them much like how Max had to be there for and fully empathize with Kate to stop her from jumping.
I firmly agree with the videos point about games fitting different audiences. It would help to have a better vocabulary to distinguish between games. To a minimum I think it would be wise to distinguish between "happy go lucky" games, and more confrontational pieces like "life is strange". It would inform people what to expect.
This video reminds me a lot of how playing D&D can be used to help process trauma. And for folks with anxiety like myself, it's "practice being a person". In a game that I've been playing as a PC, one of our party members has been using the game as a way to deal with the situation she was in while growing up. And for the game I DM, one of my players is basically a self-insert who has all her mental health problems and childhood trauma, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to do my best to give her some catharsis through gameplay
Honestly I'm 99.9% certain that tabletop games have helped me with my social anxiety. My husband and I love playing D&D 5e and put together a beginner group at our local library where I basically functioned as TA and helped explain rules to new players and helped them build their characters. Character creation is one of my favorite parts of the game, so I took to the task pretty well and its helped bring me out of my shell. It meets my two overrides (I'm sure theres a clinical term for it but basically its condifions that negate my anxiety) of helping people and talking about a topic I'm both knowledgable and passionate about. Its also helped me cover gaps in my knowledge of character creation, since I still have classes/races/backgrounds I haven't played and don't have much expertise in.
OMG I'm dealing with this myself. As a DM I have a player with anxiety and depression and suicidal ideation. And he (perhaps unintentionally) made a character that expresses a lot of anger and resentment at his own existence. And it's proving more and more difficult for the player to "get into the character's head" because it's a bad place to be. It's been a real struggle for me, as a DM, to figure out how to help the character (and vicariously perhaps help the player) and frankly I'm a bit at a loss. And the character's psychology is one that he actively tries to eschew healing, he's so attached to his pain. And of course it's made even more difficult by the seemingly competing need for narrative fulfillment that tends to push the story towards more dramatic arcs. Still, my hope is that by the end of the campaign I can have helped to heal the character, and perhaps also the player. Yeah this is not an easy thing to do.
I very rarely write comments, and I fully expect you to never see this, but, thank you so much for this. I've struggled for most of my life with depression and have never been able to express what it really feels like to feel trapped in your own head. And it's been so frustrating knowing that people just don't understand. I am overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude that at least one person understands. Your comments about people feeling that their heads are a prison and that certain actions are only a way out, resonate in a profound way to me. And even though you live all the way around the world, just knowing that you get it, that you understand me, makes me feel.... whole. So thank you....
When I played What Remains of Edith Finch , the Louis scene always struck me as similar to my own life. The way he creates a story in his head and gets lost in it, is what I had been doing for years. At school I would create grand narratives based on books I read to escape my life, and although by then I had stopped doing it as much. I still did it on occasion. I showed this game to my mother, I guess in a way to try to make her understand what I was going through. Thanks to it being more like a movie, this was very simple for me. (She has never played a video game in her life) Later on in life when I went through some hard times and told someone of my attempt at suicide my mom brought this game up as a reason why I tried it. She thought that this game and others were why I tried to kill myself. Instead I had been using them as a way to deal with life and Edith Finch specifically to connect with my mother. I guess the point is even though games can seek to connect people, some just have the mentality that leads the opposite which in my case means I am more distant from my mother than I ever was before.
I remember hearing the theory that Dark Souls is an allegory for Depression through and through. From how combat works and the enemies you fight, the concept of hollowing, to even the story itself if one takes the time to understand the bits and pieces you're given. Because of that, a lot of people had made this game their "Depression Game". I only have to mention the "How Dark Souls Saved My Life" article from Cnet, Reddit, and countless other websites to show how much of an impact the Souls series has made.
What Remains of Edith Finch is actually portraying the experiences of maladaptive daydreaming. In this respect, it actually nails it when it comes to realism.
Hellblade was one of the most intriguing and intimate games I've ever played. It truly made me feel on edge with every now and again being allowed some slight respite. Not played it again as its still taking me time to get over my initial playthrough. Dealt with issues that we just don't see in other media, and the paranoia it created made me feel on edge just going to bed. I have nothing but respect and hope for people with these mental conditions. Just know there's always some help, even if its just a chat!
I've never really played that kind of game, would you recommend the game for someone who barely plays combat games and is the combat system easy to understand? I've been wanting to get the game for some time now but I'm scared that I won't be good at the gameplay
@@nychereos the games combat is pretty easy to work out and to be honest, there isn't an awful lot of it, you'll spend more time avoiding fights as you progress! Highly recommended!
When I was playing through Life is Strange and got to that part with Kate, I was completely unprepared for it, and ended up failing to save her. Even though it was just pixels on the screen, it still messed me up to know that I could have prevented it, but didn't, and the guilt hung with me for weeks afterward. Although Life is Strange as a whole left me very emotionally wrecked by the end. Same with Celeste, I went in thinking "Oh, this is going to be a cute simple platformer", and then as the story unfolded it felt like I'd been mentally hit by a truck, but by the end of it there's that small ray of hopefulness that shines through to still leave me with a warm fondness for the game as a whole.
I failed to save Kate and it kinda broke me momentarily I redid the level and saved her but i failed to save her i failed that's shit is still lingering
@@0221ramiro Yeah, I redid it later just to see how it was supposed to play out, but for my initial play through I stuck with whatever my original outcomes were, with the only exception being the ending where I intentionally chose the option I didn't want just to see both endings... But yeah, failing on Kate stuck with me, and made me question if maybe I'm the last possible person someone should come to for help in such a situation...
@@0221ramiro the important thing is that now you gained knowledge that you didn't have before so if that situation happened again in real life or another game you will be better equipped at handling it and are more likely to help and save other people
I wanted to save Max. Her pain was more indescribable. She was doomed to carry a burden that could not be shared or understood by anyone but the player.
@@DrPumpkinz Thats the sad thing with code, I would assume it would be hard to teach an AI context, especially for something like this. And for the 0 person who is gonna say ‘why not use humans?’ It would be too much to use humans, so they use bots
@@awhahoo Yeah, humans cost money. Corporations, spend money to employ people? That's crazy talk! If they can get away with cutting a cost (and that's all they see jobs as, is costs), they will, no matter the harm to the rest of the world that results. This is actually a pretty benign example of that. The buggers actually used to use formaldehyde in food as a preservative until it was banned!
@@jemolk8945 There is talk of a branch of economics that focus more on "happiness" than monetary growth and some countries have even switched from measuring GDP to happiness. That's all to say, I think we all know how dehumanizing capitalism and the endless growth machine can be. And I don't expect U.S. Corporations or the government to actually care about that. But at least somewhere around the world, people are starting to realize we only need so much money to actually be satisfied in life (there are charts showing this but under a certain point (poverty) people are definitely wishing they had more money and constantly stressed and dealing with other issues, but after a certain level it starts to plateau and most people aren't that much happier with heaps more or money). It's interesting (and somewhat hopeful) to think that researchers are thinking about growth in terms of happiness and not financial capability.
It's true. Games help with anxiety. For me, it's been helpful to give my mind something else to focus on instead of whatever real life situation is going on.
I played Hellblade recently, during one of the most emotionally taxing times in my life and it's been by far the most visceral and intimate gaming experience I've ever had- and I don't even suffer from mental illness myself. It deals with such dark story and heavy subjects, yet not once did it come off as the creators milking Senua's illness for angst or treat it as spectacle to "spice things up". They used so many creative and ingenious ways to emulate Senua's symptoms and communicate her emotions so that you can experience them firsthand; from the voices running constant commentary, to the lack of tutorials that makes you feel fully immersed and just as disoriented as her, to the anxiety you feel with every swing of your sword after you're led to believe there's a perma-death mechanic. What always gets me personally is Senua's "goodbye my love" at the end, because trying to sort out the loss of a loved one is something that has affected me personally and there's something very cathartic about seeing Senua struggle with it, accept it, bid her goodbyes, get a sense of closure (which is a luxury not all of us had) and move on. Still- and most importantly- you walk away from the experience having a newfound empathy for people with mental illness. I think it ultimately sends a good message to *and* for mentally ill people through Senua: they are not to be pitied, they are not weak. They deserve your respect and understanding for dealing with that on a daily basis because it takes for a badass to be able to do that. I love that a lot of the comment sections under various let's plays have become a space where many people have opened up and shared their stories and experiences with their own mental illness or that of loved ones. Imagine my astonishment when I later watched making of/behind the scenes clips and interviews and realized just how little of what you see in the game are creative liberties and stylistic choices. And I like that it acknowledges that mental illness is a multifaceted issue and strives to cover aspects of it that you don't often see in such depth. Sure, a lot of it is Senua trying to come to terms with several traumatic events in her life, but a lot of it is also about how she perceives herself and her mental illness while simultaneously weighing how much external factors- such as other people's perception of her mental illness- has colored her own. Not to mention this game was my introduction to the niche but nevertheless neat genre of exploring mental illness through the lens of mythology. I love this game so much. Is this a long-ass comment about me gushing over Hellblade? Yes, yes it is and you should play it if you haven't already.
You talk about Amnesia: The dark descent and how you have to manage the sanity meter in order to survive. However this "game mechanic" is a lie. The sanity meter is actually not technically controllable by the player. There are feedback loops in the game that keeps the sanity meter at a specific level. For example if you have a high (good) sanity, the game will spawn in things that will lower it, vice versa for a low sanity. When you run out of sanity the game has does a short visual effect and resets it back to a higher point. Essentially the control of sanity was external and effectively not controllable by player agency, while still making it feel like the player is in control and responsible Source: ign interview with Amnesia's creator
From the bottom of my heart... thank you. I did try to take my own life just a few weeks ago, because, like you said, I didn't see another way out. Luckily I could catch a clear thought that brought me back before I did anything to myself. I am in therapy now and thanks to my friends and family I'm hopeful I can get through this. To anyone reading this (myself included): you are worth it! I know it's frightening to reach out, but it's not weakness to ask for help, it's strength. I feel like I'm rambling so I'm gonna leave it here. See you around everyone and take care of yourselves
I was just scrolling through the comments and I saw this. Thanks for taking the time and energy to type it up. It makes me happy to know you are feeling better, and also hopeful, for me and for every person who is struggling. Take care. You are important
That Louis mission on Edith Finch really hit different, by far the most memorable "mission" in the game. Gave me a unique perspective on what might it be like to feel depressed or suicidal. Great game
My favourite game ever is Night In The Woods, and I think that’s mostly because of just how much I related to the main characters struggles. Don’t think anything made me feel less alone before than that game.
Night in the Woods spoke to me in a way that very few games, or media in general, has ever done. Each character had interactions that only made you want to learn more about them and had struggles that were very engaging. By the end, I felt as though I knew Possum Springs, and Gregg, and Beatrice, and everyone else who lived there. One advantage of video games is that while other forms of media often have separation between the perspective of the viewer and the main character, but a video games allow these two perspectives to better intertwine and often become one and the same, which I think in this case helped to make Mae’s struggles and day to day life feel all the more real.
i completely agree with you. i've been struggling with my mental health for years at this point, and i won't go into the details, but Mae truly is a character i relate to so deeply. i feel her struggles playing through the game, and it made me feel less alone in my problems with mental health and relationships and more. Night in the Woods really is such an amazing game.
night in the woods perfectly captured the point I was at in my mental health recovery at the time I played it, and although I'm further than that now, I will never be any less grateful for how understood and welcome that made me feel
This made me remember Until Dawn and the way it portrayed misdiagnosing and getting help and medical treatment for something you don't even have while what you actually have remains untreated. The game barely focuses on it and you might not even notice at all if you miss important clues and since I'm no professional I can't really say how accurate it is. It probably could have done better because it's a topic that needs far more awareness...
10:49 "It's really hard to be the support. Especially when you're the only support." I relate to this so much. I am my best friends only support and he actually has all those things that you listed right after. But we love each other dearly and I know I can always lean on him as well. It's not easy but it's worth it.
Love the introduction disclaimer. Multiple people I knew thought I must love reading "dark, mentally twisted media" since I'm, well, "constantly flirting with the dark side". Which is often heart broken to me cuz they don't realise how easy it is to me to be tempted by the negativity and how hard it is to stay positive. To hear the disclaimer stating that some things are just not suitable for for certain people to be exposed to makes my heart melt. That truly is such validation to us. Thank you.
I got teary-eyed when you put on the Edith Finch quote. That game was so beautiful to me, and Lewis's story gives me goosebumps each time... it's such a good game and I'm happy it's getting recognized more. I'd suggest Night In The Woods if you haven't played it. Interesting story, amazing graphics, and deals with mental health in a very nice way in my opinion.
My mom uses Pokémon Go to help with her depression. I’m sure it was never the intention, but my mom (and myself) needed some sort of escape, because unfortunately we cannot escape our toxic situation IRL. So just being able to go out together with our dog and catching cute little animals, really helps. Pokémon Go also helped us heal our relationship that had been damaged by said toxic situation. It’s been really wonderful getting to laugh and smile with my mom again after so many years of yelling and tension. Idk how to end but I figured I’d share. Edit: just got to part two so I have more to share if that’s cool. My mom and I have been each other’s only support systems (part of the tension) and we have both found ourselves feeling incredibly helpless and useless when we are both going through it. I recently was hospitalized, and I thought my mom was mad at me for it until she broke down and explained that she was only frustrated with herself because she couldn’t do anything. It’s incredibly difficult being someone’s main or only support. Especially if you have your own mental issues you have to deal with.
Having severe depression and watching this was excellent. I went through medication that didn't always work long. What did work long was coping mechanisms my therapist taught me. I'm far from conquering a lot of my depression episodes but it has alleviated symptoms through trial and error. I still daily deal with these depression episodes. Thanks for all of these videos in all. Keep going expanding in all areas you can. Much love from Pennsylvania.
I suffer from Bipolar. When I was diagnosed, I was afraid my Psychiatrist would immediately assign medications to me, and not focus on anything else that may help. Ultimately. They decided I didn't need medication right away, but therapy and to continue with the coping skills I've figured out. One day. I may be on medications, but for now. I keep myself focused on living. Breathing. I want to live
I have severe OCD, and really understood the pattern-seeking and interrupting voices (I don't hear things, but I constantly get interrupted with intrusive thoughts). I will also freely admit that I cried when Senua looked at me and said, "Follow us, we have another story to tell". The catharsis was unbelievable.
What you described with the feather in Celeste breaking is something I'm dealing with right now. It is so hard to explain to others in a way that makes sense. I've had PTSD for many years and am currently a uni student. The whole COVID-19 situation has knocked my brain sideways to such an extent that none of the strategies my therapists have taught me are enough to keep me functional. A few days ago I had to bow to the reality of the situation and apply for leave from uni - I won't be able to keep studying until this is over and my PTSD is back under control. But a lot of people don't understand the episodic nature of many mental illnesses. That I can be absolutely brilliant for months or even years, then something slips in my head and I fall apart, unable to do basic things like read a book or clean the house, and it takes months of focused, intensive therapy to get me running smoothly again. Mental health is so complicated :(
I would say its not more complicated than physical health: if a great runner dislocates her knee she will not be able to run until its fixed. Its more just that our society has a myth that you are more in control of your mind than of your body. Good luck.
Hey I hope you have happy moments! I feel quite the same, all of this has made me feel like all the progress I made is gone, but that is not true. Getting better is not a straight line, as you probably know, and if your coping mechanisms don't work well right now, doesn't mean they won't ever work again. You'll get through this and better, as you did before. Also, I think you're very strong for putting uni on hold for your health's sake.
The analogy I want to try using is that mental health problems work like the stock market. Not only are they not on-or-off, they're always bouncing up and down unpredictably.
Around 2016 I felt probably the worst and most suicidal I’ve ever felt in my life. I was at a new school and I was bullied constantly, I was diagnosed with Aspergers which made me fall deeper into depression as I felt like I didn’t belong. But then I discovered a little indie game at the time called Undertale and it helped me a lot with the whole mechanic of “The RPG where nobody has to die” and I got attached to the characters. I replayed it over and over again doing the pacifist route and I never got tired of it. Games can do amazing things, this game helped save my life.
You probably won't see this but your videos have helped me understand my internal thoughts and darks parts of my life. It also helped me explain to other in my life to help me.
Thank you for this. It's amazing. As someone who's been suffering from depression on and off for more than half my life, with multiple suicide attempts, and a lot of help, most of which has been pretty useless, but with good intentions, it's a huge relief to see videos like this. Hellblade is such a hugely therapeutic game for me. I think because of empathy. I'm not schizophrenic, but I still care. Which I think is good enough. Your videos are hugely helpful. Mostly for writing, but your videos about mental health are really great. What Remains of Edith Finch is wildly relatable. I see myself as Louis so much because it's how I think. Again, thank you so much for such a well thought out and well-meaning video. Thank you so much.
@Lord Odysseus I don't know why, but I read that comment like a telegraph operator, adding staccato stops every period; I think it might be because of the shorter sentences, but it's kind of weird how eclectically one might notice these things... anyhow, I really hope you're doing better!
Society may stereotype it, youtube may not like it, but this is a real issue and I’m happy games like this exist. I have only played Celeste but I’m happy you found one that helped you.
The Talos Principle was insanely helpful last summer when I was feeling depressed, burnt out and just generally questioning the point of life the universe and everything. Ironic how a game about existential dread helped me through my own existential dread but understandable as the game is way more than just an existential dread simulator. It has bits of dialog sprinkled through out it which remind you that life's always worth living! Regardless of how shitty things might seem. Which was the sort of message I needed to hear. Plus that game suggests loads of ideas/philosophies I've been considering before playing it so it was really cool from that perspective as well. Also I finally got around to playing it because of one of your videos Tim. So thank you for mentioning it and praising it. That finally got me to play it and it was really effective at helping me get better when I didn't really want to do anything anymore and didn't find any of the stuff I once found enjoyable actually enjoyable. Playing The Talos Principle reminded me that there are things I enjoy both by being an enjoyable game to play and by having dialog which helped me see that. As for anyone reading this, go play the Talos Principle, it's a fantastic game and highly topical given current global events.
I remember playing life is strange and feeling like trash when Kate died. I have many depressed friends, and I’ve often been the only support. I had to quit, because I felt like I would be the cause of my friends hurting themselves. Thanks for this video, it helped me out so much.
When I was playing it, I was playing it with a friend. They had gone to the mental hospital a few times for suicide attempt and thoughts. They were the one who introduced me to the game. It really hurt when Kate died, like I had failed my friend by failing Kate. My dad later tried to kill himself and it felt like it was my fault.
why, why did i realised that was kate's voice. i didn't even remember her name, but i knew it was her speaking it was her voice from that game. I played it with my younger cousin and brother and i was the only one who saw her suffering immidiately and did everything to make sure i can to make her feel better. and when the unfortunate time on top of that building came i knew what to say. It felt like saving myself.
It was the same for me. A friend introduced me to Life is strange and when I saw kate in the bathroom I immediately said "she's going to commit suicide, right?" He said "what makes you think that?" "i just know" he just said "huh. A woman's intuition" and I was able to save her.
Really love your introduction. Such a breath of fresh air from "I am not a financial advisor" BS. Just stating your credentials and allowing people accept or reject advise is great!
People say that because it’s a legal necessity if you make content that goes into finances (or law, or physical/mental health) in any depth. It may be BS, but it’s non-optional BS for those of us that can’t claim legal “licensure” for our work.
Journey was a phenomenal game, and I played it before I knew that I struggled with depression (because all my life I inadvertently suppressed it through playing games and exercising) and I remember at the end when you are flying up the mountain, I cried for some reason (it did have beautiful music). It was my own emotions crying out that they need this triumph - this force to push me up the mountain because secretly, I'm not strong enough to push myself to do what needs to be done. Fast forward a few years, I had relationships fall apart right in front of me (my girlfriend broke up with me, started to become scared of me for reasons I never did as it was it turns out was just rumors spread about myself, and my best friend then scarred me deeply and to this day it hasn't fully healed). I thought of Journey shortly after and that I was going through my own "valley" and needed that push to get me up that mountain, except everyone left me and I had no one left. So, I got the courage to shut out all of those people (the ones I loved and trusted) out of my life and killed that part of me. It was hard, even considering suicide at one point, but I kept pushing one day at a time. I got into a new group of friends and it took me a full year to finally have that push to get me up that mountain (I actually got a knack for hiking now) and while I occasionally look back, I am changed now and do not want to go back and it is all thanks to Journey.
Mental illness isn't typically a good experience. Makes sense it would be hard to make it into one. The feelings of most mental illnesses are literally inherently opposite of what we want audiences to feel *ever* with any work.
Additional counterpoint is that there are many absolutely wonderful gifts that come with "unhealthy" brain chemistry--given adequate pain management, people with mental illness basically have superpowers
@@williamjakobsen9822 yeah idk what makes them think that. I have bipolar 2, which has been made more manageable through medication and therapy. I cannot think of one single time where I thought to myself “I’m really glad that my brain chemistry is different from that of the average person.”
As someone struggling with mental illness during quarantine, seeing this has been the most impactful and inspiring experience I've had for many months. Thank you.
This is you at your best, Tim. The fusion of your knowledge of writing and worldbuilding, your deep empathy and wisdom around mental health and your thorough experience in media and games creates a phenomenal video that is impactful, sincere, knowledgable and thought-provoking.
Not watched the whole video yet but thank you so much for posting content. People like you are making lockdown better for everyone with mental health issues
I was playing Celeste while listening to this the entire time and near the beginning I thought "wait I thought I turned the game music off" but when I heard it being mentioned I realized. I was actually about to go into the panic attack scene when I started as well. But on a more serious note, I'm so thankful for the people who are willing to step up and talk about topics like this, especially on TH-cam where they know it'll be demonetized. I'm an aspiring writer and I want to learn more about other mental health aside from my own so I can more accurately describe the experiences of my characters, and videos like this are helpful. And I also love playing video games, so mixing it with a topic I'm interested in is even better. On another side of things, these videos also help me understand myself a bit better, as I have been diagnosed with Clinical Depression. Basically, just thank you for the work you do and I hope this channel gets more recognition. Sidenote, Gris is my favorite game of all time with one of the reasons being that it helped and is helping me through my grieving process, and it's also giving me a lot of hope that I'll be able to pass through it. The game as a whole, of course, is gorgeous and I listen to the music on a daily basis. If I feel like I'm panicking, I play one of the more calm songs in the soundtrack and it makes me feel a bit better.
Wow. This is an amazing video. My dad is a life coach/marriage and family therapist, and there are strong cases of depression, adhd, anxiety, and schizophrenia in my family and extended family. Because of this, there's a lot of talk about mental health in our home, and we try to have a helpful and empathetic understanding of it, as well as an informed one. Many of us are also authors, artists, and game designers in hobby or work. Though I personally don't play video games, my brothers do, and I find the idea of using them to help people fascinating. I also appreciate that you acknowledged the danger of it: people who defend video games to me often act like there are none of them that are bad/dangerous to anyone in any situation. My dad uses media such as songs, novels, and movies to help people better understand themselves and their relationships with others, including in terms of mental health, emotional health, and more. However, he personally dislikes video games, and has found them damaging in a lot of people. I will be showing him this video to see what he thinks of it, but I appreciate getting to see another point of view, and getting to see different argument about it. But again, thank you for also pointing out that some people/specific games are NOT helpful in these situations. Thank you for an amazingly interesting video!
Have you looked at Dimitri in the new Fire Emblem game? He deals with what is implied to be Schizophrenia, Ptsd and Survivor’s guilt. Yet the story doesn’t just make an insane villain, but the hero that needs to learn how to live with his conditions and be the best person he can. I also really like that they don’t have him get cured somehow, he just changed his approach and finds healthier support structures.
Not just Dimitri; there are a lot of characters in Three Houses that are mentally ill and struggle with it: Edelgard, Rhea, Bernadetta, Sylvain, etc., and being there as Byleth; as someone in a position to help them, is quite the experience.
Matthew St. Cyr true, I just after playing each route found blue lions to be by far my favorite because of Dimitri and his very character driven story. I had the most investment in him because of how he really feels like your awkward, but kind and truly my good friend in the first half. This made it so hard to see what’s happened to him and all he’s gone through in the second half. Watching who he grows to be by the end is very inspiring and I love its focus on forgiveness being strength, while revenge and violence are not.
Matthew St. Cyr I hope you really like it! And if you’re an Edelgard fan, I think the route does a great job keeping her as a strong character and showing her devotion to her beliefs even when she isn’t the route’s main character.
@@Lamora13 Thanks. I am an Edelgard fan, though I mainly chose Black Eagles as my first route because I saw the trailers and thought, "An FE game where the empire isn't necessarily the bad guys, and they're led by a woman who uses axes and magic rather than swords? Intriguing…" And then I find out from playing the game that, in 3 out of 4 routes, the empire's the bad guys...
I love videos like these. Soon as it goes live, I plan to share it around. I know the algorithm's gonna hit it, and even if it didn't your video deserves it.
I just wanted to say thank you, as someone who has experienced both sides of mental health issues and suicide I want to thank you for spreading awareness and making videos that help normalize mental health. Your videos have helped me at some of my lowest points and I hope that your mental health is well too.
This was such a beautifully put video. I never realized video games could be a therapeutic experience. This made me feel so blessed to have had minimal mental issues....
I really appreciate this video. I was suicidal in my youth. In my case it was my faith led me out of it, but I know that I'm lucky. I know that the same thing that helped me, could have pushed me the other way too. One of my classmates wasn't so lucky, and I always wished someone could have helped him. My closest friend was suicidal two years ago, and the resources available today played a strong role in why he's still here, and even thriving today. I think your training shows in the careful and responsible language you've used here. I think this is good work.
Gris was uniquely helpful for me during my darker depressive episodes because it helped me imagine the future. For me, suicidal episodes are defined by an inability to visualize any future in which I exist. I think there’s a place for those slightly simple portrayals in therapeutic gameplay too.
In my first playthrough of Life is Strange I wasn't able to save Kate. I broke down crying and had to take time away before I could continue playing. I love the work you do on these videos, they are very important and informative. I've learned so much from you. I hope you are able to keep doing these kinds of videos
Me discovering Hellblade genuinely was one of the turning points of my life, it was really scary to play and I dropped it a dozen times in several days, but I kept coming back because I was so enthralled with the complexity and realness put into it. I knew I had psychosis for years before it but I was so deep in denial, going through the heightened reality of it, the good, the bad, the full-on demonic hordes, it rearranged my whole fucking being. Hints would not cut it. A toothless "well we all have our problems" would do nothing for me. It took 10 turbulent hours of wading through norse mythology and every painful emotion imaginable for all of it to sink in, allowing me to have that empathy for my real-life self. I can't know how a person without my experiences would see it, but I like to think it evokes a whole lot of emotions regardless and that's certainly no small feat.
This was beautiful. Even at it's 33 minutes length I wish it was longer simply because of me being unable to let go of how great this was. Especially as I myself am seriously mentally ill and have struggled with a number of the issues you've mentioned before. Thank you for all the work you do to help us mentally ill people.
Great video as always! ^-^ I can definitely agree with the aspect of video games being therapeutic and/or teaching you empathy. Back when I played Life Is Strange, I went through High School life in a very secluded way. I had just broken off a childhood friendship and was -due to this experience- disappointed in and disgusted with people in general. Life Is Strange, however, showed me that there are wonderful people out there that enrich your life and deserve to be cared about. It taught me to open myself up to others again and empathize with them. This game changed my view on humanity for the better and I am really grateful for it.
Hell, Going into the medium of writing, I have written stories involving characters with physical or mental health issues. Mostly because I have these issues myself and finding good narratives around these issues have gotten both praise and negative responses. Such as panic.. I have anxiety, ptsd and panic disorder. But, even among those with simular issues their disorder doesn't match mine. So I get people who say I didn't go far enough, or too far... I then have to say "this is based from my own experience and treatment I have taken from drs for helping. Its not yours, and you should talk with your dr for best ways to get treatment " All I can offer is what has helped me, and maybe.. I can help someone else.
Tim, I’ve been watching your videos for years, and you have grown so much in your subject matter and production quality. I always came for your content on Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I keep watching because you’re truly excellent and I would take classes from you in real life. Thank you so much.
@Hello Future Me I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game Omori. Based on what you said here, it’s a pretty positive representation of mental illness, both for those struggling with it and those wishing to be more empathetic. I feel like you’d have a lot of neat comments and insight into it.
I deeply appreciate you making this video. Video games with dialogue that allow us to choose what to say in certain places has helped me with navigating my way through my severely bad mental health as of late. Games that allow me to focus and work collaboratively, like Final Fantasy 14, with other players is another huge therapeutic thing for me. Especially because the most recent expansion, Endwalker, revolves around themes of despair. Shadowbringers did similarly. It's very oddly cathartic because that feeling of hopelessness is something that drove home hard to me, and helped me rise back up from my own despair and hopelessness. Now I'm doing savage raiding on the role I do best, a healer, and it's something that's helped immensely
SerNoddicusTheGallant that game was “dead” on release no one played it because of battlefield and call of duty coming out at the samr time people regarded it as just a cash grab
the problem with Spec Ops is that good story can't save a bad game. I stopped playing it before any plot kicked in because it was yet another generic cover based shooter that I've already seen dozens of. Only years later I found out more about it.
This video was so good that I watched it twice in a row just so I was absorbing all the information you gave us. Thanks so much for your hard work and honest thoughts!
Dude, common. You're the best. You are truly amazing. The content you do - it's next level. It has maybe even saved people! Thank you SO MUCH for the work that you do.
Oh no the cannery bit in Edith Finch... I cried through all of it. Years ago I struggled through a long bout of depression and I would dissociate *just like that* all the time. All the time. Halfway through the cannery bit I realized that I had forgotten the mouse hand, forgotten that it was even doing anything. I had just set that on repeat and closed off that part of the brain... Just like I did back then. I cried and cried through the whole sequence, that was the best representation of my experience I will ever see. It made me be back there with my past self again. And since when I played it I was some years removed from the bad and on the way to recovery I could see very clearly what I had been doing to myself and how dangerous it was. That game has a lot of things that hold it back, but it has some incredibly powerful moments.
I’m in tears. This is a beautiful video. I have dealt with crippling anxiety and situational depression, but never strong suicidal thoughts. Regardless, I feel that you’ve given me a deeper understanding of these mental health issues. Thank you.
I am really happy that you touched on the fact that there is no one solution to depression or mental illness. Myself and others in my life struggle with depression and we all have different coping mechanisms. Taking pills for social anxiety isn't enough. You need to make the effort to get out and talk to people. Taking pills for depression can help, but getting up and trying to get a task done, even if it's just a simple walk in the park, can really help.
This was a very beautifully done video! It touched on many very interesting points and helped me to see further into the world of mental health portrayal in fiction. Thank you for all you do, Tim. Keep it up!
as soon as you started talking, i hit the like button. your intelligence and respect when it comes to topics of mental health is both comforting and refreshing. as a teenager struggling with mental illness, the way you address it in your videos, with obvious love and experience, makes me feel seen in a way that few things do. thank you
I rarely leave any comments under youtube videos... but I feel like I have to this time. This video deserves being respected, also who made it putting so much effort into it, too. Company someone through the process is really hard, it makes one doubt if they can go on and on, and terrified so much if one day they'll eventually fail. A little burden was lifted from me today because of the gentleness of this video. Thank you for being cautious and thoughtful, I feel like I can go on caring for those whom I love with a bit more courage now. Best luck and be safe in 2020
I started to struggle with anxiety when I had my first real attack I was around 12 I ran into my bedroom curled up in a ball and cried after my mom came into the house and heard her footsteps I freaked out and when I saw it was her it was one of the most relieving things ever but my parents sorta pushed my anxiety aside so to deal with it I went into the worlds I created I spent more time with my imaginary worlds and stories when i was writing a story I was in complete control I would pace back and forth in my kitchen for a hours on end while daydreaming my daydreams comforted me later I found out about Maladaptive daydreaming disorder the only other way I can calm down was video games they are therapeutic a lot of my quotes that calm me down are from video games
Thank you again for brilliantly researched discussion on mental health and its representation in media. Living in a house with people who have both mocked and disregarded our mental illnesses as something trivial or that can be "sorted out" by calling their pastor to "deal with us", video games have always served as an escape and release to us from this reality. As a way for us to learn to deal with our illnesses, where the people we live with never taught us that. Your video shows that media creators have already come far in their effort to correctly show these illnesses, and give their audience a "safe" place to learn, experience and sympathize with those suffering with these battles, even if there is still a long way to go to remove stigmatization and misrepresentation properly. We look forward to your next video, and sends seven cheers from our little corner of the world for you.
Thank you for doing these videos - mythic stories and parallel narratives really have a place in helping us deal with our day to day lives and what we as people encounter. I was immediately reminded of a book I read recently called "Lost in a Good Game" - it deals more with processing grief through games, but got me thinking about how we use games to connect and process things in our home (and ultimately to relax about the whole thing). I hope you are able to keep doing the mental health videos - you handle the topic with great gentleness and nuance. More empathy is always welcomed in this area.
14:39 the comment about psychosis seem extremely ignorant. "The fact remains that they are suggesting that mentally ill people do not see reality and attack... violently" This is somewhat true for psychosis, the definition is that they are delusional and don't perceive reality like most people do during a psychotic period. Whether or not they're violent is a result of the person, not the mental illness. If someone doesn't fully understand that they're psychotic, seeing something that can be perceived as dangerous and then lashing out is a very logical reaction. I don't think Senua was portrayed as "angry because she's psychotic" but merely an angry person which suffered from psychosis, just because psychosis doesn't automatically make a character angry or violent, doesn't mean you can't write a psychotic character with violent tendencies. There's a difference between playing on a stereotype, but I honestly don't think there is a "psychotic" stereotype, because most people don't even know what psychosis is, and they think of it, like being Batman's joker type of "loonie". But can psychotic people become violent? Of course they can, I've worked with people suffering from psychosis, both in periods and chronic suffering of it, and yes they can very much become violent, and it's often way more complex than "the psychosis did it", but a myriad of things combined, like for example, the frustration pent up of being in constant care, basically on suicide watch for the last 5 years of someone's life, never actually being left alone, never having full agency. Suffering from the type of mental illness which makes society put people around you for most part of your day, while also shoving different types of medications, removing said medications to start a new type of treatment, different doctor's ideas clashing and being basically left in a corner like a guinea pig will leave you extremely frustrated. And suffering from for example psychosis and also being berated by your mind's worst version of self loathing, you basically repeating that you are the worst and most useless person there is, and that you should kill yourself will leave you scarred and damaged, you'll be very much on edge. And I'm not saying that all psychotic people are violent, but I'm saying that the worst case scenarios, the ones where medication don't work, it shouldn't be a surprise that they are. It's a frustratingly hard condition to live with and I think the lack of understanding as to what psychosis is, is a bigger issue than simplifying them as violent, because I sadly think that the only way to teach people about psychosis is to actually engage with it in interactive medium because often showcasing it in movies or books don't do it justice.
Grief, mental health and video games. It seems like the perfect time to be sitting at home on Unity making a game focused on dealing with the loss of a loved one during an economic depression.
Part 2 reminds me of my playthrough of dragon age 2: it's a tragedy, so regardless of your actions everything goes downhill. It discouraged me so much I couldn't finish the game. I respect the story and everything, but the agency and expectation to be able to fix things or at least keep your closest companions safe, it distressed me more than most works of fiction i can think of.
Love this.... I agree with you - learning to let go and have more positive emotions on what I can’t control was a big part in dealing with my depression. Keep up the great work Tim!!!
I quite think this is one of the most important video you’ve made or will make. Thanks for it. Romanticizing mental illness is done in media and in real life, because of media and because of real life - they influence each other. I think that as creators, we should do our research well and be very careful of how we frame things. I think the underlying message should be of hope. Even if a main character declines or dies. And especially if someone in real life you know is declining or faces suicidal tendencies. Without hope, there is no future, no healing, for them or for others. If you who are reason this, if you are this person, please, please reach out. There are so many more accessible resources today available to you now to help you get a fighting chance at life and manage it day by day. And you may very well grow strong enough for someone else to reach out to later.
Thank you for writing about this. Though not a video game, I was personally affected by a show not "doing mental illness right" when Orange is the New Black featured a certain attempted suicide scene in their final season that sent me into a horrific flashback from something many years ago, resurfacing trauma I didn't know I still held. To avoid spoilers, the show runners and Netflix saw fit to feature this fairly graphic scene with no warnings. It's so dangerous for writers to ignore their responsibility to their audience and I wish more people would consider this. I think so many writers (of games, shows, books or otherwise) try to so hard to write something meaningful that they don't stop to think of the harm they can cause. The kind of analysis you've demonstrated in this video makes me glad that there are people thinking about it and that the information is there for people to consciously write these stories and give mental illness the kind of representation it often lacks.
Your discussion on the "resource management" of mental illness made me think about Darkest Dungeon, a rogue-like game with an absolutely horrifying atmosphere and enemies that give the members of your dungeon raiding party some serious mental issues. It made for some interesting gameplay then, but now I realise just how obtuse a system is when it requires you to calculate, "down to a T", how much stress a character can take, and only help them because they'll do something for you. The fact that Darkest Dungeon also allows you to simply dismiss a character who has gone mad with no real repercussions (apart from losing the investment you made in their gear and skills) also does not do any favours to its representation of mental illness. A lot of players found themselves using characters like they're one-use only. Recruiting them into the party, sentencing them to insanity, and then dismissing them to avoid paying for their treatment. I like to think me not following such a strategy is reflective of me not wanting to do something like that in real life, but I also know that I never finished the game.
That's kind of the point of Darkest Dungeon. The game is TRYING to make you view your recruits as completely expendable. The game is daring you to become someone who operates on depraved, ice-cold pragmatism, just like the Ancestor did. If you had finished the game, (SPOILERS DOWN BELOW) you'd know that the Ancestor eventually tells you (the player) that you're just like him. And if you truly caved in and became the ends-justify-the-means bastard who fires the mentally broken and sacrifices lives just to make some things easier for themselves, you realize you can't argue with him on that. And the players who took this route have no one but themselves to blame for that if that happens. The game didn't force the player to take that route, they took that route out of their own free will because it's just easier to view the characters as expendable. Only the players who didn't take that route could feasibly argue that the ancestor's "you're just like me" speech is a bunch of hot air.
@@jacobluegering9175 Wow. Thanks for clearing that up. The game makes a lot more sense now. Though it's still kinda problematic that in order to finish the game you're probably gonna have to become a jerk. And that too unconsciously so.
I really liked this mechanic, actually, since there's also the chance that your characters can positively change from the stressful circumstances. I would get really attached to my guys and every time they powered through the experience and became better for it, I physically cheered- it was super cathartic! Of course, when they got really awful or abusive, it'd be a race to try and salvage them and help them grow better and heal, but honestly I loved all my characters, so that growth made me really proud of (or pity/attempt to help) them. It's kinda fascinating, tbh. (And I only ever let go of a few characters- I played a slow, long haul for my group lmao)
@@beccascroggins4844 Yeah, the rare occasion when stress made the characters heroic were some genuine fist pump moments. There was something very inspiring about staring down adversity and emerging victorious. But then again, it happened very rarely. For me personally, venturing into the actual Darkest Dungeon for the first time was a bit too much, characters aside. Never played much after that, just played safe. And then eventually got bored of my way of playing, but was still too scared to do it any other way. I admire your determination and patience in seeing it through.
"The fact that Darkest Dungeon also allows you to simply dismiss a character who has gone mad with no real repercussions" Well what would you expect or suggest as repercussions? Also it isn't just insanity that players tend to get rid of characters for: there's also bad traits and especially with the Crimson Court dlc there's an infectious disease. Personally in the unmodded game, early campaign I just purge any that get infected. "A lot of players found themselves using characters like they're one-use only." Yes and no. If a raw recruit gets something really bad, like that disease, they're probably not worth saving. But a high level character with good traits, I've gone to quite some lengths to save. "how obtuse a system is when it requires you to calculate, 'down to a T', how much stress a character can take" On the other hand realistically you wouldn't know what your chance to hit and how many hits an enemy will take to kill either.
Thank you for doing this man. Personally, I have often considered and even decided to end my life, but thanks to a few amazing friends I was lucky to have in my life I kept going. I hope you will be able to help those who need it, keep on being awesome
I love your videos. I'm a struggling college student/ Marine Corps Vet. Your videos help me so much. Whether it's analysis of movies/ TV or mental health I always have a spark of joy when I see your notifications. Thank you.
I love this whole video, but I also find that this is one of the things that inhibits my own creative process. I desperately want to tell stories that really impact people the way Life is Strange, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Celeste do, but I get so anxious about how much there is to know and understand and so worried about doing it poorly that I wind up doing nothing.
Let me start this by saying that I have never struggled with mental illness and I hope that I never do, but even still I it is so important that we work to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness and the stigma around getting help so that it is available to more people. I know you get plenty of praise for your videos (they truely are great) but I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you. Not as someone who struggles with mental illness but as someone who is learning how to help others with mental illness. While what I learn from my professors is extremely important, I think what I learn about empathy and understanding from your videos as well as the fiction you focus on is just as important. Your quote about empathy reminded me of what one of my professors once said in a class I took over the summer about Harry Potter. "To read fiction is to look into the mind of the other and see the world as they see it, as they understand it, and as they want it to be" and that quote has shaped my life and my personal self so much. Thank you for reminding me of that quote and again thank you for everything you are doing, keep fighting the good fight!!!
Life is Strange seems heartbreaking for people who have lost someone. I’ve been hospitalized for depression several times, but I’m always careful to say I was lucky, not blessed, not had good support. So many of my friends have lost people, and I wouldn’t want them to think it is their fault. Sometimes a support person just can’t get them in time, or the depressed person is so far gone they can’t feel another person’s concern or won’t listen to logic or sense. I DID have great support, but I was also very lucky.
this video helped me even though i'm not at my most stable state because i finally know what i want to do create /or contribute to future video games that portray mental health
I'm surprised you didn't mention The Beginner's Guide. Like, Coda's whole backstory of being "helped" through his non-existent depression by Davey is really poignant.
I'm surprised he didn't mention Fire Emblem: Three Houses. That game has a ton of characters suffering from different forms of mental illness, and your character is their teacher; putting the player in a unique position to help them.
A video like this should is not a list of all the games that deal with mental illness. That would make it more about the games, than about the minds they reflect. Some of games too are too much a fuel to the bad kinds of negative thought spirals. Other-games are only thinly tethered to the topic. The beginners guide has far more to say about unhealthy obsession, and that's a variety of mental health that wouldn't really be a good choice to focus on for this video-- it's a big step away from depression and anxiety.
@@purpleghost106 The Beginner's Guide is much more about what stands behind hero's unhealthy obsession with Coda's games: low self-esteem, constant pursuit of validation, inability to socialize normally, inability to accept themselves, projecting thier own loneliness issues onto someone else, running away from it, puttitng themselves into position of a "therapist" instead of acknowledging that they themselves are the "victim" of their own condition. And all of it actually reaches the player only towards the very end, unfolding in a very unexpected (for me, at least) and striking way.
As someone who lives with depression and anxiety, this video gave me the most cathartic cry I've had in a good long while. Not because the content was in any way damaging, but because it was SUCH a relief to hear someone talking about this subject who truly GETS IT in a way that I don't often get to experience in my day to day life. So thank you for this video. Thank you for this message. Thank you.
10:18 So apparently I saved someone from ending their own life during high school and I didn't even know it. They told me years later through messaging and I didn't know how to respond since I'm still going through my own issues. Life is has always been slow for me and this social distancing has halted all of my plans to finally live the life that I needed to. As I am now, I have slept only about 6 hours in the past 3 days. My head hurts, school work hasn't been done, and emotions are going crazy. Luckily I have friends for support. 24:50 I had a similar experience for about 9 months. I was going back to school after a year but since I didn't have much in my life besides working, going home, and sleeping so my brain started hallucinating 4 months in.
This sounds like my life about five years ago. When I was homeless. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type II two years ago, after I had a mental breakdown. I would like to tell you. Its okay. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, and to ask for help and support. You never know who'll be there for you.
Wow I haven’t watched your videos in so long but I forgot what it’s like to listen to your video essays. So full of thought and heart and soul. You really are making a difference to people when you do these things, Making these videos. I want you to know I really appreciate your efforts and love your videos. You help people to understand and think outside the box of what our circumstances tell us and our lives show.
Can you analyse berserk, specifically the golden age arc? I could see you providing some more in-depth insight to the duality of the protagonist and antagonist
![On Writing: hero-villain relationships [ Batman Joker l Sherlock Moriarty l Doctor Master ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jkyANruLXZI/mqdefault.jpg)
![On Writing: hero-villain relationships [ Batman Joker l Sherlock Moriarty l Doctor Master ]](/img/tr.png)
This is where your story begins.
It really is only because of independent support that I am able to take the time to research, consult on, and write videos on sensitive topics like this. >>> www.patreon.com/hellofutureme
the person below me is gay
Great video, Tim. By the way, have you played Fire Emblem: Three Houses? That game explores multiple forms of mental illness through its different characters, and you mainly play as Byleth: a teacher for a lot of these characters, and I wonder what you would think of the game with that in mind.
I would like to see you do a video on mental health for either or both the game Fire Emblem Three Houses and the anime Beastars. They both are tackle different forms of handling trauma and dealing with it very well in my uneducated opinion.
Sorry I admit I watched the whole thing but I got a bit confused. Are you saying that its bad if any game misrepresents mental illness or just if a game tries to take mental illness seriously that it shouldn't follow normal systems that are not designed for mental illness.
Are you fine with a game that is not trying to focus on mental illness that maybe doesn't show mental illness properly as long as the player is not given this wrong information as fact while there is an increase in games that more accurately show mental health?
The phrase "This is where your story begins" is interesting to me as it hold certain personal significance. The Marlee Sutton Foundation has sort of had "Don't let your story end" as I guess what your phrase is, maybe check them out sometime, I'd mean the world. If you haven't guessed. The reason it's so personal is because Marlee Sutton was a girl I used to know, we were friends, she was kind to me, and I can even remember one day when our class was attending a play put on by a school program, me and this other guy were making jokes at it's expense, I don't. She was behind us, I didn't hear a lot, or at least I don't think so, but I remember one excerpt. "Chase ain't so bad." It was clear from tone what she was talking about. Anyway, one day, I came home from school ready to take part in a little ritual that had started where I would do my homework while watching TV with my mom. This time she was on the phone and I could tell it was bad. I'm just gonna tell you now and skip the jazz, she killed herself. Nobody knows why, but I can remember looking back and seeing a sign that I ignored but that may be an issue for another time. When I was listening to the video while playing ARK: Survival Evolved and I remember relating to those memories.
I guess I'll end that there but I'd also like to point out that I've been subscribed for a while, and I would listen to your videos while gaming. Because of you, as well as others like Terrible Writing Advice, but mostly you since it was when I was watching your video that I decided to write my own Fantasy book. Thank you for leading me on the path I'm currently looking towards making a career out of.
Thank you from your subscriber Battlebro115, or just Chase Rose.
I had a panic attack in my home about a year ago, and during it I remembered how I used the feather breathing method as Madeline in Celeste. Focusing on the feather in my head, while it did not end the attack, made me less afraid and helped me ride it out. I'm so glad that I played Celeste before I had that attack, and i cannot thank the developers enough for making dealing with anxiety the core theme of their game.
TheMaskedPikmin, I had a similar experience 6 years ago and boy did breath control help immensely. A wise quote (a bit of a stretch) from uncle iroh: “power comes from the breath, not the muscle”
My psychologist used a thinking exercise similar to this for when my mind races. Imagine you are floating in a river and all your self hatred and negative thoughts are leaves floating by. You can touch those leaves but they are not you, nor do they define you. You are in a safe space, and the sun is shining and you’re completely relaxed, almost asleep in the water. ⛅️
Might work for yourself as it’s been good for me. Or if you have a fear of water, ignore this.
One of the other things that makes Celeste such a phenomenal portrayal of anxiety is the fact that it isn't as simple as it may seem to an outsider. Even after fusing with Badeline, it's a grind to get to the resolution of the game, and then ther further trials with chapters 8 and 9. Words cannot express how much an unassuming 2d platformer that I heard of from a failboat video helped me through 2020.
yeah this helped me a lot the other day too, this specific moment. really strong work
I guess I should check out Celeste. It might help me out. I've recently developed panic attacks out of no where, or maybe it was building up over time and I just didn't realize it. I struggles to realize things about myself until it gets extremely bad. Wether it was about my body disphoria, extreme harmful OCD, or my recent anxiety/panic attacks when I get too stressed out or overwhelmed in a certain environment, or stuck in a crowd full of people. I have issues that I need help with and I'm starting to realize it. I just don't know where to go for it. Or if it's worth trusting a stranger to help with such a difficult, private, intimate part of me. It's hard and I'm still thinking, studying, and trying to figure it out. I wish and hope for the best anyone else suffering or dealing with such hard difficult issues. You matter so much and I pray nothing but the utmost best for you and you're life.💖💖🌸🌺💮
Seeing citations of scientific studies on screen makes me so happy. 👏🏻❤️
What 1 day ago it was posted just now?!?;?;
Mr twist 1490 its available a day early for patrons
@@Jojrre ohhhh
"Video games are a fictional way to explore real things, and that's their strength, not their weakness."
Beautifully said Hello Future Me. What I love about your videos is not only your writing tips, talking about video games, honest and unapologetic critiques, but also these short and sweet sentences like this in a thirty-three min video essay. Thank you for this piece of work!
Dan Oleson of Folding Ideas actually expressed a similar sentiment in "A Lukewarm Defense of Fifty Shades of Grey (The Movie)" and more recently in his episode about the film Contagion. As Dan puts it, fiction allows you to experience intense emotional states and while that doesn't make fiction harmless, it's at least somewhat safer and you effectively have the ultimate safeword - you can exit the program at any time and it will stop instantly.
@@emilyarmstrong83 Interesting. Thanks for the note. I'll have to check it out. I'm also very familiar with these states as a fiction writer myself.
That is the most analytical, specific and well composed breakdown of the issues about mental illness in gaming that I've watched. Very nice job on this video.
i see you everywhere
How many videos are there on this subject it seems fairly specific. Still an amazing video
yo dude stop stalking me , you always wher i am /s
Ive found you once again. We seem to have the same interests mr. Mustacheless man
YOU'RE EVERYWHERE OMG
I remember playing What remains of Edith finch for the first time and when I came to Luis's story I cried. I've been struggling with depression and more notably maladaptive daydreaming for a very long time now, but I could never really explain it to my family or friends. Whenever I tried explaining what my mental disorder is they would just brush it off as "everybody daydreams sometimes". I would never find the right words to make them believe what I'm going through is actually making my life incredibly difficult without any help. But after playing this game, I sat down with a friend and made her play just this segment of it. I asked her what she thought of it, and she replied that it most be exhausting to live with a mind like this. I told her that this is how I live everyday and for the first time in my life someone believed me. Someone actually belived me when I told them I have a mental disorder, and they said they would support me. I love this game so much because it didn't have to name my mental disorder or accurately name every study that was ever conducted on it, all it did was make the players feel the way I have felt my entire life and made them understand that my struggles aren't just made up or me being lazy. My struggles, and the struggles of all other mentally ill people are valid and I think video games are a wonderful place to explore our experiences.
Thanks you for your comment. I now know what to call what I have been experiencing and hopefully it will allow people to understand. I did the same as you showing the game to my mother but the outcome wasn't the same. She is more anti video game now than she was before.
@@darya4512 I'm so sorry that your family doesn't understand your strugle... Don't give up!! One day you will find people who will be more supportive :)
I have never before heard of maladaptive daydreaming, but a search later and I can conclude that I have it as well..
I have Maladaptive daydreaming as well I pace in my kitchen while day dreaming for hours on end it's made me very irritated when people are with me for very long periods of time because I want to daydream I want to pace my family pushed it aside when I first found out I've put my daydreams to use by writing stories but they still take over most of my life video games are therapeutic for me with anxiety and daydreaming it helps me socialize without getting irritated
Interesting. I don't have maladaptive daydreaming, but my daydreaming is still pretty strong and distracting. I had to figure out a way to start noticing the moment, casue sometimes I walk without thinking and shit. I am sure many peiople are like that. I remember seeing taht part of the game and thinking how this is me taken to 11. Itneteresting that it was actually accurate. The moment when she said "He found more" or something and teh labiryth game goes from two to 3d was such a nice touch it stayed in my mind.
I still don't get what this game is about tho.
*Me:* doesn't play or even know anything about video games
*Also me:* watches a 33 minute video about mental illness in video games because Hello Future Me
*Also also me:* is genuinely choked up, teary eyed and seriously considering getting into video games
@Narita Zaraki give it a try! If you think you might be into more sorta personal stuff, and you are somehow unspoiled even after all these years, do try my favourite video game ever, Undertale! It's short, cheap, runs on anything, and even if it doesn't strike you like a lightning bolt as it did to me, anyone can appreciate the humour and the music; so give it a go! :D
dooo it. There are plenty of good stories. Maybe one of them are calling to you?
No pressure of course.
I recommend Journey by ThatGameCompany. As a game with tight controls, a simple premise, and short length, it's a perfect entry for someone who hasn't played video games before.
@@luigivercotti6410 Thank you for the recommendation! And although I have no idea how I've managed it (since video games as a whole is a massively popular medium) I can say with confidence that I'm completely unspoiled for Undertale and/or literally any other game. ^_^ You've already got me excited for this one though since I do think the more personal stuff might be a good gateway for me so I'll give it a try! Thanks again. :D
@@disconnected7737 I think I really am gonna! :D And thank you, this doesn't feel like pressure at all, just ... infectious enthusiasm?? XD It's nice to hear. Also yeah, there were a couple that were calling to me from this vid. alone and I've had a recommendation now but the one mentioned at 20:34 is ... really pulling me in right now. The way he described it and the absolutely breathtaking animation is quite irresistible. O_O
I had my girlfriend play Life is Strange. She was defistated after the jump. She cared about Kate only because of that jump. She indeed didn't know anything about Kate. She took this pretty hard as a critique of her person though.
We had a very long conversation that evening. Crucially the question is who is doing the critiquing. It's not the Devs, it's not the Game, both have provided all the tools to save Kate, it is your critique.
She remarkt and she noticibly has been far more observant of friends and moods. It was a harsh, but ultimately fruitful lesson.
I've seen people fluff that, even when playing it observantly. Especially, if you overanalyse choices, you can set it up poorly. And I've seen how brutal that scene can be for people with certain disorders. One friend, almost two years after playing that game, said "I wasn't even able to save Kate" while having a breakdown, as a way to express how worthless and incompetent he feels.
I love that game, but it can leave scars.
Me and one of my best friends both love the game. We had another friend play it and he hates it and doesn't like talking about it. He felt like every choice just made you a terrible person.
For me the fact that they're rarely a purely good choice is all part of the experience. You can only do the best you can based off of what you're character values
I got my girlfriend to play life is strange but unfortunately she only got through the first episode so far. Hopefully she'll finish it at some point since I really want to discuss that game with her.
Also regarding Kate's suicide, when I played that part, I cheated and googled the answer :'( Kind of wish I tried to solve it normally if only to check that I could have done it but I think I still learned the overall lesson from that scene? Idk I definitely try to help people deal with their mental illnesses and doing that requires knowing how to make them feel valued which consists of listening to them, displaying empathy, showing you understand them, and just generally being there for them much like how Max had to be there for and fully empathize with Kate to stop her from jumping.
I firmly agree with the videos point about games fitting different audiences.
It would help to have a better vocabulary to distinguish between games. To a minimum I think it would be wise to distinguish between "happy go lucky" games, and more confrontational pieces like "life is strange". It would inform people what to expect.
@@MisterJasro that also means word of mouth. I was introduced to it by a friend as a bit of a hipster simulator school drama murder mystery thing
This video reminds me a lot of how playing D&D can be used to help process trauma. And for folks with anxiety like myself, it's "practice being a person". In a game that I've been playing as a PC, one of our party members has been using the game as a way to deal with the situation she was in while growing up. And for the game I DM, one of my players is basically a self-insert who has all her mental health problems and childhood trauma, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to do my best to give her some catharsis through gameplay
That's really cool :) I wish you the best of luck with DMing :)
Honestly I'm 99.9% certain that tabletop games have helped me with my social anxiety. My husband and I love playing D&D 5e and put together a beginner group at our local library where I basically functioned as TA and helped explain rules to new players and helped them build their characters. Character creation is one of my favorite parts of the game, so I took to the task pretty well and its helped bring me out of my shell. It meets my two overrides (I'm sure theres a clinical term for it but basically its condifions that negate my anxiety) of helping people and talking about a topic I'm both knowledgable and passionate about. Its also helped me cover gaps in my knowledge of character creation, since I still have classes/races/backgrounds I haven't played and don't have much expertise in.
i wish i had people to play something like that too..whelp
OMG I'm dealing with this myself. As a DM I have a player with anxiety and depression and suicidal ideation. And he (perhaps unintentionally) made a character that expresses a lot of anger and resentment at his own existence. And it's proving more and more difficult for the player to "get into the character's head" because it's a bad place to be. It's been a real struggle for me, as a DM, to figure out how to help the character (and vicariously perhaps help the player) and frankly I'm a bit at a loss. And the character's psychology is one that he actively tries to eschew healing, he's so attached to his pain. And of course it's made even more difficult by the seemingly competing need for narrative fulfillment that tends to push the story towards more dramatic arcs.
Still, my hope is that by the end of the campaign I can have helped to heal the character, and perhaps also the player.
Yeah this is not an easy thing to do.
@@pufthemajicdragon Maybe look up some healthy coping strategies and incorporate them into your game.
I very rarely write comments, and I fully expect you to never see this, but, thank you so much for this. I've struggled for most of my life with depression and have never been able to express what it really feels like to feel trapped in your own head. And it's been so frustrating knowing that people just don't understand. I am overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude that at least one person understands. Your comments about people feeling that their heads are a prison and that certain actions are only a way out, resonate in a profound way to me. And even though you live all the way around the world, just knowing that you get it, that you understand me, makes me feel.... whole. So thank you....
Stupid bone jars. Good thing we have hands, though.
Thank you for sharing. A lot of people feel alone and dont want to talk about inner struggles. People are out there to help if you need it.
Hope youre doing better!
I understand what it's like to feel trapped in your head. Hope you do better
Hope you're doing well.
I want to support you
But I can’t watch this due to the heavy topic but watching you expand your content is very exciting and I’m proud of you
I understand, Im lucky to only have some days like that. I can assure you he did the topic justice today.
@@JustCozItsMe indeed he did
When I played What Remains of Edith Finch , the Louis scene always struck me as similar to my own life. The way he creates a story in his head and gets lost in it, is what I had been doing for years. At school I would create grand narratives based on books I read to escape my life, and although by then I had stopped doing it as much. I still did it on occasion. I showed this game to my mother, I guess in a way to try to make her understand what I was going through. Thanks to it being more like a movie, this was very simple for me. (She has never played a video game in her life) Later on in life when I went through some hard times and told someone of my attempt at suicide my mom brought this game up as a reason why I tried it. She thought that this game and others were why I tried to kill myself. Instead I had been using them as a way to deal with life and Edith Finch specifically to connect with my mother. I guess the point is even though games can seek to connect people, some just have the mentality that leads the opposite which in my case means I am more distant from my mother than I ever was before.
I remember hearing the theory that Dark Souls is an allegory for Depression through and through. From how combat works and the enemies you fight, the concept of hollowing, to even the story itself if one takes the time to understand the bits and pieces you're given. Because of that, a lot of people had made this game their "Depression Game". I only have to mention the "How Dark Souls Saved My Life" article from Cnet, Reddit, and countless other websites to show how much of an impact the Souls series has made.
The souls games are fucking brilliant
What Remains of Edith Finch is actually portraying the experiences of maladaptive daydreaming. In this respect, it actually nails it when it comes to realism.
Hellblade was one of the most intriguing and intimate games I've ever played. It truly made me feel on edge with every now and again being allowed some slight respite. Not played it again as its still taking me time to get over my initial playthrough. Dealt with issues that we just don't see in other media, and the paranoia it created made me feel on edge just going to bed. I have nothing but respect and hope for people with these mental conditions. Just know there's always some help, even if its just a chat!
I've never really played that kind of game, would you recommend the game for someone who barely plays combat games and is the combat system easy to understand? I've been wanting to get the game for some time now but I'm scared that I won't be good at the gameplay
@@nychereos the games combat is pretty easy to work out and to be honest, there isn't an awful lot of it, you'll spend more time avoiding fights as you progress! Highly recommended!
Ninja theory is planing on making a game solely focused on mental ilness they just announced it 2 month ago
When I was playing through Life is Strange and got to that part with Kate, I was completely unprepared for it, and ended up failing to save her. Even though it was just pixels on the screen, it still messed me up to know that I could have prevented it, but didn't, and the guilt hung with me for weeks afterward. Although Life is Strange as a whole left me very emotionally wrecked by the end.
Same with Celeste, I went in thinking "Oh, this is going to be a cute simple platformer", and then as the story unfolded it felt like I'd been mentally hit by a truck, but by the end of it there's that small ray of hopefulness that shines through to still leave me with a warm fondness for the game as a whole.
I failed to save Kate and it kinda broke me momentarily I redid the level and saved her but i failed to save her i failed that's shit is still lingering
@@0221ramiro Yeah, I redid it later just to see how it was supposed to play out, but for my initial play through I stuck with whatever my original outcomes were, with the only exception being the ending where I intentionally chose the option I didn't want just to see both endings... But yeah, failing on Kate stuck with me, and made me question if maybe I'm the last possible person someone should come to for help in such a situation...
@@0221ramiro the important thing is that now you gained knowledge that you didn't have before so if that situation happened again in real life or another game you will be better equipped at handling it and are more likely to help and save other people
I wanted to save Max. Her pain was more indescribable. She was doomed to carry a burden that could not be shared or understood by anyone but the player.
(video supporting Suicide Prevention is Demonetized by apathetic anti-"controversy" TH-cam Algorithm)
What's wrong with this picture?
Bots are terrible at picking up on context. They only see and hear "suicide".
@@DrPumpkinz Thats the sad thing with code, I would assume it would be hard to teach an AI context, especially for something like this.
And for the 0 person who is gonna say ‘why not use humans?’ It would be too much to use humans, so they use bots
@@awhahoo Yeah, humans cost money. Corporations, spend money to employ people? That's crazy talk! If they can get away with cutting a cost (and that's all they see jobs as, is costs), they will, no matter the harm to the rest of the world that results. This is actually a pretty benign example of that. The buggers actually used to use formaldehyde in food as a preservative until it was banned!
The people at TH-cam are stupid.
@@jemolk8945 There is talk of a branch of economics that focus more on "happiness" than monetary growth and some countries have even switched from measuring GDP to happiness. That's all to say, I think we all know how dehumanizing capitalism and the endless growth machine can be. And I don't expect U.S. Corporations or the government to actually care about that. But at least somewhere around the world, people are starting to realize we only need so much money to actually be satisfied in life (there are charts showing this but under a certain point (poverty) people are definitely wishing they had more money and constantly stressed and dealing with other issues, but after a certain level it starts to plateau and most people aren't that much happier with heaps more or money). It's interesting (and somewhat hopeful) to think that researchers are thinking about growth in terms of happiness and not financial capability.
I'm so glad you mentioned Depression Quest and Edith Finch. They're so worthwhile and emotionally impactful.
What Remains of Edith Finch is massively underrated
It's true. Games help with anxiety. For me, it's been helpful to give my mind something else to focus on instead of whatever real life situation is going on.
I played Hellblade recently, during one of the most emotionally taxing times in my life and it's been by far the most visceral and intimate gaming experience I've ever had- and I don't even suffer from mental illness myself. It deals with such dark story and heavy subjects, yet not once did it come off as the creators milking Senua's illness for angst or treat it as spectacle to "spice things up". They used so many creative and ingenious ways to emulate Senua's symptoms and communicate her emotions so that you can experience them firsthand; from the voices running constant commentary, to the lack of tutorials that makes you feel fully immersed and just as disoriented as her, to the anxiety you feel with every swing of your sword after you're led to believe there's a perma-death mechanic.
What always gets me personally is Senua's "goodbye my love" at the end, because trying to sort out the loss of a loved one is something that has affected me personally and there's something very cathartic about seeing Senua struggle with it, accept it, bid her goodbyes, get a sense of closure (which is a luxury not all of us had) and move on. Still- and most importantly- you walk away from the experience having a newfound empathy for people with mental illness. I think it ultimately sends a good message to *and* for mentally ill people through Senua: they are not to be pitied, they are not weak. They deserve your respect and understanding for dealing with that on a daily basis because it takes for a badass to be able to do that. I love that a lot of the comment sections under various let's plays have become a space where many people have opened up and shared their stories and experiences with their own mental illness or that of loved ones.
Imagine my astonishment when I later watched making of/behind the scenes clips and interviews and realized just how little of what you see in the game are creative liberties and stylistic choices. And I like that it acknowledges that mental illness is a multifaceted issue and strives to cover aspects of it that you don't often see in such depth. Sure, a lot of it is Senua trying to come to terms with several traumatic events in her life, but a lot of it is also about how she perceives herself and her mental illness while simultaneously weighing how much external factors- such as other people's perception of her mental illness- has colored her own. Not to mention this game was my introduction to the niche but nevertheless neat genre of exploring mental illness through the lens of mythology. I love this game so much.
Is this a long-ass comment about me gushing over Hellblade? Yes, yes it is and you should play it if you haven't already.
If you haven't already, I'd recommend you watch Sidcourse's video on his experience with Senua
@@Shizukomi I just did, thank you so much for sharing! I feel like I have an even better understanding of it now.
ah that behind the scenes video was truly the cherry on top after the cathartic ending
You talk about Amnesia: The dark descent and how you have to manage the sanity meter in order to survive. However this "game mechanic" is a lie. The sanity meter is actually not technically controllable by the player. There are feedback loops in the game that keeps the sanity meter at a specific level. For example if you have a high (good) sanity, the game will spawn in things that will lower it, vice versa for a low sanity. When you run out of sanity the game has does a short visual effect and resets it back to a higher point.
Essentially the control of sanity was external and effectively not controllable by player agency, while still making it feel like the player is in control and responsible
Source: ign interview with Amnesia's creator
So the game kida gaslights you
Wow. That’s… kinda worse
_The real horror is the illusion of player agency, huh?_
From the bottom of my heart... thank you.
I did try to take my own life just a few weeks ago, because, like you said, I didn't see another way out. Luckily I could catch a clear thought that brought me back before I did anything to myself. I am in therapy now and thanks to my friends and family I'm hopeful I can get through this.
To anyone reading this (myself included): you are worth it! I know it's frightening to reach out, but it's not weakness to ask for help, it's strength.
I feel like I'm rambling so I'm gonna leave it here.
See you around everyone and take care of yourselves
I was just scrolling through the comments and I saw this. Thanks for taking the time and energy to type it up. It makes me happy to know you are feeling better, and also hopeful, for me and for every person who is struggling. Take care. You are important
Glad you're doing better. Take care.
@@metafora89 sorry for the very late like😅. I just noticed your comment today 😖
Wonderful video, friend. Thank you so much for making it.
IT'S YOU! I love your content.
Love your videos, man. I was just searching cause I’m tempted to do it and
I found your comment.
That Louis mission on Edith Finch really hit different, by far the most memorable "mission" in the game. Gave me a unique perspective on what might it be like to feel depressed or suicidal. Great game
The Real PyroManiac to this day that's one of my favorite examples of unique and interactive use of game mechanics
It's also painfully true to life.
My favourite game ever is Night In The Woods, and I think that’s mostly because of just how much I related to the main characters struggles. Don’t think anything made me feel less alone before than that game.
I was hoping to see a reference to it in the video too :) I only saw a letsplay of it but I loved it.
Night in the Woods spoke to me in a way that very few games, or media in general, has ever done. Each character had interactions that only made you want to learn more about them and had struggles that were very engaging. By the end, I felt as though I knew Possum Springs, and Gregg, and Beatrice, and everyone else who lived there.
One advantage of video games is that while other forms of media often have separation between the perspective of the viewer and the main character, but a video games allow these two perspectives to better intertwine and often become one and the same, which I think in this case helped to make Mae’s struggles and day to day life feel all the more real.
i completely agree with you. i've been struggling with my mental health for years at this point, and i won't go into the details, but Mae truly is a character i relate to so deeply. i feel her struggles playing through the game, and it made me feel less alone in my problems with mental health and relationships and more. Night in the Woods really is such an amazing game.
night in the woods perfectly captured the point I was at in my mental health recovery at the time I played it, and although I'm further than that now, I will never be any less grateful for how understood and welcome that made me feel
This made me remember Until Dawn and the way it portrayed misdiagnosing and getting help and medical treatment for something you don't even have while what you actually have remains untreated. The game barely focuses on it and you might not even notice at all if you miss important clues and since I'm no professional I can't really say how accurate it is. It probably could have done better because it's a topic that needs far more awareness...
Yeah this video immediately made me think of josh from until dawn
10:49 "It's really hard to be the support. Especially when you're the only support."
I relate to this so much. I am my best friends only support and he actually has all those things that you listed right after.
But we love each other dearly and I know I can always lean on him as well. It's not easy but it's worth it.
Love the introduction disclaimer. Multiple people I knew thought I must love reading "dark, mentally twisted media" since I'm, well, "constantly flirting with the dark side". Which is often heart broken to me cuz they don't realise how easy it is to me to be tempted by the negativity and how hard it is to stay positive. To hear the disclaimer stating that some things are just not suitable for for certain people to be exposed to makes my heart melt. That truly is such validation to us. Thank you.
I got teary-eyed when you put on the Edith Finch quote. That game was so beautiful to me, and Lewis's story gives me goosebumps each time... it's such a good game and I'm happy it's getting recognized more.
I'd suggest Night In The Woods if you haven't played it. Interesting story, amazing graphics, and deals with mental health in a very nice way in my opinion.
My mom uses Pokémon Go to help with her depression. I’m sure it was never the intention, but my mom (and myself) needed some sort of escape, because unfortunately we cannot escape our toxic situation IRL. So just being able to go out together with our dog and catching cute little animals, really helps. Pokémon Go also helped us heal our relationship that had been damaged by said toxic situation. It’s been really wonderful getting to laugh and smile with my mom again after so many years of yelling and tension. Idk how to end but I figured I’d share.
Edit: just got to part two so I have more to share if that’s cool. My mom and I have been each other’s only support systems (part of the tension) and we have both found ourselves feeling incredibly helpless and useless when we are both going through it. I recently was hospitalized, and I thought my mom was mad at me for it until she broke down and explained that she was only frustrated with herself because she couldn’t do anything. It’s incredibly difficult being someone’s main or only support. Especially if you have your own mental issues you have to deal with.
Having severe depression and watching this was excellent. I went through medication that didn't always work long. What did work long was coping mechanisms my therapist taught me. I'm far from conquering a lot of my depression episodes but it has alleviated symptoms through trial and error. I still daily deal with these depression episodes. Thanks for all of these videos in all. Keep going expanding in all areas you can. Much love from Pennsylvania.
@The Sigilist Similirarly much love _to_ Pennsylvania, then
I suffer from Bipolar.
When I was diagnosed, I was afraid my Psychiatrist would immediately assign medications to me, and not focus on anything else that may help.
Ultimately. They decided I didn't need medication right away, but therapy and to continue with the coping skills I've figured out.
One day. I may be on medications, but for now. I keep myself focused on living.
Breathing.
I want to live
I have severe OCD, and really understood the pattern-seeking and interrupting voices (I don't hear things, but I constantly get interrupted with intrusive thoughts). I will also freely admit that I cried when Senua looked at me and said, "Follow us, we have another story to tell". The catharsis was unbelievable.
What you described with the feather in Celeste breaking is something I'm dealing with right now. It is so hard to explain to others in a way that makes sense. I've had PTSD for many years and am currently a uni student. The whole COVID-19 situation has knocked my brain sideways to such an extent that none of the strategies my therapists have taught me are enough to keep me functional. A few days ago I had to bow to the reality of the situation and apply for leave from uni - I won't be able to keep studying until this is over and my PTSD is back under control. But a lot of people don't understand the episodic nature of many mental illnesses. That I can be absolutely brilliant for months or even years, then something slips in my head and I fall apart, unable to do basic things like read a book or clean the house, and it takes months of focused, intensive therapy to get me running smoothly again. Mental health is so complicated :(
I would say its not more complicated than physical health: if a great runner dislocates her knee she will not be able to run until its fixed. Its more just that our society has a myth that you are more in control of your mind than of your body.
Good luck.
We are in this together. Don’t give up. Reach out to someone if you need help. We will get through this.
Hey I hope you have happy moments! I feel quite the same, all of this has made me feel like all the progress I made is gone, but that is not true. Getting better is not a straight line, as you probably know, and if your coping mechanisms don't work well right now, doesn't mean they won't ever work again. You'll get through this and better, as you did before. Also, I think you're very strong for putting uni on hold for your health's sake.
@@qualifiedarmchaircritic Very true. Life is a winding road and so long as we keep working to pick ourselves back up, we've never truly failed.
The analogy I want to try using is that mental health problems work like the stock market. Not only are they not on-or-off, they're always bouncing up and down unpredictably.
Around 2016 I felt probably the worst and most suicidal I’ve ever felt in my life. I was at a new school and I was bullied constantly, I was diagnosed with Aspergers which made me fall deeper into depression as I felt like I didn’t belong. But then I discovered a little indie game at the time called Undertale and it helped me a lot with the whole mechanic of “The RPG where nobody has to die” and I got attached to the characters. I replayed it over and over again doing the pacifist route and I never got tired of it. Games can do amazing things, this game helped save my life.
You probably won't see this but your videos have helped me understand my internal thoughts and darks parts of my life. It also helped me explain to other in my life to help me.
Thank you for this. It's amazing. As someone who's been suffering from depression on and off for more than half my life, with multiple suicide attempts, and a lot of help, most of which has been pretty useless, but with good intentions, it's a huge relief to see videos like this. Hellblade is such a hugely therapeutic game for me. I think because of empathy. I'm not schizophrenic, but I still care. Which I think is good enough. Your videos are hugely helpful. Mostly for writing, but your videos about mental health are really great. What Remains of Edith Finch is wildly relatable. I see myself as Louis so much because it's how I think. Again, thank you so much for such a well thought out and well-meaning video. Thank you so much.
@Lord Odysseus I don't know why, but I read that comment like a telegraph operator, adding staccato stops every period; I think it might be because of the shorter sentences, but it's kind of weird how eclectically one might notice these things... anyhow, I really hope you're doing better!
Society may stereotype it, youtube may not like it, but this is a real issue and I’m happy games like this exist. I have only played Celeste but I’m happy you found one that helped you.
The Talos Principle was insanely helpful last summer when I was feeling depressed, burnt out and just generally questioning the point of life the universe and everything. Ironic how a game about existential dread helped me through my own existential dread but understandable as the game is way more than just an existential dread simulator. It has bits of dialog sprinkled through out it which remind you that life's always worth living! Regardless of how shitty things might seem. Which was the sort of message I needed to hear. Plus that game suggests loads of ideas/philosophies I've been considering before playing it so it was really cool from that perspective as well.
Also I finally got around to playing it because of one of your videos Tim. So thank you for mentioning it and praising it. That finally got me to play it and it was really effective at helping me get better when I didn't really want to do anything anymore and didn't find any of the stuff I once found enjoyable actually enjoyable. Playing The Talos Principle reminded me that there are things I enjoy both by being an enjoyable game to play and by having dialog which helped me see that.
As for anyone reading this, go play the Talos Principle, it's a fantastic game and highly topical given current global events.
Yes yes yes yes yes! Video on TTP coming out sometime.
- Tim
I remember playing life is strange and feeling like trash when Kate died. I have many depressed friends, and I’ve often been the only support. I had to quit, because I felt like I would be the cause of my friends hurting themselves. Thanks for this video, it helped me out so much.
When I was playing it, I was playing it with a friend. They had gone to the mental hospital a few times for suicide attempt and thoughts. They were the one who introduced me to the game. It really hurt when Kate died, like I had failed my friend by failing Kate. My dad later tried to kill himself and it felt like it was my fault.
@@weloopal2547 so sorry to hear that
why, why did i realised that was kate's voice. i didn't even remember her name, but i knew it was her speaking it was her voice from that game.
I played it with my younger cousin and brother and i was the only one who saw her suffering immidiately and did everything to make sure i can to make her feel better. and when the unfortunate time on top of that building came i knew what to say.
It felt like saving myself.
It was the same for me. A friend introduced me to Life is strange and when I saw kate in the bathroom I immediately said "she's going to commit suicide, right?" He said "what makes you think that?" "i just know" he just said "huh. A woman's intuition" and I was able to save her.
Really love your introduction. Such a breath of fresh air from "I am not a financial advisor" BS. Just stating your credentials and allowing people accept or reject advise is great!
People say that because it’s a legal necessity if you make content that goes into finances (or law, or physical/mental health) in any depth. It may be BS, but it’s non-optional BS for those of us that can’t claim legal “licensure” for our work.
Journey was a phenomenal game, and I played it before I knew that I struggled with depression (because all my life I inadvertently suppressed it through playing games and exercising) and I remember at the end when you are flying up the mountain, I cried for some reason (it did have beautiful music). It was my own emotions crying out that they need this triumph - this force to push me up the mountain because secretly, I'm not strong enough to push myself to do what needs to be done. Fast forward a few years, I had relationships fall apart right in front of me (my girlfriend broke up with me, started to become scared of me for reasons I never did as it was it turns out was just rumors spread about myself, and my best friend then scarred me deeply and to this day it hasn't fully healed). I thought of Journey shortly after and that I was going through my own "valley" and needed that push to get me up that mountain, except everyone left me and I had no one left. So, I got the courage to shut out all of those people (the ones I loved and trusted) out of my life and killed that part of me. It was hard, even considering suicide at one point, but I kept pushing one day at a time. I got into a new group of friends and it took me a full year to finally have that push to get me up that mountain (I actually got a knack for hiking now) and while I occasionally look back, I am changed now and do not want to go back and it is all thanks to Journey.
Mental illness isn't typically a good experience. Makes sense it would be hard to make it into one.
The feelings of most mental illnesses are literally inherently opposite of what we want audiences to feel *ever* with any work.
Additional counterpoint is that there are many absolutely wonderful gifts that come with "unhealthy" brain chemistry--given adequate pain management, people with mental illness basically have superpowers
@@IOTewks what the fuck, no
@@williamjakobsen9822 yeah idk what makes them think that. I have bipolar 2, which has been made more manageable through medication and therapy. I cannot think of one single time where I thought to myself “I’m really glad that my brain chemistry is different from that of the average person.”
@@mikethompson5935 my mental illness almost killed me before I got help, I can't really see how thats a superpower
As someone struggling with mental illness during quarantine, seeing this has been the most impactful and inspiring experience I've had for many months. Thank you.
This is you at your best, Tim. The fusion of your knowledge of writing and worldbuilding, your deep empathy and wisdom around mental health and your thorough experience in media and games creates a phenomenal video that is impactful, sincere, knowledgable and thought-provoking.
Not watched the whole video yet but thank you so much for posting content. People like you are making lockdown better for everyone with mental health issues
I was playing Celeste while listening to this the entire time and near the beginning I thought "wait I thought I turned the game music off" but when I heard it being mentioned I realized. I was actually about to go into the panic attack scene when I started as well.
But on a more serious note, I'm so thankful for the people who are willing to step up and talk about topics like this, especially on TH-cam where they know it'll be demonetized. I'm an aspiring writer and I want to learn more about other mental health aside from my own so I can more accurately describe the experiences of my characters, and videos like this are helpful. And I also love playing video games, so mixing it with a topic I'm interested in is even better. On another side of things, these videos also help me understand myself a bit better, as I have been diagnosed with Clinical Depression. Basically, just thank you for the work you do and I hope this channel gets more recognition.
Sidenote, Gris is my favorite game of all time with one of the reasons being that it helped and is helping me through my grieving process, and it's also giving me a lot of hope that I'll be able to pass through it. The game as a whole, of course, is gorgeous and I listen to the music on a daily basis. If I feel like I'm panicking, I play one of the more calm songs in the soundtrack and it makes me feel a bit better.
Wow. This is an amazing video. My dad is a life coach/marriage and family therapist, and there are strong cases of depression, adhd, anxiety, and schizophrenia in my family and extended family. Because of this, there's a lot of talk about mental health in our home, and we try to have a helpful and empathetic understanding of it, as well as an informed one. Many of us are also authors, artists, and game designers in hobby or work. Though I personally don't play video games, my brothers do, and I find the idea of using them to help people fascinating. I also appreciate that you acknowledged the danger of it: people who defend video games to me often act like there are none of them that are bad/dangerous to anyone in any situation.
My dad uses media such as songs, novels, and movies to help people better understand themselves and their relationships with others, including in terms of mental health, emotional health, and more. However, he personally dislikes video games, and has found them damaging in a lot of people. I will be showing him this video to see what he thinks of it, but I appreciate getting to see another point of view, and getting to see different argument about it. But again, thank you for also pointing out that some people/specific games are NOT helpful in these situations. Thank you for an amazingly interesting video!
Have you looked at Dimitri in the new Fire Emblem game? He deals with what is implied to be Schizophrenia, Ptsd and Survivor’s guilt. Yet the story doesn’t just make an insane villain, but the hero that needs to learn how to live with his conditions and be the best person he can. I also really like that they don’t have him get cured somehow, he just changed his approach and finds healthier support structures.
Not just Dimitri; there are a lot of characters in Three Houses that are mentally ill and struggle with it: Edelgard, Rhea, Bernadetta, Sylvain, etc., and being there as Byleth; as someone in a position to help them, is quite the experience.
Matthew St. Cyr true, I just after playing each route found blue lions to be by far my favorite because of Dimitri and his very character driven story. I had the most investment in him because of how he really feels like your awkward, but kind and truly my good friend in the first half. This made it so hard to see what’s happened to him and all he’s gone through in the second half. Watching who he grows to be by the end is very inspiring and I love its focus on forgiveness being strength, while revenge and violence are not.
@@Lamora13 I haven't done Blue Lions yet. I did Black Eagles first (Edelgard route) and I'm currently on my Golden Deer playthrough.
Matthew St. Cyr I hope you really like it! And if you’re an Edelgard fan, I think the route does a great job keeping her as a strong character and showing her devotion to her beliefs even when she isn’t the route’s main character.
@@Lamora13 Thanks. I am an Edelgard fan, though I mainly chose Black Eagles as my first route because I saw the trailers and thought, "An FE game where the empire isn't necessarily the bad guys, and they're led by a woman who uses axes and magic rather than swords? Intriguing…" And then I find out from playing the game that, in 3 out of 4 routes, the empire's the bad guys...
I love videos like these. Soon as it goes live, I plan to share it around. I know the algorithm's gonna hit it, and even if it didn't your video deserves it.
I just wanted to say thank you, as someone who has experienced both sides of mental health issues and suicide I want to thank you for spreading awareness and making videos that help normalize mental health. Your videos have helped me at some of my lowest points and I hope that your mental health is well too.
This was such a beautifully put video. I never realized video games could be a therapeutic experience. This made me feel so blessed to have had minimal mental issues....
I met you yesterday and you've made me cry twice. I don't cry. Good job.
I really appreciate this video. I was suicidal in my youth. In my case it was my faith led me out of it, but I know that I'm lucky. I know that the same thing that helped me, could have pushed me the other way too. One of my classmates wasn't so lucky, and I always wished someone could have helped him. My closest friend was suicidal two years ago, and the resources available today played a strong role in why he's still here, and even thriving today.
I think your training shows in the careful and responsible language you've used here. I think this is good work.
Gris was uniquely helpful for me during my darker depressive episodes because it helped me imagine the future. For me, suicidal episodes are defined by an inability to visualize any future in which I exist. I think there’s a place for those slightly simple portrayals in therapeutic gameplay too.
Gris is beautiful, I love it. It's helped me too.
Simply lovely. Ironically enough both gaming and creative writing helped me overcome my anxiety. Well on my way to finishing my first novel.
In my first playthrough of Life is Strange I wasn't able to save Kate. I broke down crying and had to take time away before I could continue playing.
I love the work you do on these videos, they are very important and informative. I've learned so much from you. I hope you are able to keep doing these kinds of videos
Me when watching the disclaimer: I do have some mental issues but I can bear it. No need to worry friendo.
Me seeing the kittens: I must go
Yes lol
Me discovering Hellblade genuinely was one of the turning points of my life, it was really scary to play and I dropped it a dozen times in several days, but I kept coming back because I was so enthralled with the complexity and realness put into it. I knew I had psychosis for years before it but I was so deep in denial, going through the heightened reality of it, the good, the bad, the full-on demonic hordes, it rearranged my whole fucking being. Hints would not cut it. A toothless "well we all have our problems" would do nothing for me. It took 10 turbulent hours of wading through norse mythology and every painful emotion imaginable for all of it to sink in, allowing me to have that empathy for my real-life self.
I can't know how a person without my experiences would see it, but I like to think it evokes a whole lot of emotions regardless and that's certainly no small feat.
This was beautiful. Even at it's 33 minutes length I wish it was longer simply because of me being unable to let go of how great this was. Especially as I myself am seriously mentally ill and have struggled with a number of the issues you've mentioned before. Thank you for all the work you do to help us mentally ill people.
Great video as always! ^-^
I can definitely agree with the aspect of video games being therapeutic and/or teaching you empathy.
Back when I played Life Is Strange, I went through High School life in a very secluded way. I had just broken off a childhood friendship and was -due to this experience- disappointed in and disgusted with people in general.
Life Is Strange, however, showed me that there are wonderful people out there that enrich your life and deserve to be cared about. It taught me to open myself up to others again and empathize with them. This game changed my view on humanity for the better and I am really grateful for it.
same for myself here this game means so much to people and really makes me happy that i’m not the only one who feels the same way.
Hell, Going into the medium of writing, I have written stories involving characters with physical or mental health issues. Mostly because I have these issues myself and finding good narratives around these issues have gotten both praise and negative responses. Such as panic.. I have anxiety, ptsd and panic disorder.
But, even among those with simular issues their disorder doesn't match mine.
So I get people who say I didn't go far enough, or too far... I then have to say "this is based from my own experience and treatment I have taken from drs for helping. Its not yours, and you should talk with your dr for best ways to get treatment "
All I can offer is what has helped me, and maybe.. I can help someone else.
This concept of agency is why roleplaying and writing your own stories is so therapeutic for me.
Tim, I’ve been watching your videos for years, and you have grown so much in your subject matter and production quality. I always came for your content on Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I keep watching because you’re truly excellent and I would take classes from you in real life. Thank you so much.
This was handled so gently. Thanks for covering all sides with respect.
@Hello Future Me I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game Omori. Based on what you said here, it’s a pretty positive representation of mental illness, both for those struggling with it and those wishing to be more empathetic. I feel like you’d have a lot of neat comments and insight into it.
I deeply appreciate you making this video. Video games with dialogue that allow us to choose what to say in certain places has helped me with navigating my way through my severely bad mental health as of late. Games that allow me to focus and work collaboratively, like Final Fantasy 14, with other players is another huge therapeutic thing for me. Especially because the most recent expansion, Endwalker, revolves around themes of despair. Shadowbringers did similarly.
It's very oddly cathartic because that feeling of hopelessness is something that drove home hard to me, and helped me rise back up from my own despair and hopelessness.
Now I'm doing savage raiding on the role I do best, a healer, and it's something that's helped immensely
Spec ops the line is the best hidden gem ever
Wouldnt call it a hidden gem, its pretty well regarded, its just not AAA.
SerNoddicusTheGallant that game was “dead” on release no one played it because of battlefield and call of duty coming out at the samr time people regarded it as just a cash grab
the problem with Spec Ops is that good story can't save a bad game. I stopped playing it before any plot kicked in because it was yet another generic cover based shooter that I've already seen dozens of. Only years later I found out more about it.
Amelanduil agree that’s why people didn’t give it a chance but the story alone is worth it
@@Amelanduil that was kinda the point of the game , the only way to truly win was to stop playing it
This video was so good that I watched it twice in a row just so I was absorbing all the information you gave us. Thanks so much for your hard work and honest thoughts!
Dude, common. You're the best. You are truly amazing. The content you do - it's next level. It has maybe even saved people! Thank you SO MUCH for the work that you do.
Oh no the cannery bit in Edith Finch... I cried through all of it. Years ago I struggled through a long bout of depression and I would dissociate *just like that* all the time. All the time. Halfway through the cannery bit I realized that I had forgotten the mouse hand, forgotten that it was even doing anything. I had just set that on repeat and closed off that part of the brain... Just like I did back then. I cried and cried through the whole sequence, that was the best representation of my experience I will ever see. It made me be back there with my past self again. And since when I played it I was some years removed from the bad and on the way to recovery I could see very clearly what I had been doing to myself and how dangerous it was. That game has a lot of things that hold it back, but it has some incredibly powerful moments.
I’m in tears. This is a beautiful video. I have dealt with crippling anxiety and situational depression, but never strong suicidal thoughts. Regardless, I feel that you’ve given me a deeper understanding of these mental health issues. Thank you.
I am really happy that you touched on the fact that there is no one solution to depression or mental illness. Myself and others in my life struggle with depression and we all have different coping mechanisms. Taking pills for social anxiety isn't enough. You need to make the effort to get out and talk to people. Taking pills for depression can help, but getting up and trying to get a task done, even if it's just a simple walk in the park, can really help.
This was a very beautifully done video! It touched on many very interesting points and helped me to see further into the world of mental health portrayal in fiction.
Thank you for all you do, Tim. Keep it up!
as soon as you started talking, i hit the like button. your intelligence and respect when it comes to topics of mental health is both comforting and refreshing. as a teenager struggling with mental illness, the way you address it in your videos, with obvious love and experience, makes me feel seen in a way that few things do. thank you
I hope things are rolling out better for “Ashleigh"
I'm a simple person.
I see Hello Future Me, I click...
whilst watching Avatar: The Last Airbender
Yaaaaaasssssss!!!
I rarely leave any comments under youtube videos... but I feel like I have to this time.
This video deserves being respected, also who made it putting so much effort into it, too.
Company someone through the process is really hard, it makes one doubt if they can go on and on, and terrified so much if one day they'll eventually fail.
A little burden was lifted from me today because of the gentleness of this video. Thank you for being cautious and thoughtful, I feel like I can go on caring for those whom I love with a bit more courage now.
Best luck and be safe in 2020
I started to struggle with anxiety when I had my first real attack I was around 12 I ran into my bedroom curled up in a ball and cried after my mom came into the house and heard her footsteps I freaked out and when I saw it was her it was one of the most relieving things ever but my parents sorta pushed my anxiety aside so to deal with it I went into the worlds I created I spent more time with my imaginary worlds and stories when i was writing a story I was in complete control I would pace back and forth in my kitchen for a hours on end while daydreaming my daydreams comforted me later I found out about Maladaptive daydreaming disorder the only other way I can calm down was video games they are therapeutic a lot of my quotes that calm me down are from video games
Thank you again for brilliantly researched discussion on mental health and its representation in media. Living in a house with people who have both mocked and disregarded our mental illnesses as something trivial or that can be "sorted out" by calling their pastor to "deal with us", video games have always served as an escape and release to us from this reality. As a way for us to learn to deal with our illnesses, where the people we live with never taught us that.
Your video shows that media creators have already come far in their effort to correctly show these illnesses, and give their audience a "safe" place to learn, experience and sympathize with those suffering with these battles, even if there is still a long way to go to remove stigmatization and misrepresentation properly.
We look forward to your next video, and sends seven cheers from our little corner of the world for you.
As someone who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder and Anxiety, thank you for this video, Tim
Thank you for doing these videos - mythic stories and parallel narratives really have a place in helping us deal with our day to day lives and what we as people encounter.
I was immediately reminded of a book I read recently called "Lost in a Good Game" - it deals more with processing grief through games, but got me thinking about how we use games to connect and process things in our home (and ultimately to relax about the whole thing).
I hope you are able to keep doing the mental health videos - you handle the topic with great gentleness and nuance. More empathy is always welcomed in this area.
14:39 the comment about psychosis seem extremely ignorant. "The fact remains that they are suggesting that mentally ill people do not see reality and attack... violently"
This is somewhat true for psychosis, the definition is that they are delusional and don't perceive reality like most people do during a psychotic period. Whether or not they're violent is a result of the person, not the mental illness. If someone doesn't fully understand that they're psychotic, seeing something that can be perceived as dangerous and then lashing out is a very logical reaction. I don't think Senua was portrayed as "angry because she's psychotic" but merely an angry person which suffered from psychosis, just because psychosis doesn't automatically make a character angry or violent, doesn't mean you can't write a psychotic character with violent tendencies. There's a difference between playing on a stereotype, but I honestly don't think there is a "psychotic" stereotype, because most people don't even know what psychosis is, and they think of it, like being Batman's joker type of "loonie".
But can psychotic people become violent? Of course they can, I've worked with people suffering from psychosis, both in periods and chronic suffering of it, and yes they can very much become violent, and it's often way more complex than "the psychosis did it", but a myriad of things combined, like for example, the frustration pent up of being in constant care, basically on suicide watch for the last 5 years of someone's life, never actually being left alone, never having full agency. Suffering from the type of mental illness which makes society put people around you for most part of your day, while also shoving different types of medications, removing said medications to start a new type of treatment, different doctor's ideas clashing and being basically left in a corner like a guinea pig will leave you extremely frustrated. And suffering from for example psychosis and also being berated by your mind's worst version of self loathing, you basically repeating that you are the worst and most useless person there is, and that you should kill yourself will leave you scarred and damaged, you'll be very much on edge. And I'm not saying that all psychotic people are violent, but I'm saying that the worst case scenarios, the ones where medication don't work, it shouldn't be a surprise that they are. It's a frustratingly hard condition to live with and I think the lack of understanding as to what psychosis is, is a bigger issue than simplifying them as violent, because I sadly think that the only way to teach people about psychosis is to actually engage with it in interactive medium because often showcasing it in movies or books don't do it justice.
Grief, mental health and video games. It seems like the perfect time to be sitting at home on Unity making a game focused on dealing with the loss of a loved one during an economic depression.
Part 2 reminds me of my playthrough of dragon age 2: it's a tragedy, so regardless of your actions everything goes downhill.
It discouraged me so much I couldn't finish the game.
I respect the story and everything, but the agency and expectation to be able to fix things or at least keep your closest companions safe, it distressed me more than most works of fiction i can think of.
Love this.... I agree with you - learning to let go and have more positive emotions on what I can’t control was a big part in dealing with my depression. Keep up the great work Tim!!!
I quite think this is one of the most important video you’ve made or will make. Thanks for it. Romanticizing mental illness is done in media and in real life, because of media and because of real life - they influence each other.
I think that as creators, we should do our research well and be very careful of how we frame things. I think the underlying message should be of hope. Even if a main character declines or dies. And especially if someone in real life you know is declining or faces suicidal tendencies. Without hope, there is no future, no healing, for them or for others.
If you who are reason this, if you are this person, please, please reach out. There are so many more accessible resources today available to you now to help you get a fighting chance at life and manage it day by day. And you may very well grow strong enough for someone else to reach out to later.
Thank you for writing about this.
Though not a video game, I was personally affected by a show not "doing mental illness right" when Orange is the New Black featured a certain attempted suicide scene in their final season that sent me into a horrific flashback from something many years ago, resurfacing trauma I didn't know I still held. To avoid spoilers, the show runners and Netflix saw fit to feature this fairly graphic scene with no warnings. It's so dangerous for writers to ignore their responsibility to their audience and I wish more people would consider this.
I think so many writers (of games, shows, books or otherwise) try to so hard to write something meaningful that they don't stop to think of the harm they can cause. The kind of analysis you've demonstrated in this video makes me glad that there are people thinking about it and that the information is there for people to consciously write these stories and give mental illness the kind of representation it often lacks.
Your discussion on the "resource management" of mental illness made me think about Darkest Dungeon, a rogue-like game with an absolutely horrifying atmosphere and enemies that give the members of your dungeon raiding party some serious mental issues. It made for some interesting gameplay then, but now I realise just how obtuse a system is when it requires you to calculate, "down to a T", how much stress a character can take, and only help them because they'll do something for you. The fact that Darkest Dungeon also allows you to simply dismiss a character who has gone mad with no real repercussions (apart from losing the investment you made in their gear and skills) also does not do any favours to its representation of mental illness.
A lot of players found themselves using characters like they're one-use only. Recruiting them into the party, sentencing them to insanity, and then dismissing them to avoid paying for their treatment. I like to think me not following such a strategy is reflective of me not wanting to do something like that in real life, but I also know that I never finished the game.
That's kind of the point of Darkest Dungeon. The game is TRYING to make you view your recruits as completely expendable. The game is daring you to become someone who operates on depraved, ice-cold pragmatism, just like the Ancestor did. If you had finished the game, (SPOILERS DOWN BELOW)
you'd know that the Ancestor eventually tells you (the player) that you're just like him. And if you truly caved in and became the ends-justify-the-means bastard who fires the mentally broken and sacrifices lives just to make some things easier for themselves, you realize you can't argue with him on that. And the players who took this route have no one but themselves to blame for that if that happens. The game didn't force the player to take that route, they took that route out of their own free will because it's just easier to view the characters as expendable. Only the players who didn't take that route could feasibly argue that the ancestor's "you're just like me" speech is a bunch of hot air.
@@jacobluegering9175 Wow. Thanks for clearing that up. The game makes a lot more sense now. Though it's still kinda problematic that in order to finish the game you're probably gonna have to become a jerk. And that too unconsciously so.
I really liked this mechanic, actually, since there's also the chance that your characters can positively change from the stressful circumstances. I would get really attached to my guys and every time they powered through the experience and became better for it, I physically cheered- it was super cathartic! Of course, when they got really awful or abusive, it'd be a race to try and salvage them and help them grow better and heal, but honestly I loved all my characters, so that growth made me really proud of (or pity/attempt to help) them. It's kinda fascinating, tbh. (And I only ever let go of a few characters- I played a slow, long haul for my group lmao)
@@beccascroggins4844 Yeah, the rare occasion when stress made the characters heroic were some genuine fist pump moments. There was something very inspiring about staring down adversity and emerging victorious. But then again, it happened very rarely. For me personally, venturing into the actual Darkest Dungeon for the first time was a bit too much, characters aside. Never played much after that, just played safe. And then eventually got bored of my way of playing, but was still too scared to do it any other way. I admire your determination and patience in seeing it through.
"The fact that Darkest Dungeon also allows you to simply dismiss a character who has gone mad with no real repercussions" Well what would you expect or suggest as repercussions? Also it isn't just insanity that players tend to get rid of characters for: there's also bad traits and especially with the Crimson Court dlc there's an infectious disease. Personally in the unmodded game, early campaign I just purge any that get infected.
"A lot of players found themselves using characters like they're one-use only." Yes and no. If a raw recruit gets something really bad, like that disease, they're probably not worth saving. But a high level character with good traits, I've gone to quite some lengths to save.
"how obtuse a system is when it requires you to calculate, 'down to a T', how much stress a character can take" On the other hand realistically you wouldn't know what your chance to hit and how many hits an enemy will take to kill either.
Your mental health videos are my favorite. I'm always excited to see them in my feed
Thank you for doing this man.
Personally, I have often considered and even decided to end my life, but thanks to a few amazing friends I was lucky to have in my life I kept going.
I hope you will be able to help those who need it, keep on being awesome
I love your videos. I'm a struggling college student/ Marine Corps Vet. Your videos help me so much. Whether it's analysis of movies/ TV or mental health I always have a spark of joy when I see your notifications. Thank you.
I love this whole video, but I also find that this is one of the things that inhibits my own creative process. I desperately want to tell stories that really impact people the way Life is Strange, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Celeste do, but I get so anxious about how much there is to know and understand and so worried about doing it poorly that I wind up doing nothing.
Let me start this by saying that I have never struggled with mental illness and I hope that I never do, but even still I it is so important that we work to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness and the stigma around getting help so that it is available to more people. I know you get plenty of praise for your videos (they truely are great) but I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart thank you. Not as someone who struggles with mental illness but as someone who is learning how to help others with mental illness. While what I learn from my professors is extremely important, I think what I learn about empathy and understanding from your videos as well as the fiction you focus on is just as important. Your quote about empathy reminded me of what one of my professors once said in a class I took over the summer about Harry Potter. "To read fiction is to look into the mind of the other and see the world as they see it, as they understand it, and as they want it to be" and that quote has shaped my life and my personal self so much. Thank you for reminding me of that quote and again thank you for everything you are doing, keep fighting the good fight!!!
Life is Strange seems heartbreaking for people who have lost someone. I’ve been hospitalized for depression several times, but I’m always careful to say I was lucky, not blessed, not had good support. So many of my friends have lost people, and I wouldn’t want them to think it is their fault. Sometimes a support person just can’t get them in time, or the depressed person is so far gone they can’t feel another person’s concern or won’t listen to logic or sense. I DID have great support, but I was also very lucky.
this video helped me even though i'm not at my most stable state because i finally know what i want to do create /or contribute to future video games that portray mental health
I'm surprised you didn't mention The Beginner's Guide.
Like, Coda's whole backstory of being "helped" through his non-existent depression by Davey is really poignant.
I'm surprised he didn't mention Fire Emblem: Three Houses. That game has a ton of characters suffering from different forms of mental illness, and your character is their teacher; putting the player in a unique position to help them.
The Beginner's Guide _destroyed me_ when I watched a lets play of it.
A video like this should is not a list of all the games that deal with mental illness. That would make it more about the games, than about the minds they reflect. Some of games too are too much a fuel to the bad kinds of negative thought spirals. Other-games are only thinly tethered to the topic.
The beginners guide has far more to say about unhealthy obsession, and that's a variety of mental health that wouldn't really be a good choice to focus on for this video-- it's a big step away from depression and anxiety.
@@purpleghost106 Ok, fair point.
@@purpleghost106 The Beginner's Guide is much more about what stands behind hero's unhealthy obsession with Coda's games: low self-esteem, constant pursuit of validation, inability to socialize normally, inability to accept themselves, projecting thier own loneliness issues onto someone else, running away from it, puttitng themselves into position of a "therapist" instead of acknowledging that they themselves are the "victim" of their own condition. And all of it actually reaches the player only towards the very end, unfolding in a very unexpected (for me, at least) and striking way.
As someone who lives with depression and anxiety, this video gave me the most cathartic cry I've had in a good long while. Not because the content was in any way damaging, but because it was SUCH a relief to hear someone talking about this subject who truly GETS IT in a way that I don't often get to experience in my day to day life. So thank you for this video. Thank you for this message. Thank you.
10:18
So apparently I saved someone from ending their own life during high school and I didn't even know it.
They told me years later through messaging and I didn't know how to respond since I'm still going through my own issues. Life is has always been slow for me and this social distancing has halted all of my plans to finally live the life that I needed to.
As I am now, I have slept only about 6 hours in the past 3 days. My head hurts, school work hasn't been done, and emotions are going crazy. Luckily I have friends for support.
24:50
I had a similar experience for about 9 months. I was going back to school after a year but since I didn't have much in my life besides working, going home, and sleeping so my brain started hallucinating 4 months in.
This sounds like my life about five years ago. When I was homeless.
I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type II two years ago, after I had a mental breakdown.
I would like to tell you. Its okay. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, and to ask for help and support.
You never know who'll be there for you.
Wow I haven’t watched your videos in so long but I forgot what it’s like to listen to your video essays. So full of thought and heart and soul. You really are making a difference to people when you do these things, Making these videos. I want you to know I really appreciate your efforts and love your videos.
You help people to understand and think outside the box of what our circumstances tell us and our lives show.
Can you analyse berserk, specifically the golden age arc? I could see you providing some more in-depth insight to the duality of the protagonist and antagonist