01/02/2025
Have any boardgames helped you cope with mental health, a chronic illness, or being disabled?
For me, Terraforming Mars and the Boardgaming community have helped me immensely ever since I flatlined in 2020 and awoke with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, only to be told my life expectancywas only a few hours, then days, then weeks and so on. Then again later in the Dpring of 2024 when I was asked to serve as a patient advocate to members of Congress for the Safe Step, Help Copays and SOAR Act while dealing with discrimination problems at the university I attend, I was left distraught and unsure if I could keep going with my goal of becoming a physician.
Not long after I was pushed into dropping classes over a university failing to accommodate my rare disease or understand my medical limitations, I had many students come forward with similar stories and applauding my efforts. Soon after we were all meeting up play games and hang out as a support group while advocating for better accommodations, policies and systems changes at our institution.
Then, years now, many of us have gotten together during the holidays and come together instead of remaining displaced to enjoy boardgames, food and company together.
For me, Terraforming Mars has been a great boardgame for healing and coping even during the darkest of times. Which is why I am currently to looking into ways to bring boardgames to patients in hospitals when I'm not busy with school.
Thank you to all of the boardgamers for keeping boardgames alive and here are too many more!
Happy New Year!