Recently I wrote to Anet to thank them, and I feel like I can share it with the rest of you. I hope you appreciate the game as much as I do:
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I wanted to take a moment of my time to thank you. Please don’t chalk
this up as another compliment to you guys and that’s that. No. I can
honestly say that you guys saved my life. Without knowing it. I know
it seems crazy, but it’s true. I’m a father of 2, married and going to
school. I was in the military and suffer from PTSD and major depressive
disorder. It’s really hard going through my daily life, even the
simplest of things are hard to do. I enjoyed playing other MMOs for a
little while, but it didn’t really help me. I needed a distraction, but
one that I could play as a casual gamer and didn’t have to dedicate my
life to. This game is the perfect solution. I can group with people,
but I’m not forced to. There is rarely any extra benefit from
grouping. I can craft and it doesn’t take hours and hours and take up
all my bag space. I can jump on for a half hour and feel like I was
able to do something productive. I can participate in huge events
without having to farm reputation or farm gear that seems more like work
than a game. I actually enjoy the PvP environment and the WvW concept
it brilliant. Thank you. It’s still hard going day to day with my
struggles, but this game has provided an adequate distraction. One I’ve
been longing for for a very long time. I can’t promise I’ll be able to
spend a lot of money on gems to support you, but I’ll do what I can when
I can. I can’t promise that I’ll always be around in-game (though it’s
possible), but I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for,
at the very least, getting me through right now. Life’s been rough and
GW2 is a beautiful distraction and outlet. God bless your team.
And thanks to all the other players out there, especially my guild [SE] for being so supportive, keeping a good sense of humor and making the game just so kitten fun to play.
I appreciate your sentiment, I’m getting help outside of GW2 – it just helps distract me from reality for a couple hours a day. If anyone else is in a similar situation I hope they also heed your advice.
Thank you for sharing, and thank you for service. It’s Amazing what you have done for our Country and I am glad that this game is giving you a bit of help.
I’m glad we could create a world you could immerse yourself in. I personally used games to escape some rough moments in my childhood, and know that escaping into virtual worlds is a great way to distract the mind during rough moments, and even inspire change.
If I had to pick one reason that I became a game designer, it is for people like you.
Thank you for your service, and I wish you a speedy recovery.
I know people often overstate this, but it’s the truth.
It’s the small things in life that count. People get so easily caught up in their responsibilities and what they see as the bigger picture that the tiny joys often slip us by. I’m glad you’ve found something that can give you a reason to smile, especially this game.
Hope it everything gets better for you and much praise to ANet for giving us such an incredible journey.
i also want to thank the game designers for a great game
(posted here, so i don’t open another topic)
yes, when ppl don’t complain (endless topics/posts), it means they are happy
to the OP: glad to hear that mate, you are right, GW2 is a great game where you can have some fun and not grinding endlessly for a good gear
Having suffered depression for a fair few years now I can also agree that immersing yourself in a varied game world is a huge help. While I dont go as far as to call it ‘therapy’, having some way of taking your mind away from the real world is a great relief.
A few of years ago I became addicted to MMO gaming and had to drag myself away due to the fact it was starting to dominate my real life. I went cold Turkey for a couple of years until Guild Wars 2 came along and while I do sometimes long for the ‘grind’ that so many people complain about such as a recovering alcoholic craves the strong stuff, I do enjoy that I can put GW2 down, go away and come back having not missed anything.
Thereon Avenrise – former [Noes] Officer – Piken Square (EU)
Retired and living in a shack. Relaxing!
Congratulations for overcoming your troubles. Nice for GW2 to have been a tool in the process.
It is very hard for me to not start rambling about military service. Suffice to say that I won’t ever have PTSD. On the other hand, I’ve got other stuff to worry about and GW2 serves as a way to make that easier too
If I can’t play Guild Wars 2 at work, I won’t work in Guild Wars 2 either.
Delayed content is eventually good. Rushed content is eternally bad. ~ Shigeru Miyamoto
It’s not the first time I have come across this sort of thing for veterans (I’m in the RBL) and maybe one day we will be able to persuade a Government to do some research into whether this could be part of the overall package of treatment given to people in the OP’s situation. Being able to participate and join in with others can be a very healing process and it’s a lot easier to do on a game than it is in real life sometimes.
If it helps even one person get over PTSD then it will have been worth it.
Victory, Beings Lost On Borderlands (BLOB), SFR & Gandara (inactive)
I want to thank Arenanet, too. For all of my complaints, this is a terrific game and the developers are for the most part wise and fair in their decisions.
Nobody at Anet loves WvW like Grouch loved PvP. That’s what we need, a WvW Grouch, but taller.
@op, well this may be your way of thanking Anet for this game I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you and all others like you for your service and dedication. I wish you the best of luck and a fast recovery. Also I would like to thank your family for what Im sure was a hard time well you where away.
@cjokergrind
As someone who has friends and family that have served and continue to serve, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service. God bless you and I wish you well.
I most certainly agree with you though. This game has a wonderful formula that just doesn’t exist elsewhere. You don’t typically come across a game that you can play for a short period of time every day and feel like you’re achieving something and having fun socializing while doing so.
I am not in the military but I have severe anxiety and find this game allows me to “escape” those rough times. Thank you for your service and everything you have done for this country.
cjokergrind, thank you so much for your service and sacrifices. It truly means a lot to me.
It is games like this that help us lower our stress and help in a lot of ways. It certainly has helped and engaged me to a large degree.
Doctors are finding video games can help head injury patients with cognitive issues by engaging them and helping them focus and give them goals. Achieving even simple things in this game can mean a lot and building upon those achievements, even more.
If any game or online social venue can do this, then it is great value. And thank you Anet for making this enjoyable experience.
To the OP and all military personnel in Tyria, thank you for your service to myself, my family and this country. I wish you all nothing but the best and that you find your way safely home.
Video games/virtual worlds do a LOT more than folk suspect they do. They are a very welcome addition to treatment options. This is not just for veterans either, many others get head injuries in normal life or PSTD issues from events they have undergone and find that these games and virtual social worlds help them in a lot of ways. Some social worlds have support groups as well. I think this is an unexpected, wonderful byproduct of games and the virtual world in general.
Soldier/teacher here……got back around May 12 from Afgh and I can relate I wish the game would of come out around July 2012 but still it helped me also to get lost in the world and play.
