The importance of recreational skills in our mental health
After years of practice, I found out that those patients who have a gambling addiction, video game addiction, those who are suffering from psychosis, and, to a lesser extent, patients with depression and anxiety all lack recreational skills.
Those who are anxious say: I don’t have time to have fun.
Those who are depressed say I am too sad, too down to even think about playing.
Those who have psychosis say it is a sin to entertain yourself.
Those who are addicted to gambling say: I get to win more money before I can play.
Those addicted to video games say nothing in the world is more exciting than playing video games.
The truth is that:
If they play more, they are less likely to be so anxious.
If they have a larger repertoire of recreational activities, they are more likely to pick themselves up from depression.
If psychotic patients spend more time on “sinful fun things,” they will be less likely to be so judgmental and hostile to the world.
If the pathological gambler spends time in a variety of creational activities, those activities will dilute his desire to collect more money from the casino.
If video game addicts have many ways to feel excited, fun, and happy, they will be less likely to be so addicted to video games.
All the patients mentioned above have a relatively small recreational skill repertoire compared with the general population.
So, if you are a family member of those mentioned above, try to get them to do something happy. I know family members have tried this before, most likely while they were in an acute episode. Then, when their episode subsided, it seemed everything came back to normal. They don’t do anything for fear that they rock the boat.
No.
When their acute syndrome subsides, they still lack recreational skills. It is a golden opportunity to guide them into various recreational activities gently. I focus on their negative syndrome. I treat them when they are out of acute psychotic or depressive state or have subsided from panic attacks. At the same time, a psychiatrist generally just lowers their medication dosage and waits for another episode to come.