Living with bipolar disorder, I often spend my depressive days in front of my PC, playing video games because I can’t find the energy to do something else. Throughout the Healthy Gamer course, I began to realize that I’m self-medicating but it’s deeper than just my depression. I learned that there were things I was secretly craving and wanting to fulfill in my life. The resource showing the correlation between video game genres with specific personality traits and personal needs was so valuable in realizing what I was missing in my life. This course encouraged me to seek healthier outlets so I was no longer stuck in the never-ending cycle of self-medicating. I still play video games, but I no longer feel anxious or an obsessive need to play 12+ hours per day. – Fiona. B (Parent)

It’s not a stretch to say Healthy Gamer has completely turned my life around. Dr. Kanojia helped me understand what made my gaming habits problematic was how I was using them to avoid confronting the real issues of my unhappiness at my finance job. Over the course of a few months, I’ve learned how to manage my gaming habits, changed careers and got accepted to med school, and feel so much happier and more in control of my life. Dr. Kanojia really gets what’s it like to be us, the gamers, and he’s made himself an absolute expert in this understudied field. There’s nobody more empathetic, compassionate, and knowledgeable that I can recommend than Dr. K. I’m honestly so thankful that I had the opportunity to be part of this program.

– Richard W. [Gamer]

I couldn't handle life's challenges because it was too problematic. Presented with a real-world problem, I would only last for an hour and then calling it quits. Thus, I frequently escape into the gaming world to cope with my "adult burdens". On average, my escapism lasts anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of gaming daily. At the age of 30, I am getting no where in life and my body is beginning to ache all over. I needed help. Desperately I went on Reddit to seek help from the community, in which coincidentally, I saw Dr. Alok’s post regarding to gaming addiction. Leaving my pride and ego behind, I began to ask Dr. Alok for help.

My reward system and personal identity had been hijacked by the triumph circuit through gaming. Only to realize this, Dr. Alok coached me to apply gaming skills to the real world. Since then, I have not once felt more thrilled and invigorated increase my skill attributes such as str, int, dex, etc. in the real world (took up martial arts, dancing, piano, mountain climbing; practicing introspection, kindness and resilience). Life in the real-world is meaningful, exhilarating, and stimulating!

– Tony N. [Gamer]