Tetris - PTSD

I found an interesting article about how the game Tetris can help ward off PTSD.

Link to the article - http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/0...rauma_tetris_3

Link to Tetris online - http://www.freetetris.org/

I really hope this does help, and if nothing else, Tetris is a fun game.

Hi DragonofPain,

I did read this article a couple of days ago as I was addicted to tetris through one of my major trauma's at the age of 16. I played it constantly maybe even four hours each day (this went on for at least 18 months). It was a distraction from the other emotional stuff. But what I have found now is that I have delayed PTSD which has become far more complex than it needed to be. Now with tetris an games alike they trigger me, which take me back to that time and all the stuff is raw and much is remembered, fresh as. I guess that it was a saviour during the time but has become a kind of enemy now that I am dealing with stuff I could of faced up to many years earlier and other people would of understood my pain better then than now.

Yes I read the article also, sounds like using a distraction to take the mind off the trauma. Would you have to play tetris for the rest of your life?

The Oxford team showed a film to 40 healthy volunteers that included traumatic images of injury from several sources, including advertisements on the dangers of drunk driving.

After waiting 30 minutes, half the people played Tetris for 10 minutes while the others did nothing. Those who played the game had far fewer flashbacks to the film over the next week.

DragonOfPain,, please understand that my reply is not directed at you.
There are so many of these tiny experiments and they are reported as if it is a major breakthrough...

Sorry, but to me that is a crock...
40 healthy volunteers does not equal those who have lived the traumas.
40? and healthy?
Has a lot in common with people with PTSD?
BS

Google PTSD and you will find 54,098 similar experiments with very little in common with controlled studies
Arrgghh, these things PO me

Thank you for sharing because it may be of help when we do need a distraction and play a game.

Cap

I agree that it's a minor study with results that certainly can't be generalized in any significant sense.

That said, I'm intrigued, since I played Tetris hardcore during the worst years of my abuse.

I prefer x-box.....played for a whole year when I had a schizo roommate that was a drunk..........stayed on guard duty.......kept my mind OFF THE ALTERNATIVES.................................................

what an intriguing study!! i agree that the results can't be generalised, but i find it interesting because i used to play tetris in my head through a lot of my growing up years. it was one way for me to zone out and just go through the motions.

certainly didnt stop the ptsd, though .

This is a good discussion...it's brought out what things we used to distract us during difficult times.

It prompted me to find a simple game to play while struggling with some memories right now.
I'm not very good at it--my highest score was a 2--but it does reduce my being on high alert.

Thanks y'all for sharing!

Cap

No kidding! Kind of amusing, it a bleak sort of way.

Oh it's definitely a distraction! And maybe the flashbacks don't occur soon after because the brain is still sending you images of the shapes and colors!

lol Sky. I sat through my Biology final seeing nothing but shapes and gray shades as there was no colours back then.

Yup, we wrote about this study nearly 2 weeks ago:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...sd-flashbacks/



It has potential, but isn't a very robust finding at this point. We'd need additional, more "real-life" studies to confirm it.

DocJohn

When I read about this study on psych central, I was super intrigued - because I just went through a little tetris addiction in the past couple of weeks After I was raped, I played tetris ALL THE TIME - not right afterwards, but maybe a year later. I played so much that when I lay in bed at night waiting to fall asleep, I could play little tetris games in my head, watching the pieces fall and putting them into their litle slots.

I certainly wasn't using it at the time to consciously avoid flashbacks/memories/feelings....but it probably served that purpose in a way.

Of course, like other people have said, I'm dealing with that stuff NOW, but maybe that's okay, because NOW I have the support in place (sort of, anyhow!) to deal with stuff. Hmmmm......

It would be a valuable help to have it in place during a post-combat experience...
It's different now, of course, but there is no way that would have worked in my circumstances. Much of what we went through has already been shared here; much more has not.

The current war has many soldiers coming home with PTSD.
If there were to be access to this game, it would be in the rear compounds....
Troops on patrol are lucky to have enough water and food let alone this...some might play a hand held version, I believe more would want to sleep.

Non-combat PTSD may have better results.
To be honest, when I was raped when stateside, the last thing I would have wanted to do was to play a game. Somehow it would have felt my trauma was being trivialized...

I sincerely hope that all these experiments will lead to prevention and/or a solid treatment for PTSD.

Obviously all this is just my opinion. I'm responding on a personal level about what works for me and my buddies.
Long and bumpy road to learning it, too!
All of us are somewhat open to suggestions but a bit wary of them. We've been told so very many things, some worked while others made things worse. Crap shoot...
I do like to think that we've made contributions in our own way.

Thought provoking for me, and I'm going to talk with my buddies and get their input.
Buddies=Brothers/Sisters who served in the Nam war.

Cap

(((((((((((((((((((((((((capp)))))))))))))))))))))))))))
(((((((((((((((((((((((all)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I want to apologize if I intruded by posting on this board. I was intrigued by the tetris/PTSD thing....but haven't served and don't really "belong" here.

Please accept my apologies and my thanks for your service

((earthmama))
Please don't apologize!! And it's all right about being here--you shared a very helpful thing with us.
For that I am grateful, earthmama.

Cap

Earthmama ... you do belong here - Glad to meet you. Thanks for sharing. Stick around and you'll see the paranoia that accompanies combat ptsd - of course, it isn't paranoia if it's true that others will be critical of your fears and the reality that created the fear and paranoia in the first place.

Please offer all the tips you have ... but please don't be offended if one of us says "sure, worked for you, but I don't see it working for me." -- As Capp says, we learned this skepticism the hard way. (and it might be normal for all kinds of ptsd for as much as I know - I'm pretty uninformed myself).

The point is ... thanks for jumping in. You are very much welcomed in this forum.

T.