How violent videogames helped treat PTSD

Ex-Dtoid and Gametrailers writer tells all

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Last Sunday’s Sup, Holmes? (now on iTunes) was special. Matthew Walden, former writer for Geoff Keighley and Destructoid.com didn’t hold anything back. Since an early age, Matthew has had experiences that most of us can only imagine, from almost getting killed by gunfire, to having knife-wielding gang members try to get into his home, to encountering multi-armed religious leaders, to living inside of a God damned volcano. He’s lived an amazing life, one that he sounds grateful for, but it hasn’t always been easy. 

Matthew suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, something he’s only discovered recently. His symptoms can cause him to be triggered into a fight or flight reaction, making small situations feel life threatening and the world into an emotionally unpredictable place. Sometimes without realizing it, Matthew used the safe, controlled world of videogames to work out his thoughts, fears and urges, and he feels it’s made him a better person. 

Check out his story for yourself. It plays out like a cross between Lethal Enforcers, Ni No Kuni, and Asura’s Wrath. Seriously, someone should make a game out of this man’s life. Then tune in this Sunday at 1pm PST/4pm EST when we welcome Miles Tillman and Rich Grillotti of Pixeljam games (Potato Man Seeks the Tooth, Glorkbot) to the program. It shall be a time.


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Author
Jonathan Holmes
Destructoid Contributor - Jonathan Holmes has been a media star since the Road Rules days, and spends his time covering oddities and indies for Destructoid, with over a decade of industry experience "Where do dreams end and reality begin? Videogames, I suppose."- Gainax, FLCL Vol. 1 "The beach, the trees, even the clouds in the sky... everything is build from little tiny pieces of stuff. Just like in a Gameboy game... a nice tight little world... and all its inhabitants... made out of little building blocks... Why can't these little pixels be the building blocks for love..? For loss... for understanding"- James Kochalka, Reinventing Everything part 1 "I wonder if James Kolchalka has played Mother 3 yet?" Jonathan Holmes