Warhammer and wellbeing: Can tabletop games support our mental health?
Warhammer and wellbeing: Can tabletop games support our mental health?
Warhammer and wellbeing: Can tabletop games support our mental health?
By Kathryn Wheeler
September 9, 2023
Summary
Tom's Warhammer story begins aged six or seven, retreating to the attic with his dad to play historical tabletop war games.
"Getting back into Warhammer 40k gave me the outlet I needed to process, opened up new friendships, and has provided so many opportunities since then. It's probably not an exaggeration to say Warhammer might have saved my life."
"My mental health has been something that I have struggled with as long as I can remember," Katie explains.
In a TableTop Tactics YouTube video, uploaded on World Mental Health Day 2021, Katie and her co-worker Joe Pointing spoke about many of these topics, opening up about their own experiences and the way the hobby has supported each of them.
The comments section of that YouTube video is full of others sharing their own mental health stories, as well as the ways that Warhammer has supported them.
"It's a mental health platform that fuses together the two best parts of me; the desire to create with the desire to help. Mental Hammer aims to be an online platform that encourages discussion and openness around mental health issues, specifically within the tabletop and geek community."
With the escapism, the focus, the solidarity, and the fun, it only makes sense that people like Tom and Katie are putting the mental health conversation on the table.
Reference
Kathryn, W. (2023, 9 September). Warhammer and wellbeing: Can tabletop games support our mental health?. Happiful. https://happiful.com/warhammer-and-wellbeing-can-tabletop-games-support-our-mental-health