Dungeons and Dragons – Therapy?
I can still remember when D&D was considered “scary” because it might be demonic, or you might get so lost in “roleplay” that you lose yourself. While maybe there are still some individuals who are suspicious – I don’t think that’s a mainstream feeling anymore. D&D has managed to not only create a place in history – but it continues to grow, expand and update. There are now older adults who still playing, who played this game when it first came out.
In case you are unfamiliar with how the game works, I’ll give a brief explanation. D&D is like a story on TV, only you get to play one of the characters instead of watching an actor, which makes you an active participant in the story. The other major characters are friends or acquaintances that have joined you in this adventure, and the narrator is the dungeon master. The plot and location of the story is stereotypically set in some sort of fantasy realm, often created and orchestrated by the game franchise – but can actually be set in any sort of scenario/world you can imagine – and there are no scripts to memorize. Your character is assigned skills and a background at the onset of the game – and the dice determine the answers to anything that would be decided by fate (i.e. – how well did your blow land, did that bad guy hear you sneaking etc.)
It’s easy to see why this is an engrossing game – and it takes quite a bit of skill to do it well. The game master must be able to be engaging and creative in how they describe the world your characters are exploring, and the characters need to not only be clever in their navigation – but they have to deal with their own internal flaws and how to interact as part of a group. It is this area that we can utilize as an opportunity for therapeutic value.
For instance, if you feel anxious and have negative self talk, then let’s make a character that is hearing voices and feels anxious in similar situations as your own. As your character interacts in this world and is challenged and supported by the other players and activities, you have the opportunity to explore the results of the anxiety, how to challenge it, what it looks like and how to address the negative self talk. And the other players will have their own internal challenges they are also facing as they battle for prizes and to save the realm from some sort of horrible doom. This is another way to work through your struggles from the safety of a third person viewpoint while exploring meaning during and after the game. It’s a way to make therapy fun!
