Depression and OSRS as a Tool to Find Peace and Confidence.

Hey everyone,
Starting this blog on my way to max on my main and alt. I'm doing this as a way to combat my chronic depression and anxiety.

I've been playing runescape since I was a kid and it has always been an escape for me from a stressful home environment. Since growing up (I'm 28 now) I've always struggled with general anxiety and depression, and this may be why I may seem kind of distant in chat. Often times I just don't feel great, and it's hard for me to get involved in conversation.

I wanted to start this blog of my progress to max on my main and alt/pure with some short pieces of writing as a way of branching out and being active in the clan.

I'm currently working on being able to mine rune ore on both accounts. I've been doing MLM so it's been slow going but I find it pretty relaxing.

Thanks all,
Brandon

I'm glad you're doing this and I'd also like to extend that my PM's on this site and on OSRS are always open if you ever wanna talk.

<3

Thank you, friend.

Magexing wrote:Thank you, friend.

Absolutely man, gotta look out for each other.

Just achieved 84 mining! One level to go until rune. I've been hanging out at MLM for a while now and think I may stay until 90 mining. It's been a great way to continue getting slow exp rates while working on some final papers for my classes.

Wishing everyone the best,

Magexing wrote:Just achieved 84 mining! One level to go until rune. I've been hanging out at MLM for a while now and think I may stay until 90 mining. It's been a great way to continue getting slow exp rates while working on some final papers for my classes.

Wishing everyone the best,

Grats on 84 mining! Hope you're having an ok day today!

Always good to see more goal/progress threads on here! I'll be looking forward to seeing more

For what little it's worth (and without getting too stuck into it so publicly), I 100% feel you on using this game as an escape of sorts. I started playing again right before COVID hit, which basically gave me free reign to spend almost all of my free time on Runescape. I enjoyed the hell out of it, but in hindsight it probably wasn't the best way to maintain healthy habits. It's always been very up and down, but I definitely felt my depression and anxiety get worse the more time I put into it, because I started using it as an excuse to neglect my usual self care.

Being part of a group like this one, getting to hang out with the same bunch of people every day, can be great. I've found (and I know I'm not alone) the social aspect of this game to be really quite special, so long as you're willing to step outside your online comfort zone a bit. And, I personally owe a number of the folks here an awful lot. After 4+ years here, I count many of them among my closest friends. Trying to balance those undoubtedly positive aspects with the general soul-crushing grind and intentionally addictive nature of this game is where I tend to have trouble, lol.

Anyway. I know you didn't ask for my life story or anything, but I mostly just want you to know that you're not alone in here, in feeling the way you do. And, I've been helped at times, however little, by knowing that some of the people in the clan are going through the same stuff that I am.

And, if you do find that you want to get more involved as you get more comfortable here, I think we'd all be better off for it

Syllabic wrote:Always good to see more goal/progress threads on here! I'll be looking forward to seeing more

For what little it's worth (and without getting too stuck into it so publicly), I 100% feel you on using this game as an escape of sorts. I started playing again right before COVID hit, which basically gave me free reign to spend almost all of my free time on Runescape. I enjoyed the hell out of it, but in hindsight it probably wasn't the best way to maintain healthy habits. It's always been very up and down, but I definitely felt my depression and anxiety get worse the more time I put into it, because I started using it as an excuse to neglect my usual self care.

Being part of a group like this one, getting to hang out with the same bunch of people every day, can be great. I've found (and I know I'm not alone) the social aspect of this game to be really quite special, so long as you're willing to step outside your online comfort zone a bit. And, I personally owe a number of the folks here an awful lot. After 4+ years here, I count many of them among my closest friends. Trying to balance those undoubtedly positive aspects with the general soul-crushing grind and intentionally addictive nature of this game is where I tend to have trouble, lol.

Anyway. I know you didn't ask for my life story or anything, but I mostly just want you to know that you're not alone in here, in feeling the way you do. And, I've been helped at times, however little, by knowing that some of the people in the clan are going through the same stuff that I am.

And, if you do find that you want to get more involved as you get more comfortable here, I think we'd all be better off for it

Thanks for sharing such a heartfelt message and your vulnerabilities. I can feel this community is genuinely special and this is confirmed by my overwhelmingly positive interactions with everyone in chat. This clan feels like a happy place in a dark time and I love it.

Best wishes,
Brandon

Also, 85 mining is nearly there! hopefully tomorrow...

A new day. I feel positive today. I'm going to reach 85 mining today, hooray! I'm also spending some time with family and taking care of course-work. I find even just writing these simple posts is calming and this is very exciting for me.

Cheers to all,
Brandon

85 Mining finally achieved. Feels great!
Here's the loot from about 78 to 85 at MLM.

For my next goals I want to get 90 mining at MLM on my main, and get desert treasure I finished on my alt

Cheers to all,
Brandon

Syllabic wrote:Always good to see more goal/progress threads on here! I'll be looking forward to seeing more

For what little it's worth (and without getting too stuck into it so publicly), I 100% feel you on using this game as an escape of sorts. I started playing again right before COVID hit, which basically gave me free reign to spend almost all of my free time on Runescape. I enjoyed the hell out of it, but in hindsight it probably wasn't the best way to maintain healthy habits. It's always been very up and down, but I definitely felt my depression and anxiety get worse the more time I put into it, because I started using it as an excuse to neglect my usual self care.

Being part of a group like this one, getting to hang out with the same bunch of people every day, can be great. I've found (and I know I'm not alone) the social aspect of this game to be really quite special, so long as you're willing to step outside your online comfort zone a bit. And, I personally owe a number of the folks here an awful lot. After 4+ years here, I count many of them among my closest friends. Trying to balance those undoubtedly positive aspects with the general soul-crushing grind and intentionally addictive nature of this game is where I tend to have trouble, lol.

Anyway. I know you didn't ask for my life story or anything, but I mostly just want you to know that you're not alone in here, in feeling the way you do. And, I've been helped at times, however little, by knowing that some of the people in the clan are going through the same stuff that I am.

And, if you do find that you want to get more involved as you get more comfortable here, I think we'd all be better off for it

Wow this made me tear up a little. I'm so glad we all have this game to connect people who really need it. Thanks for sharing this Syll

Today I decided to change things up. I'm doing a bit of work on my alt, Monastic Wiz. About to mine my first ever star that crashed just as happened to be training some woodcutting at Draynor. Love the early game. The progression is so fulfilling.

The mining grind continues on Magexing and I've been questing like a madman on my alt, Monastic Wiz. Right now my goal on the alt is to finish RFD.

On Magexing my goal is to keep at the mining grind at MLM. Also, finally getting rune ore through MLM is so satisfying!

It's been a great escape from life's stressors and helps keep the dopamine flowing through the semester.

I love hanging out in this community, it's been such a pleasant place to chat and get to know many new friends.

Sincerely,
Brandon

Magexing wrote:The mining grind continues on Magexing and I've been questing like a madman on my alt, Monastic Wiz. Right now my goal on the alt is to finish RFD.

On Magexing my goal is to keep at the mining grind at MLM. Also, finally getting rune ore through MLM is so satisfying!

It's been a great escape from life's stressors and helps keep the dopamine flowing through the semester.

I love hanging out in this community, it's been such a pleasant place to chat and get to know many new friends.

Sincerely,
Brandon

Heck yeah Brandon. I'm glad to hear it. Keep getting that juicy dopamine!

Alright, we are shifting to some afk cooking on the alt to get 70 for RFD (along with some other required skills). It's final paper time for my classes, so this is the ideal grind.
Here is the alt cooking up some lobbies in some beautiful fashionscape.

Hey Brandon! This games is a nice escape from reality for alot of us. Hope to catch ya in the CC sometime. Really enjoyed your thread. Keep it up!

Man, life can be cruel at times no doubt and it is nice to have some kind of escape. Life will never be easy per say but new things come along to make it a little better. I was in the same boat specially in my teen years from 13 to 18 I was in the blackest black I've ever been in i saw no light. First thought when I woke up is I want to die last thought before I fell asleep, I want to die.... For me it was BUT GOD He had other plans I meet an amazing family that more or less took me in accepted me as I was and showed me what love could be. Then God brought my wife into my life been married 7 years we have 2 awesome babes 4y/o girl and 1y/o boy...they brought so much into our world lot of love i never felt for another living being and so much frustration as well...

Sorry for the long windedness of this but it's all to say even with all the depression and anxiety there is in this world there is always goodness in it too...That was hard for me to learn tbh and I'm still learning it. You got this my man God bless and God speed to you.