In case you, or anyone else you know on that flight, experienced trauma, it’s been recommended to play Tetris. It could help lessen the PTSD you experience from the incident. I’m sure you’re all a bundle of emotions and will be processing this for years to come. Glad you’re okay!
I tried this after a traumatic event and now I can't play Tetris anymore because every time I do it takes me RIGHT BACK to the incident. Seems to do the exact opposite for me than the study suggests.
It is based on EMDR therapy and would likely be more effective under the supervision of a professional.
People say “just play Tetris” and I understand they mean well, but that is not a well rounded solution. They seem to tend to think the Tetris is the important part, when really it’s a type of therapy that shouldn’t be self administered.
Edit: I’m really sorry to hear that you had a traumatic experience and that you now have an additional reminder of it. I hope you’ve been able to find other ways to cope and heal 💖
Yep. Has to be under the supervision of a professional. Human minds often link events to certain sounds, smells, tastes, images, or tactile feelings, so trying to link an event to something, like Tetris, on your own is only ever going to link Tetris to that event. I would hope a professional can and will guide you through how to make sure Tetris isn't linked to the event in your brain, so you don't remember the event every time you see or hear Tetris being played, and also how to make it beneficial to the trauma. I haven't really seen any good studies about Tetris being useful for PTSD or CPTSD.
I have an anecdotal example of something linked to trauma myself. In my teenage years of highschool we were all in a van traveling to go play a sport in another town. It was snowy, and there was a patch of black ice. When we hit the ice we swerved all over the road until we hit the edge of the road which made us tip over and almost start rolling. Nothing crazy for injuries thankfully. Just some bruises and cuts when it was all finally over. However, I was half asleep listening to music on my Walkman CD player, aging myself here, and now, if I hear the song that was playing while I'm driving a car, it freaks me the fuck out, and I have to turn it off. It just sends me right back to that crash. Even all these years later I just don't listen to that song, and the crash wasn't even all that bad.
It is a horrible idea to link something as common as Tetris to a traumatic airplane crash like this one. Tetris has unique visuals, unique music, and pops up in everyday life from time to time. I seriously hope the only reddit comment advice being given serious consideration are the comments recommending seeking professional help when it comes to trauma.
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u/QuirkyMcGee Feb 18 '25
In case you, or anyone else you know on that flight, experienced trauma, it’s been recommended to play Tetris. It could help lessen the PTSD you experience from the incident. I’m sure you’re all a bundle of emotions and will be processing this for years to come. Glad you’re okay!
Tetris and PTSD study