Overly emotional duders - how do you deal with it?

Some people are born with very sharp emotional senses that make thinking of the mystical themes and stories of books/video games chill your bones and subdue you, and make listening to distinct soulful music scratch an itch inside your rib-cage and dim your eyes like a junkie.

I'm one of those people, and after overcoming all sorts of life problems and reaching the age of 23, I still suffer from this emotional tax that takes over me.

How do you guys deal with it?

Lately the latest symptom I've been having of this condition is thinking about exploring the mysterious space world of Mass Effect while falling asleep, and installing it the next morning. Then looking at the trees outside, imagining myself in the dark quiet forests of Bright Falls, and installing Alan Wake. Only to think of the horrors of war while studying, and installing Hell's Highway. This goes on forever, and for every 10 games I install out of emotional impulse, I beat one.

AND THESE ARE ALL GAMES I ALREADY PLAYED!

Kill...Me..!

Here's an overly emotional psychadellic song that makes me stare at the ceiling in a daze and think about my life decisions while slowly eating chips

As much as my posts may seem the opposite I get very emotional. Trying to act logical and more then human is my way of dealing with it.

Booze. The cause and solution to all of life's problems.

Shed a tear or two.

Just the tip.

@jouseldelka: try playing games that will never resonate with you emotionally. Occasionally you have to, after all.

I am also overly emotional about games

lies! You're a robot trying to hide the fact that you're a robot from us! :P

I'm usually not emotional when it comes to games, I'm more in a mood for one. Like, I'll plop down at my computer and think "man I'm really desiring a good dungeon crawl right now" and play something like that. There's no real emotional impetus that spurs it, just depends on the mood. Elsewhere in life I'm probably slightly more emotional than a normal person but while, in the heat of emotion, I can still think relatively rationally. It's very much like dagbiker says EXAMPLE: like when I get wicked pissed off at something for very little logical reason I tell folks to just stand down for about five minutes and let me get the fucking angry out. Then I'm all smiles and laughter.

Cold and sociopathic is no way to go through life, son. The tears must flow like the spice of Arrakis.

I play games only for stories most of the time and I love when a good story reaches out to me and moves me. But, I leave it at that. It's an experience you experience once, that's the telling of the story, and then you move on. If you replay it, I'm always afraid of spoiling the initial telling of the story by choosing different outcomes, different fates of characters, etc.

That doesn't sound emotional, that just sounds... I dunno... wistful.

Also, punching shit. And occasionally I "get some," in the "Get on your fucking face and give me 50, maggot!" sort of sense.

I don't know dude, I'm a hypochondriac, have panic attacks and I'm depressed, so... I kinda don't. *Shrug.

There's a difference between feeling something and the desire to wallow in it.

Suppressing fire.

@winternet said:

Archer!

That's very good advice, I do that from time to time, but soon thereafter I yearn for immersive games with mystery and feels.

But that's the problem, after a week of 10 mood swings you find yourself with 10 different installed games that are waiting for you to beat them, with the average of 7-10 hours a piece.

@mordeaniischaos said:

I think I... wait, nope. I have no fucking idea what you meant by that.

@jouseldelka: but that's what I mean, I don't have those swings, I just stick to the first thing I think of any tend to hyper focus on that. The next day it'll probably be something different though.

Honestly?

To me it sounds like you just really, really, really love games. If you have applicable skills, find a way to turn that into a career so that you actually have time to spend playing the games you want to play so badly. It's what Ebert did, and what Tarantino did, too. It's super-competitive right now, and that's going to get worse with a crash, not better. But, seriously, consider it as an option.

Also, what's it matter if you install a game and don't play it? Is that a taboo thing or something? I have more installed games I haven't played than installed games I have played.

Such as...?

This happens to me a LOT, and I also never finish any of them. I enjoy it immensely, however, and lean way into it. For the past two years, I've been on one tangent where a game will make me remember another game, that game will make me remember yet another game that'll make me think of a show or a movie, which will make me think of a game, etc.

You're confusing "emotional" with "daydreaming about video games."

Xanax may work

get a knife, drag the edge across the palm of your hand. What emotion are you feeling now?

how sad, smoke some weed and leave the emotions to the emos

@jouseldelka: I get like that with movies, when I walked out of the theater after watching Drive, I was so depressed from the ending. Then on the bus ride home, while listening to the soundtrack, I started to cry when "Oh My Love" by Riz Ortolani came on.

Then last week, after watching Iron Man 3, I felt invincible. I felt like I could do anything. Also, I went on a bender and bough five or six superhero movie themes on itunes, almost ten dollars in five minutes. Sadly for me, my wallet did not feel invincible.

Oh and then there was Prometheus, I was in a daze, a good one. The car ride home was strange, the night was cool and the sky full of stars. I just kept staring up at them, wanting to go visit them, more then anything in my life.

And Boston, not the band, the bombs. I got into a very dark mood, angry like you wouldn't believe. Fucking pissed that people the next day where just laughing and going on about their lives. Then there was these horrible urges to rip the guys that did it with giant claws and fangs. Really dark shit, the kind that makes me question my own sanity at times.

So yeah, mood swings are a bitch. I like to be able to tap into my emotions this easily, it feels good. But the dark clouds are always just around the corner and they hit at random and when they do, shit hits the fan. I'm just sort of sharing a bit my experience, no solutions here either, sorry. I doubt anyone will be able to say something that'll solve it, cos it don't work like that.

Read this.

I haven't been diagnosed, but I have social phobias. I'm paranoid beyond belief when thrown into groups of people I don't know. I kept forcing myself into situations and then I started drinking a little to ease up a bit and then I started hosting parties and such. Now I go out all the time and I still get a little nervous, but no one notices. I just suck it up. I have ZERO problem approaching women because for every 10 girls that tell me to go fuck myself, one of them usually give me the time of day. Just don't overthink shit.

I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I've learned to just shove that shit under a rug because that quickly turns into a scapegoat for a lot of bullshit problems.

Point is just get over it. At least for me, I operate best throwing myself in the deep end to learn how to swim.

Also, talk to your doctor about getting a Testosterone check. Or get on a Test Booster for a month and see if that does anything for you. I know that sounds like a weird approach. But it's a safe and cheap way to see if it helps you out. PM me if you want more info on that stuff.

Unless I'm not getting what you mean by "emotional". Like is this an actual problem or do you just cry at the end of movies a lot? If so, I don't recommend taking dates to any movie that might be sad.

Must suck for you to feel this way. Personally I don't, I just play games and enjoy the ride.

Play Spec Ops: The Line. It'll break you down until you have no more emotions.

That's what you're going for, right?

I tend to punch anyone who looks at me funny.

I run naked around town singing/screaming this song:

until I become tired (which doesn't take long, I'm not a runner, a couple laps around a small parking lot will do the trick), at which point I collapse and start crying until I black out.

@jouseldelka: I'd say get a console then you don't have to install the games. Emotions peak? Pop a game in and get your fix instantly!

I 'deal' with it by really leaning into the stories in games/books/TV and dumping it there. I'm damn near a Stoic when it come to real life situations, but get super attached to even the dumbest, trashy-ist stories. like I actually react when the inevitable squadmate death happens in every shooter ever.

I've cried reading books, playing video games and watching movies. It's completely normal to do so. Sometimes the best way to get it out of your system is to cry.

^LOOK AT THIS PUSSY ASS! HOLY SHIT WHAT AN EMO TARD^

@jouseldelka: Nothing related to this topic but my cat was on the other side of the couch liking his asshole like it was his lifeline and the second I played the song you posted he fell asleep mid lick. When I stopped the song about 30 seconds later he shook his head and looked up confused. did you stroke out my cat or something?

Which bit? The part where all the guy really says was he daydreams about vidya games, or the part where I use PT to help cope with emotions?

Get a significant other man. I cannot tell you how much having someone, hell anyone to bounce shit like this off of will help you. That or start a journal it really helps to just get it out of your system and it lets you see how your progressing in a positive or negative way. That and there is always the option to see a doctor if you think its getting out of hand. I was diagnosed with depression at age 14 and have been on a series of medications since then that mellowed me out to the point of being able to function in society. Good luck to you man.

Also this song is chill as fuck for me if I've had a bad day.

I'm like this in the respect that music has a profound impact on me and can manipulate my emotions pretty easily. I'll get goosebumps, get introspective, get euphoric, or even flash back to a prior experience depending on the song. But I've never seen a problem with that to be honest. I'm not gonna break down and cry in front of my friends when a sad song comes on. It just makes live music and festivals that much better.

When emotional, I trip alarms in my head and often get away from the medium in question, taking a break and calming down.

I'm the same way as you are; there's no solution. Peace outside.

chomp a pup

By making extremely stupid and emo posts on the internet.

@little_socrates: Thanks for the advice but that's no career for me, I already kinda started one

@mcghee said:

That's true. I always wanna be wallowin'

@geraltitude: @everyones_a_critic: @moriarty: @itwongo:Thanks for the thoughts!

Hahaha, sorry man!

@jouseldelka said:

I think you did not overcome all of you life problems or have not been dealt with it properly. GiantBomb is not the right place for medical or psychological advice. I don't know how vivid these delineating realities are for you but if you start seeing or hearing or seeing things, if it interferes with your life and your abilities to concentrate on daily tasks...get professional help.

You are my age but if you talk about overcoming life problems at this age already, chances are that your look on life is grim. Being emotional is fine, not being to keep emotions in check is not.

Everyone knows that I'm the most emotional, insecure and melodramatic poster on the forums so let me tell you about...

Yeah, I learned in high school how to not react or how to internalize my thoughts extremely well, any reaction or sign of victimhood would only encourage those who enjoyed seeing me upset. I'm sure a lot of people in real life view me as emotionally guarded or even alienating, but it's been a far more productive result than being wracked by insecurities and social dissonance.

Although amusingly enough, I become super emotional when under the influence of drugs. Which is why I don't like being around people or using the forums at those times. I just want to watch science documentaries and go whoaaaaa.

Breaking into an 80's Music Dance scene is clearly the best way to handle stress.