Animal crossing and my mental health <3

[eseamir]

I have been playing animal crossing for a long time. Around 2013 I was going through a pretty bad time. The word "depression" was a taboo word in my household. I had to find a way to cope with all the thoughts going through my skull or at least silence them for a little while and Animal Crossing was the answer for me.
It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I didnt accomplish very much that day IRL.
To open up my game and have a cute little animal greet me and compliment me felt nice. Sometimes they'd leave little messages in your mailbox saying "no matter how hard it is dont give up, you got this!"
My support system was very small back then and I didnt have anyone at the time to say this to me.
Family nor friend.
These little animals would bring me comfort, make me smile and laugh.

My mother has depression now and the word is no longer taboo in my family home.
I showed her animal crossing and now she plays everyday. Texts me to tell me the funny things her animals say and she is so excited for me to visit her island. Shes so proud of it.
If her day was miserable she would at least find some joy when turning on this game.

If you're reading this
I hope you're okay.
You're not alone.♡ dont give up. Keep pushing forward. You got this!

I love this!! honestly mental illness is the worst when you can't even discuss it with people around you because it's something that you can't fully understand if you haven't experienced it yourself

 

[EmmaFrost]

Animal Crossing definitely helps me distract from my severe anxiety and depression. I think “distract” is the proper word in my case since I know the game isn’t helping to treat it or reduce it, it just gives me something to zone out with. There have been many times where I’ll give myself a task or a checklist of things to do on my island so I’m not focusing on other things or harming myself or whatever. I’m definitely thankful for the game and its impact on people everywhere

 

[Honesta]

Finding a way to improve your mental health isn't silly at all! I love games like animal crossing and harvest moon because the calm repetitiveness is an easy groove I can get in to and it helps me be distracted! Minecraft can be the same way but only on creative... lol

But yeah, the game overall helps with my mood and I love the terraforming, even though it's a tedious process, because it gives me things to do when the dailies list is too small to stay busy for long.

 

[Greatfox424]

I definitely agree that Animal Crossing has helped with my mental health. I experience high levels of anxiety and playing this game since it came out on the Gamecube has always helped me stay calm and collected. I

I have to agree with some that posted about the "need to be perfect" and the comparing my island to others constantly when seeing people's posts on the internet has caused some anxiety in New Horizons. I always feel like my island can be better and that there are so many ways you can customize your island in this version of the game that it can sometimes feel overwhelming. However, I have to realize the whole point of this game is to play it the way you want to and to take it day by day. I don't like time hopping and I like to play it day by day and just doing whatever comes to mind once I sit down and play. When I remember to do just that and not jump on Reddit or Pinterest and start comparing my island to those who invested so much time in theirs to make them beautiful with themes, etc., I start to become more relaxed and have fun with it.

I love that you posted about this and the importance of self-care. Animal Crossing is a great way to relax and to distract yourself from the pressures of everyday life.

 

[zollers_sporks]

I have been playing animal crossing for a long time. Around 2013 I was going through a pretty bad time. The word "depression" was a taboo word in my household. I had to find a way to cope with all the thoughts going through my skull or at least silence them for a little while and Animal Crossing was the answer for me.
It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I didnt accomplish very much that day IRL.
To open up my game and have a cute little animal greet me and compliment me felt nice. Sometimes they'd leave little messages in your mailbox saying "no matter how hard it is dont give up, you got this!"
My support system was very small back then and I didnt have anyone at the time to say this to me.
Family nor friend.
These little animals would bring me comfort, make me smile and laugh.

My mother has depression now and the word is no longer taboo in my family home.
I showed her animal crossing and now she plays everyday. Texts me to tell me the funny things her animals say and she is so excited for me to visit her island. Shes so proud of it.
If her day was miserable she would at least find some joy when turning on this game.

If you're reading this
I hope you're okay.
You're not alone.♡ dont give up. Keep pushing forward. You got this!

That was so kind! I'm glad you could help you mum!! <3