Pokémon Go is a brand-new mobile game app based on the prevalent Pokémon game made in 1995. The new game was released in some countries in July 2016 for Android and iOS devices. Many players have already taken to the social media in order to share how Pokémon Go has helped their mood, social anxiety, mental health, and depression.
We already know that exercise can help greatly with depression (together with virtually any other mental health issue), but being motivated to exercise when you are already depressed is a real challenge! That’s why Your Health Tubers support this engaging game and decide to write this article in order to help people (especially young people) who are having this problem.
About Pokémon Go
This game uses a GPS and person’s smartphone camera to place Pokémon characters in the actual world in proximity to the person who play. In order to earn points, the characters from the game should be “caught” by the player. Play can see the Pokémon characters in their real world environments by looking at their screen, and use the game so it can capture the character.
Mental Health Benefits of Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go can encourage people to get outside, talk to others, take a walk, and explore. Granted, it is through their phone acting as an interface, however, walking is walking, though the motivation for doing so is to play this game. For an individual suffering from anxiety, depression or some other mood disorder, the hint of exercise could be nearly impossible to anticipate, much less do. Moreover, for a person suffering from social anxiety, the idea of spending time outside and probably bumping into others who might want to talk to you is intimidating.
The founder of the game is Dr. John Grohol, who is an expert in technology’s impact on mental health and human behavior, the past 20 years studied how individuals operate online. Through his network Psych Central, he is helping many people who suffer from anxiety, depression and other similar issues. Dr. Grohol claims that he has never seen anything like this game.
According to Grohol, this is not a hippie nonsense: studies proving the positive effect of exercise on person’s mood goes back no less than twenty years.
“The research is really clear on this, that the more you exercise, the more it will help reduce feelings of depression,” he states. “This game has a strong positive effect and it works as an anti-depressant. It is probably one of the most beneficial stuff a person with depression could do, especially if they are not accessing some other types of treatments, such as medication or psychotherapy.”
Moreover, walking around helps much more than the mental health: It could also help people stay in shape, lose weight, and build healthier bodies. So, in this particular case, we can say that what is good for your body – is also good for your mind.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), around 43.9 million adults in the U. S. experience mental illness each year. That’s 1 in 5 adults. The suicide prevention organization Take This claims that the video game community is a real magnet for persons living with untreated mental illnesses, like anxiety and depression. This industry is volatile, and it usually attracts highly educated and creative people — factors that may contribute to an ideal storm of some untreated mental illness.
Pokemon Go isn’t a panacea for depression or anxiety in general, but for many people, it is a stepping stone toward positive self-care and healthier habits. It is not perfect, but there is no any perfect solution for social anxiety, depression or some other mental illness. People who have benefited from playing the game Pokemon Go could use this opportunity to take their treatments to the next level, Dr. John Grohol says.
Conclusion:
Pokémon Go could be an introduction to healthier habits and self-care, but it is not a cure. It is not even foolproof as a video game: the game does not extend to some remote areas across the country, although server outages have plagued the game since its launch in July. If someone is using the game Pokémon Go as a healthy habit promoter and it simply does not load one day, that may be a crushing blow.
Generally, you should always try to spend more time in nature and avoid computers and video games. However, if you like playing games we will recommend you Pokémon Go as “healthier alternative” that may help you with anxiety and depression. Find more how to prevent and treat depression naturally: http://yourhealthtube.com/powerful-natural-remedies-depression/