What is a depression stimulator?
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This post answers: What is a depression stimulator? Which are some games designed to deal with depression? What is depression? What are the symptoms of depression? What are the treatment options for depression?
What is a depression stimulator?
Depression Simulator is a point-and-click puzzle game in which players put themselves in the place of someone suffering from depression, making even the most basic tasks difficult. It was made as a part of an autobiographical game, to represent different perspectives on depression.
It was created as part of a Master’s Practice by a student in Computer Game Enterprise and Production at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom. Depression Simulator was also a semi-finalist in the Stylist x Diet Coke Creator’s Collective competition.
Which are some games designed to deal with depression?
Some other games designed to deal with depression are:
Elude’s a symbolic prototype for depression serves to raise understanding of the realities of depression by instilling empathy in those who live with depression daily. In Elude, individuals travel by a series of metaphorical emotional landscapes, searching for “passion objects” to help individuals overcome psychological hurdles. Elude is one of the few games on this list that is explicitly designed to be a learning resource for the family and friends of those struggling with depression.
Depression quest is an adventure-based game in which individuals play as someone with depression and balance various areas of their life such as relationships, jobs, and mental illnesses. Zoe Quinn, the game’s designer, who faced the anger of one of the greatest baiting campaigns in Online history after the game’s release, asserts the play isn’t meant to express the knowledge of everyone suffering depression, but rather to comprehend the inner stories of someone who interacts with it daily.
The game immerses visitors in the life of Evan Winter, a white-collar worker in Toronto. It’s a text-heavy game that depicts the daily struggles of making connections while dealing with crippling depression and anxiety.
What is depression?
Depression is one of the most common serious mental health conditions that negatively impact how an individual feels and thinks.
Depression is associated with feelings of sadness, a loss of interest in daily activities, and drastic changes in the energy level and the daily routines of an individual.
Depression in itself can lead to other physical and emotional problems which can be detrimental to a person’s functioning.
The symptoms of depression can vary from individual to individual from mild to severe depending on various factors.
Studies indicate that depression affects about 15% of adults every year and one in every six people experience depression at some time in their life.
Although depression can occur at any age it is more common among teenagers and early adults. Research indicates that women are more vulnerable to depression than men.
What are the symptoms of depression?
The characteristic symptoms of depression are:
- Feelings of sadness or depressed mood
- Loss of interest in activities enjoyed in the past
- Changes in appetite leading to weight gain or weight loss
- Changes in sleep patterns with very little sleep or long hours of sleep
- Decrease in the level of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feeling guilty
- Difficulty thinking and concentrating
- In severe cases thoughts of death or suicide
Symptoms of depression must last up to two weeks and cause significant impairment in an individual’s daily functioning to meet the diagnosis of depression.
What are the treatment options for depression?
Depression though widespread is one of the most treatable mental illnesses. About 90% of people with depression respond well to treatment.
Some possible treatment options for depression are
Medication
Antidepressants are very commonly prescribed by doctors to individuals with depression. These medications are not sedatives or tranquilizers. They generally do not have any stimulating effects on people who do not experience depression.
Antidepressants usually show their effects within a few weeks. However, in cases where patients do not see any improvement after several weeks, they can alter their doses based on the suggestions provided by their health care practitioners.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy. It is used as a single mode of treatment for mild depression or for moderate to severe depression along with antidepressants.
Psychotherapy might involve the individual alone or other related individuals for instance the family of the concerned person.
Depending on the severity of depression psychotherapy might take a few weeks or much longer for significant improvement
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy where the therapist actively focuses on problem-solving. This is done by helping individuals replace their negative thoughts with more positive ones.
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy is a treatment model that is commonly used for patients with severe and major depression who usually do not respond to other lines of treatment.
It involves brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia.
Patients receive electroconvulsive therapy two or three times a week for a total of 6 to 12 sessions.
Self-help and coping strategies
Apart from therapy and medicine individuals can also carry out some self-help coping strategies such as carrying out regular exercises, getting sufficient sleep, indulging in pleasurable activities, maintaining a healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol to reduce their symptoms of depression
Conclusion
Few games portray the various challenges individuals with depression experience. Though these games might help individuals with temporary relief it might not be a holistic way to deal with one’s sadness and depression. Individuals must seek professional help to manage their depression.
Frequently asked questions: What is a depression stimulator?
Is there a game for depression?
Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game that deals with various elements of depression.
Is there an app for depression?
Mood mission is an app that helps individuals manage their anxiety, depression, and stress. The app aims at suggesting individuals’ “missions” based on how they are feeling.
Is there a name for depression?
There is no day for depression individuals can experience a sense of depression following a major setback in life with any environmental or personal triggers.
Which games are best for depression?
Some games that have individuals deal with their depression are:
- Depression quest
- Flower
- Aether
- Sym
- GAMBIT Game lab
Citation
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
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