How to soothe game anxiety
I'm so sorry if this isn't really the place to ask this kind of question, but I kind of just need some reassurance.
I'm very easily anxious and often suffer from intrusive thoughts, and from time to time these thoughts latch on things I enjoy (the latest one is obviously dbd).
I'd like to think that I play pretty fairly, pretty normal: I try not to camp or slug or tunnel, I usually give hatch at the end of games if someone played well, I don't send hateful messages or anything to opponents, I don't cheat or hack (I'm on console) etc., but I have a very loud fear that I'll screw something up, or that someone will get pissed at me and report me/get me banned for small mistakes. I've spent a lot of time and money on this game and I don't want it to all disappear.
I know I can't really control others' emotions and reactions to the game, and I also know that I'm probably just overreacting and letting my brain get the better of me, but it's really hard to focus on the game and enjoy it sometimes.
Does anyone have any advice on how to stop obsessing and worrying so much about this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Answers
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I personally use Anonymous Mode to help. Then people getting pissed at me for whatever reason doesn't matter as much, since they don't know who I am.
It also helps to try and remember that you can't actually be banned for playing the game regularly, even if you hard camp and tunnel every single match you play, not bannable. Even if you make a mistake as Survivor and let your team down, still not bannable.
Playing in a way someone finds personally objectionable (like camping, slugging, tunneling, genrushing, flashlight saving, etc.) or just making mistakes or playing bad aren't bannable in any way.
You have to be doing something super maliciously in order to catch a ban. As long as you're not bodyblocking someone in a corner for the entire game or throwing abuse at them in endgame or deliberately abusing gamebreaking bugs then you're good. Generally when people get banned, they're aware they're doing something dodgy and think they won't get caught. If you're out there worrying if you'll do something to get banned, chances are you're not.
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Tysm 😭😭😭
I should try to put anonymous mode on! That would probably help a lot 🫂
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No problem! I hope my advice helps, I suffer from anxiety issues a lot too and it helps calm it down a bunch.
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I am anxious too, especially around Killer.
For me, it helps to play with music. I know the basics enough and know that with music I am handicapping myself, so that sets my expectations low. Then I do what I need to in order to get at least a kill or two.
The other thing that helps? Don't follow what the community says a "win" is. Set your own goals. The game doesn't have a definite wincon no matter what there being MMR, grades, etc. say. Define what a win is for you. For me, it's a 2k + 10 hooks that I count as the start of "winning as Killer", enough to pip me every round if done correctly to hit Gold IV which is all I ever care to play for if I want the monthly BP anyway.
But, if I only 1k with any number of hooks, no biggie - it's just a minor win, because I got SOMEONE out and the whole team did not escape unscathed. The only time I feel like I lost is if I 0k, which is rare. This keeps my MMR low enough to not worry playing this way, and it also means I can use whatever perks I like, play how I want and who I want, and still feel like I achieved something. I do still typically 3-4k most rounds, but having my wincon set lower than the community says is the goal makes me feel less anxious. Maybe that will help you.
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It might!! I tend to be really hard on myself when I lose games (especially on my favorite killers) so setting my standards a little lower would probably help me feel less paranoid about doing the 'right' or 'wrong thing'
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