Anxiety issues when playing games online, and especially MMOs...

[bechyni]

How this a real thing? i can understand getting stressed out over real life shit...but over a video game? You want to alleviate the anxiety/stress, set down the controller, walk away from the keyboard and go the fuck outside.

I believe the real issue you need to worry about is how you interact in social settings, because those are the ones that actually matter.

[Laugana]

If you want to play an MMO, try Guild Wars 2. Apart from Fractal and Dungeon runs, you can pretty much do everything else on your own. Plus it's free to play after buying the game.

[Koul]

How this a real thing? i can understand getting stressed out over real life shit...but over a video game? You want to alleviate the anxiety/stress, set down the controller, walk away from the keyboard and go the fuck outside.

I believe the real issue you need to worry about is how you interact in social settings, because those are the ones that actually matter.

Yes, it's a video game but it can still make someone anxious while playing. Same way horror games can scare the shit out of you. In MMOs during some fights or whatever, you have a specific duty and if you keep fucking up or just having that type of pressure it can make someone nervous because they want to do good and they don't want to let the other players down. I don't think it means we take video games way too seriously and are just a bunch of nervous shut-ins.

[Rhyis.]

Here's all you gotta remember: The dude bitching and moaning on the other end is a slobbering neckbeard. Fuck him.

[bechyni]

Yes, it's a video game but it can still make someone anxious while playing. Same way horror games can scare the shit out of you. In MMOs during some fights or whatever, you have a specific duty and if you keep fucking up or just having that type of pressure it can make someone nervous because they want to do good and they don't want to let the other players down. I don't think it means we take video games way too seriously and are just a bunch of nervous shut-ins.

Feeling pressure not to fuck up is normal, but having near panic attack symptoms is something completely different.

[Ashmada]

Social anxiety disorder/social phobia, you has it.

So do I, though in my case it's not so bad in MMOs; it's much worse IRL.
Though I do resist against using VOIP as much as possible as well, especially given that I'm not a native english speaker: people would probably make fun of my horrible accent/pronounciation.


It won't get better on its own. If it affects your life in other areas than simply gaming (and it probably does), you'll need therapy.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy works, I've been following one recently and I'm doing quite a bit better.
It's hard, it's not a quick process, but it works.
There are meds, too, but I have no experience with that.

If you want to self-help, the process is basically to expose yourself to situations that would cause you anxiety. Slowly.
Avoidance is bad, because it means you're listening to your automatic thoughts.
Partial avoidance (in this case, playing a class/job that has less responsibility like a DD) is also bad, though better.
Brutal exposure is extremely bad, as it can cause a traumatic experience and worsen things.
Slow, gradual exposure is the only way to go, you must do things which cause you mild anxiety. And repeat them more than once.
Then move on to harder tasks.

At the same time, you have to force yourself to reconsider whether your thoughts are rational or not.

[raginbull]

I want to thank everyone for replying to this. To be honest, my main reason for playing MMOs is as a distraction, or relief, from RL anxiety. Though considering I get anxiety symptoms when I'm online as well, that doesn't seem to be working out very well for me, lol. I hope I can fix it somehow.

[thetruepandagod]

I remember when i was 12 playing counterstrike and i couldn't handle the pressure if i was the last one alive so i would just type kill in console.

[Rhyis.]

I can only imagine the rage you generated lol

[Rhyis.]

On a side note, I miss the half-life in-game console. Being able to script buying all the shit you wanted with a single button was boss as shit back then.

Or binding your paint tag button with stupid 16 year old smack talk for whenever you knife motherfuckers. Classic.

[Fievel]

I remember when i was 12 playing counterstrike and i couldn't handle the pressure if i was the last one alive so i would just type kill in console.

Oh my god lmao, I used to do the same thing.

[Drakath]

Are you relatively young? In my experience, it's something you will grow out of. I'm sure you won't want to hear it, but real life experiences speed up the process. You can't overcome anxiety isolating yourself behind a computer screen, it's the most lonely thing in the world.

[Tymon]

I used to get sick over FFXI because I felt obligated to do stupid shit. Would get stomach aches and stuff worrying about Nidhogg windows and other dumbass stuff like that.

This was mostly related to me being a dumb teenager with a relatively low amount of social interaction. Doesn't happen anymore. I can get kind of nauseated if I'm playing something really high tension while I'm already a little under the weather, though.

Like a first kill on a raid boss after eating Taco Bell a few hours prior to the raid. Great kill, not so great an aftermath.

[Mayareira]

Are you relatively young? In my experience, it's something you will grow out of. I'm sure you won't want to hear it, but real life experiences speed up the process. You can't overcome anxiety isolating yourself behind a computer screen, it's the most lonely thing in the world.

This is true, you should definitely focus on your RL more. Eventually you will come to a point that you'll have to, and dealing with it at that time will be much more difficult.

Focus on RL, rest will follow.

[BaneTheBrawler]

for more general confidence issues, i find just faking it helps me develop real confidence. sometimes you can even admit to not knowing what the fuck you're doing, but if you keep acting like you're confident, you'll start to actually be confident. it's fucking weird, but it does actually work like that, for a LOT of people.

[Acevalefor]

for more general confidence issues, i find just faking it helps me develop real confidence. sometimes you can even admit to not knowing what the fuck you're doing, but if you keep acting like you're confident, you'll start to actually be confident. it's fucking weird, but it does actually work like that, for a LOT of people.

Fake it 'til you make it. It's a mantra that has been around for many many years.

[NynJa]

I remember when i was 12 playing counterstrike and i couldn't handle the pressure if i was the last one alive so i would just type kill in console.

Were you the last alive cause you were boss, or were you the last alive because you were a douchebag CT with an awp camping on the freeway?

[Osede]

On stage, performing as a dancer, displaying my art at a gallery show or being lead vocals in a band I get nervous about my abilities as a performer because I am a perfectionist and scrutinize myself intensely. The moments before the performance or public engagement are where I have anxiety because of me constantly scrutinizing my abilities. When I go on stage I get intense anxiety until the part where my performance begins and then it is over when I get in the mode.

I answered the "spotlight" question in my post already but I did not describe what it is like in competitive situations. When it comes to competing, again because I am my own worse critic and a perfectionist, yes I get nervous and I get anxiety. The only competitions that are real time that I have been in would be drag racing and dance competitions.

Like the stage fright, when I stage for bracket racing [drag racing a car with a specific time slot to handicap your start while competing against another racer in the same situation according to the performance measurement of his / her car.] at the gate I get crazy panic anxiety where my hands shake on the wheel and I am sitting there scrutinizing myself. Like I do on stage, as soon as I launch the car, the panic breaks and there is a euphoria state.

I believe you have found the reason. What you can try do to is just do it with "don't give a damn fuck" attitude in those situation. Try to not care about how people expect you, try not to expect yourself on the achievement. It sounds easy, but in reality, it is hard to do it though.

[Tagus]

How this a real thing? i can understand getting stressed out over real life shit...but over a video game? You want to alleviate the anxiety/stress, set down the controller, walk away from the keyboard and go the fuck outside.

I believe the real issue you need to worry about is how you interact in social settings, because those are the ones that actually matter.

Yeah... its a real thing. If you dont have similar problems, its hard to understand... and you should probably consider yourself fortunate for never having experienced it. In my case, it started when I was being bullied at work. I couldn't beat the shit out of the guy because I'd lose my job, but he wasn't stopping. I started to have anxiety attacks... my face would get flushed, my hands would start to sweat and shake uncontrollably... which is bad when you're working with syringes all day.

The physiological responses, once your brain is pushed that far, can then trigger from other things as well. I started having anxiety attacks during office meetings, for example. In this case with video games causing it, its happening because there are very few differences in the way our brains process information between reality and virtual reality. That's why people love video games, TV, porn, etc. so much. We know in our minds that its not "real", but the same areas of our brain process the information whether its real or not.

Ultimately, the point is to get help. It may not improve on its own, and may start effecting other aspects of your life. Since I've started taking meds I could give 2 shits about the asshole bullying me, and I'm actually borderline friends with the guy. The interesting thing has been realizing that everyone around him has trouble dealing with him, and he pulls his crap to get his way because he's insecure. Its been an enlightening experience for me... and there's no way I could have pulled myself out of it on my own.

[SamanosukeShiva]

I can totally relate, when I was raiding in WoW hardcore, I remember transitioning from semi-hardcore guild to like top10 world hardcore guild where I would be required to play 35-40+ hours a week, the pressure got to me and I was having anxiety every night from the pressure to perfom, which led me to quit WoW after just a month of joining that guild. The struggle is real