Every single person on planet Earth is tired of reading articles either defending video games or lambasting them. After the boom of home consoles in the 80's and 90's, it seems for decades, the only debate over games has been about whether they cause violence, introduce kids to mature topics, or take over their lives. Especially with the recent new dumpster fire that was Pokemon Go, it's yet again what millions of Midwestern moms are "expressing their strong opinions" over in Facebook comment forums. "No," the gamer community shouts back in defense, "These games are just for fun!"

However, no one seems to realize that video games don't have to be "just for fun".

Okay, reader! Now comes the important disclaimer: I struggle with an anxiety disorder called Depersonalization Disorder, or DPD. It's a disorder that's not well understood, but it basically means that every moment of my life feels dreamlike and detached. Y'know the head rush you get after fainting, where the world still feels hazy and unclear like you're just a notch away from being fully conscious? Imagine that, 24/7. Throw in some panic attacks, depression, and just add water, and you get my weird brain! Now, this is not meant to be a complaint article by any means. I just want to preface that I've been in the mental health system for quite a while and have tried many a different therapy, so I'm not just talking out of my butt.

ANYWAYS - video games have been a massive part of my mental recovery process, and I know they have been for many others. The simple explanation is that many video games are genuine, bona fide (hold on to your controversy hats) art, and one of the many purposes of art is the catharsis. ("Providing relief from strong emotions by experiencing them") However, it can be broken down more specifically than that. Into an accessible, numbered list, even! No modern articles have ever done THAT before!

1. Immersion

The benefit that video games have that no other medium does is ultimate immersion. It's incredible to entirely lose an afternoon in a novel, or to be fully focused on a movie, but not in the same way that video games are capable of. In other media, you can't change the story. (Unless you're reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book. In which case, hello, an elementary school student from 1998.) Games let you drift into a world of your own decisions, letting you create and flesh out a character of your creation, and explore a world however you want.

When you struggle day to day with a life that can feel mundane, claustrophobic, and hopeless, sometimes this type of escapism is the only thing that helps. I've finished a day that mostly consisted of panic attacks and tears, come home to a lonely apartment, and struggled to feel remotely productive. Even after practicing piano or talking to friends, the only thing that helped was to turn on a game with such a brilliant story that I forgot everything that wasn't the world of the game. Yes, this can be dangerous; getting too invested into fantasy worlds takes you away from real, healthy life. But it can also let you express yourself in a world totally different than our own.

2. Vicariousness

You can learn from video game characters no differently than book or movie characters. As the last point touched on, games allow you to lose yourself in someone else for a time in a way that other media can't let you. Some games provide you a blank slate of a character, but others drop you behind the eyes of a set, distinct one. You may be able to move the character however you like, but the character is still very much fleshed out. This can provide the same benefit as before - that you're no longer in your own life, but another one altogether. This lets you see the world from a totally different perspective, and allows you to make decisions that you would never feel comfortable making in daily life. "But Elan," I hear you hell, "How does being someone else help YOU improve!" Well, inquisitive reader, stop screaming! You're making everybody uncomfortable. To answer your question, that's because finding out how others see the world helps you figure out how you can be a better person. Joel from The Last Of Us taught us how to properly process grief. Clementine from The Walking Dead showed us how to stay good people in the worst of times. Every time a character is written, something can be learned from them.

I can't stress enough how helpful it is to see others' perspectives, but especially so if you struggle with a mental disorder. A lot of times the answer to your recovery doesn't lie in your own mind. Getting inside the head of someone completely different can help you figure out how to better work on your own problems, or how not to process them.

3. Simulated Productivity

This one's a bit tricky. Games can be harmful by making you feel like your day has been incredibly productive, when you haven't even put on pants yet. Yet again, though, there's another side to this. If you feel worthless, beating a difficult boss or finding a rare item can put you back on your feet. Games provide instant gratification in a way that our normal world rarely does. Finishing a goal in a game is no different than filling out a crossword puzzle or completing a home improvement project.All three let you relieve stress by focusing on a task with low stakes.

4. Exploration

Games foster a love of exploring. Some days, it's hard to get out of bed because you dread work. Other days, it's hard to get out of bed because walking outside will give you a panic attack or a crippling depressive episode. On those days, it's impossible to say how nice it is to be able to explore without leaving your room. Good ole' fashioned exercise has no substitute - it will literally make you happier through endorphin release. But when you're not mentally okay to go to the gym, getting the feeling of exploring new worlds is still possible with video games.

Secondarily, this can translate to real life. I just finished a backpacking trip in Europe that I know wouldn't have been mentally possible for me if I hadn't spent hours exploring in games. I wouldn't have the appreciation for simply walking and gawking at nature that I do, had I not spent hours exploring the worlds of Skyrim and Far Cry 3.

5. Social Interaction

You would be hard pressed to find a big name game that doesn't have multiplayer options. While a lot of multiplayer can be sexually frustrated preteens screeching homophobic slurs at each other, most of it is just calm people, connecting. A lot of the game community consists of introverts (REPRESENT) so interaction through multiplayer games can provide the fun, low-stakes atmosphere a lot of them flourish in. People who are social cadavers in normal life light up and become goddamned motivational speakers in games.

And if you're not online, playing games in person is even better. It's hilarious to me how many deep, emotional conversations I've had with my friends while blowing things/people up in Halo. Games provide a proverbial coffee table over which to converse, and people are comfortable doing so because the pressure isn't on them, it's on the game. As someone who HAAAAAATES being honest in person about my fears and regrets, video games have been there for me.

5. Beauty

This one's almost self-explanatory. Some games are just drop-dead, unequivocally gorgeous. Be it an art style to rival paintings, or a story so heartfelt it makes you weep, games can simply be beautiful. Journey. Shadow Of The Colossus. Limbo. These are games with visuals and stories that'll give you goosebumps.

To put it simply, games let you break from our world while silently informing you about yourself, just like any other art form. It can let the sometimes unbearable weight of mental illness off your shoulders for a few short hours. I don't think games are a panacea by any means; I know they can be harmful. However, I really do think they can provide so many benefits to other like me, and even those who don't suffer from mental illness. Also, you can't blow things in up real life. Sometimes it's fun to blow things up.