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blue_bean
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25 Aug 2006, 6:18 am

Whenever I play video games on PS2 or whatever I get really dizzy and nauseous. It happens when I play 3D games like GTAIII (or any other game where the screen moves a lot). It used to happen a lot 18 months ago. I just placed it as a side effect of my anti-depressants at the time because it never happened before I started on meds.
In my lunch hour today I purchased a game (the first game I've bought in 18 months), brought it home and played it. I still got dizzy and sick and I only played for 10-15 minutes. I'm not on any medication at the moment (haven't been for almost a year). My TV screen isn't big either (51cm) whether that has anything to do with it.

So,
Does it happen to anyone else?
Is it Epilepsy?
Maybe it's an AS related overstimulation thing :?:



animallover
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25 Aug 2006, 10:41 am

I have problems with my balance and vision that I think are related to AS and I get really dizzy when I walk on tread mills (doesn't matter how fast they are going) so maybe it is something similar for you with the video games . . .



ProfKori
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27 Aug 2006, 4:02 pm

One of my boys is a video game fanatic (they all love it, but he obsesses) and he often complains of dizziness, headaches & stomach problems. I tried telling him it's probably from playing too much, but he won't believe me. When I make him quit for a while he gets grouchy and yells at his siblings.



Fraya
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27 Aug 2006, 4:22 pm

Well interfering in someones obsession does tend to make one grouchy especially if they have AS.

If it gets too uncomfortable for him he'll quit on his own for a while but otherwise its obviously not bad enough for him to do more about it than whine.


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violet_yoshi
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27 Aug 2006, 4:44 pm

Prof Kori, tell your son to try the 20/20 rule. Take a break after 20 minutes of playing, even if it's for a minute. Look at a distance for at least 20 feet. Like down a hallway. That usually works for me, because you tend to just stare straight at the screen. Even pausing for a moment when your eyes feel woggly, and looking around helps. Rubbing your eyes when they feel dry too helps.

Also, and I can say from personal experience. Eye strain is a real issue. One time I played for so long, that suddenly it was like everything went woosh, kind of like snow on the TV then it was fine. I freaked out and thought I had a seizure, cuz you read in the safety phamplet that video games can cause seizures. Well it was just eye strain, and my psychatrist said you can't just get seizures all the sudden..there are signs before it happens.

My point in sharing this with you, is that as a gamer myself I've learned sometimes the hard way that a 24/7 marathon of gaming isn't the best idea. Your son might be upset when you ask him to stop playing video games, because he feels it's the only thing he can acheive at. If you try to come up with something else he might acheive at then, that might help him lay off the games a bit. I am glad you're not one of those parents who assumes that video games are bad, period. One of my main obsessions is gaming, and it does give you a strong sense of accomplishment if you win.

Your son moderates his gaming, or you can help moderate it too. There also are products like this one:

http://www.time-scout.com/products/index.php?act=tscout

Which help set a amount of time your son can play video games, and then when the debited time is up, the machine will make a beep sound before it turns off..so he can save before the system shuts down the console. I reccomend that you put like a certian amount of hours on the card and then let your son decide how he wants to use the hours. I would not reccomend, that you take away hours as a punishment, since that would send the message to your son that he's not allowed the certain amount of free-will he's been given to play the video games. Also it may send the message to your son, that if he acted less AS and more "Like everyone else", he would then be allowed to enjoy what he enjoys. Not what he "should" enjoy. If you catch my drift.

I really reccomend you buy the time-scout system, since it's the only one I'm aware of that uses a card technology to record the amount of time your son has to play video games. It seems alot of other ones use tokens, which you can easily loose. Or a pin code, which could be forgotten. This way there's no frustration with that, and your son can feel he's able to have the freedom to play whenever he wants within the set time, without asking for permission. Also, you can't exactly fight with a box when your time is up. The idea that the time-scout is a mediator, so you won't be there when the time is up and then have to deal with the initial "but I wannnaaa pllaaayyy moreeee" whining, that might occur if you were there in person.

I hope I've been of help. One more thing, does your son play violent games? That might be why he's so agressive towards his siblings. I would suggest you try to not have him play any games that are really violent. I mean, like if he likes fighting games, Super Smash Bros. is good and it's not graphically violent. Although, I don't have a brother, and being a female gamer myself. I actually perfer the kiddy games to the games aimed at my age-range, because they're cute. I would imagine your son would feel differently.


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Last edited by violet_yoshi on 28 Aug 2006, 1:30 am, edited 4 times in total.

computerlove
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27 Aug 2006, 11:59 pm

Some people suffer from that. The creator of Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima, suffered so bad that that's why the Metal Gear games aren't from a First Person perspective.

Try:
A better monitor. A low refresh rate sometimes is bad for your eyes.
Playing other kind of games, there are plenty of options. You have a PS2, have you played: Ico, Rez, Katamari Damacy, We Heart Katamary (I LOVE IT!), the Metal Gear games :P, Splinter Cell... Hmm, even Um Jammer Lammy, Parappa the Rapper, Bishibashi Special, etc.

yes, I like strange games :P



violet_yoshi
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28 Aug 2006, 1:27 am

That's interesting about the creator of Metal Gear. I like the guy from that game who looks like Axl Rose. Uhm, I think he actually was named Axl.


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paulsinnerchild
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28 Aug 2006, 3:19 am

I have not been into video games for all of 20 years now but when I did I my hands and arms showed jerky spasms when I got excited an into it just like as though I had cerebral palsy. Then calmed down within a minute or two. The problem has never gotten any worse since.

Paul



violet_yoshi
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28 Aug 2006, 9:48 am

pauls, well what games did you play? I think I had something like that too when I played fighting games. I think it's because, my muscles would be overused in trying to do stuff..like a combo move. It's one of the reasons I don't play fighting games anymore.


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TigerFire
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28 Aug 2006, 10:46 am

There is a warning on each game manual to be warned by those things happening but when you spend a whole lot of time in the dark it caused me to have a really shooting head ache which caused me almost to have a melt down.


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