In the category of Serious Games, a CNN report today highlights a study that shows playing Tetris within hours of experiencing trauma can reduce the anxiety or distress that occurs in relation to a traumatic event, which can ultimately lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
From the article:
PTSD occurs when intrusive memories linked to fear from a traumatic event become consolidated in a person's mind by them visualizing the event in a loop until it becomes locked in their brain.
Competing with the visualization, such as with a game like Tetris, can block that consolidation form happening.
Click here to read more.
I spent three years of my life in an active combat zone. I've been shot at with mortars and rockets more times than I can count. My "ptsd" from that was just getting a tad bit jumpy any time I hear a loud bang. Otherwise, I'm totally unfazed. Even under fire, I'm cool as a cucumber. A lot of people aren't. Why am I so special? I used to play a lot of Battlefield 1942 and the desert combat mod long before I went into real combat. Although video games aren't realistic to actual combat, it was a good way to mentally know what to expect and that helped to stay calm under fire. Thus, when I'm getting shot at by mortars and rockets, I just shrugged and went about my business. If its my time to go, it's my time to go, trying to dodge an incoming round is like trying to dodge lightning strikes. By the time you hear the impact, if you're hearing it, it means you're not dead.