Depression & attachment

[SarahBearah]

Has anyone else here felt depressed when they played this game? Everytime I lost one if my dreamies I felt so empty and sad and when I talk to Curlos (my oldest and favourite villager) I become happy(ier).
Please tell me I'm not the only one!

 

[Lovelylexi]

Depression sounds like a big overreaction. Sad, sure, but not actually depressed.

 

[Ankhes]

I suffer from Chronic Depression and have for over 40 years; I've even been hospitalized for it. So, yeah, I do get depressed from it sometimes. Not usually, but when a dreamie once left and I lost one meant for someone else I got REALLY upset an depressed.

So no, you aren't alone. But I do try to keep things in perspective better than I have in the past. I've found that usually someone kind here will help you out if you are sad or in a jam.

 

[snowblizzard24]

I second Lovelylexi's notion^
I don't think depression is a good word to use since that's a little extreme. I felt really sad yesterday when I gave away Diana that I had to sit down and take a breath. I've also felt really sad before like when Tammy moved out of my town that I even wanted to cry. (Both were dreamies btw) I know some other people actually do cry and keep the letters and stuff of their old villagers, but people move on. They're just pixels, it's not that big of a deal, plus if you're really determined, you can always cycle 16 villagers out until you get them back. I'm sorry to sound mean or anything, but that's just my opinion on the matter. I do feel the same way as you, but not to the extreme to state that it's depression. I've had depression before and I'm still trying to get over it to an extent so to say that you feel a little sad over villagers moving is just a little... idk

 

[Ankhes]

All true, but Chronic Depression is a neural disease, and small things to others are triggers for the major problem. Without proper medication and treatment I end up in the hospital.

Yeah, it's just a game, but when you have the disease, it doesn't take much sometimes to trigger a bout of depression. For myself, I have to really focus sometimes and place the triggers in their proper place and then get help, if necessary. But usually I'm pretty good and stable. I've had decades of practice, after all.

- - - Post Merge - - -

(((HUGS))) to anyone feeling sad!

 

[snowblizzard24]

All true, but Chronic Depression is a neural disease, and small things to others are triggers for the major problem. Without proper medication and treatment I end up in the hospital.

Yeah, it's just a game, but when you have the disease, it doesn't take much sometimes to trigger a bout of depression. For myself, I have to really focus sometimes and place the triggers in their proper place and then get help, if necessary. But usually I'm pretty good and stable. I've had decades of practice, after all.

- - - Post Merge - - -

(((HUGS))) to anyone feeling sad!

While I understand your point on this matter since I have gone through clinical depression and had to even get out of school to recover for a year, you can't just assume that this person has chronic or whatever other depression. They just feel sad for short bouts of time and as long as they talk to Curlos (or other dreamies) they seem to be fine. That's not the same as having depression. That's just having sadness for a short period of time until their muse is there to soothe their pain.

 

[Drew1234]

Yeah I got a little depressed when Gabi moved out. I couldn't even play for a few days. I've had her in every single AC game.

 

[SarahBearah]

While I understand your point on this matter since I have gone through clinical depression and had to even get out of school to recover for a year, you can't just assume that this person has chronic or whatever other depression. They just feel sad for short bouts of time and as long as they talk to Curlos (or other dreamies) they seem to be fine. That's not the same as having depression. That's just having sadness for a short period of time until their muse is there to soothe their pain.

I'm sorry if I offended you, I wanted a word meaning sadness but more than that, and all I could think of was depression. While it might not be legitimate depression, it certainly feels like it

 

[Tessie]

I would get sad, and vent for a little, but get over it after maybe an hour and resume playing.
I feel like when a video game can put you in the moods of depression or put you in this feeling of anxiety because you're afraid it not sometimes going your way, then it doesn't make it a game anymore. I'd stop playing if it made me feel that way o_o

 

[snowblizzard24]

I'm sorry if I offended you, I wanted a word meaning sadness but more than that, and all I could think of was depression. While it might not be legitimate depression, it certainly feels like it

Aww, I didn't intend to sound mean. I'm sorry you've been feeling this way since I've also lost dreamies and it's a really sad occurrence. I completely understand. It's just I don't like to assume and that word just hits a nerve since my whole family and I have it, I just don't want anyone to just throw it around. Anguish and sorrow might be better words instead if those are what you're feeling.

 

[Ankhes]

While I understand your point on this matter since I have gone through clinical depression and had to even get out of school to recover for a year, you can't just assume that this person has chronic or whatever other depression. They just feel sad for short bouts of time and as long as they talk to Curlos (or other dreamies) they seem to be fine. That's not the same as having depression. That's just having sadness for a short period of time until their muse is there to soothe their pain.

I'm not assuming anything, and I of course know the difference. I was just weighing in, not making assumptions, tho I can see how my post could have been interpreted as such.

- - - Post Merge - - -

Aww, I didn't intend to sound mean. I'm sorry you've been feeling this way since I've also lost dreamies and it's a really sad occurrence. I completely understand. It's just I don't like to assume and that word just hits a nerve since my whole family and I have it, I just don't want anyone to just throw it around. Anguish and sorrow might be better words instead if those are what you're feeling.

I don't think anyone is just throwing the word around, and my family has had more than a fair share of suicides, so I certainly don't just throw it around, but I do understand the feeling and don't assume that others don't understand or share it, just in case they do.

But yeah, I'd probably definitely stop playing for awhile if it truly triggers an occurrence with me.

 

[DeadJo]

I think I have attachment problems. Not just in animal crossing, but with pretty much everything. I can't let go. Even when I meet strangers, if I think about how I will separate from them in a certain amount of time, I get really sad. Especially with friends, when I think about how we might not be friends when we're old adults, I get really.. ._. I would think, "What's the point of meeting them and building up our friendship if it's not gonna last forever?"

._.


By the way, how did you guys find out you had depression? Did you guys just decide to go to a doctor, or..?

 

[Ankhes]

I think I have attachment problems. Not just in animal crossing, but with pretty much everything. I can't let go. Even when I meet strangers, if I think about how I will separate from them in a certain amount of time, I get really sad. Especially with friends, when I think about how we might not be friends when we're old adults, I get really.. ._. I would think, "What's the point of meeting them and building up our friendship if it's not gonna last forever?"

._.


By the way, how did you guys find out you had depression? Did you guys just decide to go to a doctor, or..?

I also get that sort of attachment, too! I tend to fixate on things way too quickly. It can be difficult, can't it?

For me, way back in the 70's I got so down that I did something very drastic and serious, and my parents took me to the hospital. A doctor there treated my injuries and then another doctor took over for him. That doctor spoke to me for days and then referred me to two specialists in Chicago. It was there that I was diagnosed, and I follow up with doctors to this day to keep a handle on my illness. I'm so much older than most people here and in the early days this was not named or recognized very much. I was fortunate to have "forward-thinking" doctors back then who were willing to take a risk and treat people like me.

About 10 years after I was diagnosed it became much more common and became much more widely known. Medications and therapy also vastly improved. Today it is much easier and the medications have far fewer side-effects than they did in 1975.

 

[nikkin]

I've had about 3 or 4 dreamies move out on me because I hadn't played in so long, and it was pretty upsetting after the first couple. It actually gets better once you realize that you have room for more villagers and potential dreamies, and once you reach the 16 villager cycle you can get that dreamie back if you still want him. Gives you reason to continue to play once youve done everything in the game. Just gotta remember, it's only a game

 

[Lualdara]

My first accidental dreamie move out really brought me down; I had my town all complete when Phoebe decided to leave. I got so sad I ended up resetting the town without thinking and now I can't commit to a single town anymore, lol

 

[Ankhes]

I've had about 3 or 4 dreamies move out on me because I hadn't played in so long, and it was pretty upsetting after the first couple. It actually gets better once you realize that you have room for more villagers and potential dreamies, and once you reach the 16 villager cycle you can get that dreamie back if you still want him. Gives you reason to continue to play once youve done everything in the game. Just gotta remember, it's only a game

That is so true. You have to try to keep things in perspective.

 

[Lepidoptera]

If O'Hare moved it would mean the end of the game for me. So I do get sad if someone leaves. I know people say you can just get a new one but it wouldn't be the same if that makes any sense. I know this because it happened to me in WW when Bob moved away. WW was never been the same for me since. I've never lost anyone in NL yet because of obsessively hounding my villagers for move out rumors.

 

[Mayorofarcadia]

It actually does get me depressed. I go through phases where I'm hardcore into AC then maybe something happens like a dreamie has moved etc and I actually get really depressed and feel very unmotivated to play.

I suffer from depression though so..

 

[BlueSkittleWolf]

Well.. Yeah, Kyle moved out a few months or so ago and I was going through depression (Still am) from a serious bullying incident that still happens to this day. Kyle, in the game, was basically the only thing that really kept me into something happy. Though, instead, I got into making games to keep up the happiness I had left.

All in all, I'll have to say yes as I also obsess over things as well. I gained an attachment to Kyle and want him back in my new town. :c

 

[Tiekie]

I even get a bit sad when a villager I don't even like moves out x3 It's like in the proces of wanting them to move out, they become a part of my town anyway all those mixed feels...