Videogame Trauma

Psychological injury caused by direct, repeated exposure to highly distressing or violating content within video games, or by the social ecosystems surrounding them. This goes beyond being scared by a horror game. It includes trauma from graphic, involuntary scenes (e.g., infamous story moments involving torture or sexual violence), prolonged in-game harassment and hate raids, or the psychological manipulation of "live service" games designed to create addiction and financial stress. It also encompasses the trauma of esports or competitive grinding, where extreme pressure, social isolation, and abuse from coaches or communities lead to burnout, anxiety disorders, and shattered self-worth.

Example: A teenager spends years in a hyper-competitive League of Legends team, enduring daily screaming from a coach, racist slurs from opponents, and a schedule that destroys sleep and schoolwork. After a final, very public loss, they develop severe panic attacks at the sound of the game's music, chronic shame, and cannot engage with any form of competition. This is videogame trauma—the damage isn't from pixels, but from the very real human cruelty and exploitative systems embedded in the gaming environment.

by Dumu The Void January 27, 2026

Videogame Trauma Syndrome

The chronic condition resulting from unresolved Videogame Trauma, characterized by a pathological relationship with interactive media and a fragmented sense of self. Symptoms include: involuntary flashbacks to in-game events, aversion to specific game genres or mechanics associated with the trauma, an inability to play games "for fun" (everything becomes a high-stakes performance or trigger), and the blurring of in-game achievements/ failures with core identity. The sufferer may also exhibit social withdrawal except through gaming, yet find that activity itself is now a source of pain, creating a paralyzing double-bind.

Example: A former World of Warcraft raider who was bullied out of their top guild for a single mistake now, years later, cannot click on any multiplayer game icon without a wave of nausea. They start single-player games but quit minutes in, consumed by a phantom sense of letting an imaginary team down. Their friends are all gamers, so they become isolated. They have videogame trauma syndrome: their primary mode of social connection and identity has become a minefield of psychological triggers, leaving them culturally homeless and chronically dysregulated.

by Dumu The Void January 27, 2026