# Can Playing Tetris Really Treat Trauma? The Truth Revealed

Tetris, the classic block - rotating game that was launched in 1984, has become popular on TikTok and is regarded as a surprisingly simple way to cope with trauma. ## Research Findings: Tetris May Help Cope with Trauma Research shows that playing Tetris after a traumatic event can reduce the formation of intrusive memories and alleviate the severity of post - traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, using the game as a treatment method is still in the exploratory stage, and experts do not recommend replacing current treatment plans with the Tetris therapy after a traumatic event. Traumatic events can be difficult to overcome, and usually require treatment, medication, or a combination of both for relief. Nowadays, there are many discussions on TikTok about people using a novel and simple method - playing the video game Tetris (the classic game created in 1984) to cope with trauma. Trauma researcher MaryCatherine McDonald stated in a blog post that Tetris "can indeed heal your brain". McDonald said that she uses this game to treat her patients and pointed out that it "is a tool that can be easily incorporated into daily life". Another poster shared in a video that playing Tetris "as soon as possible" after seeing disturbing or traumatic images "can help the brain self - purify". In the comments, one person shared that a relative "was advised by the doctor to play Tetris as part of the rehabilitation treatment after a cerebral hemorrhage". These are bold claims. So, how does science prove that playing Tetris can help people cope with the events that trouble them? Here is the relevant content and an analysis of whether those who have experienced traumatic events should consider playing the game. ### Relevant Research Process In fact, more and more research shows that Tetris may be a promising method to help those who have suffered trauma. The relevant research can be traced back to 2009. At that time, researchers wanted to test whether playing Tetris after a traumatic event could serve as a "cognitive vaccine" to prevent subsequent disturbing flashbacks - the标志性 symptoms of PTSD. In the study, 40 participants watched a 12 - minute film with scenes of injury and death. Thirty minutes after the film ended, the researchers reminded the participants of the content of the film, and then asked half of the participants to play Tetris for 10 minutes, while the others sat quietly. All participants kept a diary for a week to record any disturbing flashbacks of the film. Finally, the researchers found that those who played Tetris reported significantly fewer flashbacks and clinical symptoms of trauma than those who did not play the game. The researchers concluded: "This has important implications for the development of new approaches to preventive treatment and is very necessary for crisis intervention after a traumatic event." Several subsequent studies also found that playing Tetris after watching disturbing images can reduce the memory of the event. A paper published in 2012 even revealed that playing Tetris after watching a video is also sufficient to suppress memories related to positive event images. Researchers also wanted to know whether playing Tetris could help people cope with traumatic events in real life, not just those seen in videos. In 2018, researchers tested the effect of playing Tetris on reducing the formation of intrusive memories in car accident victims. Soon after the accident, the researchers asked the participants to recall the accident process. Then, they instructed them to play Tetris for 20 minutes. After analysis, the research team found that the gamers had 62% fewer intrusive memories in the first week after the accident than the control group. Just last month, a study published in BMC Medicine also found that playing Tetris may help relieve trauma. This time, the researchers instructed some medical staff who suffered trauma during the COVID - 19 pandemic to play this game every day. They found that compared with medical staff who listened to talk shows, the average number of weekly flashbacks of those who played the game decreased from 15 to only 1. Six months later, the PTSD symptoms of the gamers were alleviated, and the number of symptoms was about half of that of the control group. The authors wrote that compared with the existing treatment methods provided after psychological trauma, "for some people, playing Tetris may be a more tolerable method and helps reduce the frequency of aversive intrusive memories". ## Exploration of the Principle of Tetris in Alleviating Trauma Symptoms Why Tetris can alleviate trauma symptoms is still under research, but researchers have already proposed some theories. Dr. Emily Holmes, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden (who has studied Tetris as a potential trauma treatment method), told Health magazine: "Using Tetris as an imagery competition task intervention seems to be able to gently target people's imagery to compete with intrusive memories in the brain's visuospatial processing area." In other words, the brain has only so much space to understand certain imagery - and playing a game like Tetris may effectively crowd out the more disturbing visual effects of trauma. Some studies also show that playing Tetris helps increase the activity of the hippocampus. Arianna Galligher, director of the Gabe Health Office and director of the Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Health magazine: "This area of the brain is responsible for consolidating information and turning it into memory." "When a person experiences trauma, this process is sometimes disrupted, which may lead to the emergence of intrusive thoughts related to the event (flashbacks, nightmares)," Galligher explained. "Essentially, because the hippocampus cannot perform its normal function, information related to the trauma cannot be correctly stored as a memory." Galligher said that a game like Tetris may "help the hippocampus return to normal after trauma", thereby reducing the possibility of people being troubled by intrusive thoughts afterwards. ## It Is Not Recommended to Try the Tetris Therapy at Home by Yourself Although some research has found a connection between playing Tetris and reduced post - trauma pain, the game as a treatment method is still in exploration. Therefore, experts do not recommend replacing existing treatment plans with the Tetris therapy after a traumatic event. Dr. Hilary Amon, a clinical psychologist at the Anxiety and Women's Emotional Wellness Center, told Health magazine: "I'm not sure if there are clear guidelines currently to help individuals independently use this strategy without professional support." Holmes also believes that "this intervention measure is still in the research stage and cannot be used for treatment yet". She emphasized that for those who want to try, "just playing Tetris is unlikely to work". Participants in the research must follow specific protocols, and without the guidance of researchers, the intervention may not produce the same results. Amon warns that relying on video games may become "an unhealthy way of escaping". Galligher said that if used improperly or for too long, the game may make it more difficult for people to get rid of trauma. "Any activity used as an escape mechanism may have an adverse impact on the trauma recovery process," she explained. "If a person plays a game to avoid thinking about or being reminded of their trauma, it is both unhealthy and counterproductive." Currently, mental health experts recommend adhering to the methods that research has shown to be effective for trauma. Amon said: "If you have experienced a traumatic situation, my clinical advice is to allow yourself to process the experience in the next few days and weeks. You may find that the best way is to process it independently, with the support of loved ones, or under the guidance of professionals - primary care physicians or mental health providers." Galligher suggests that if the recollection of the event triggers flashbacks, nightmares, panic, or changes your mood or outlook on life, you should contact a mental health expert for guidance.