So many of us are compromised or undeveloped in some ways that this advice can almost be arrogant in tone deafness.

This statement needs to get on a T-shirt

Or motivational poster

Yeah, it’s not a great town

I only did a cursory check on Steam, but it indeed still looks like a thing, with some games saying they are “sinden lightgun ready” (which seems to be the main lightgun out on the market currently)

Thanks for mentioning this! I found out about this lightgun after posting. It gets some decent reviews, though there are some threads discussing how the setup can be onerous. I also saw some games on Steam listed as “sinden lightgun ready.” I’m going to research it a little more but tempted to get it.

Someone else mentioned VR. It didn’t even occur to me!

That does sound like a lot of fun. VR has been completely off my radar, but I can definitely see your point about it being a successor. Hadn’t even thought of it. What VR system do you use?

I’m lucky to live near an actual old school arcade — Spy Hunter, Gauntlet, Mortal Kombat, and a host of other ones!

Pretty sure special agents already know how to do this (or is that what a special agent would say?)

That’s pretty good, actually

Were you in any particular transition during that period? Like high school to college or 20s to 30s? I wonder if that worsened the impact for people, if the social isolation happened to time with important life transitions

This is exactly the type of thing I was reflecting on. Have you also found yourself having a lower tolerance for stressors?

Absolutely. It comes down to exposure therapy, basically. Reacclimation.

Yeah, I can tell that I get a little weird if I’m alone too long. And the time it takes is shorter since covid. I’m assuming from too much time alone during the peak period

I’m more referring to people who aren’t so much choosing to isolate. Not a preference, but a loss of the capacity or opportunities to socialize

now find it completely weird and disorienting to deal with people in public now.

This is what I’ve been hearing (and experienced). And that it’s not a preference, it’s more that the nervous system has struggled to recalibrate; or there was not enough opportunity for it to do so and that has led to a feedback loop

Yes some kids I know, it just sort of became how they identify: shy, more anxious

Maybe if we smushed the two together and made up a word? Like hikicovidomori

Ouch. Yeah

I’m glad to hear you live in a country where you can get more specialized support! I hope the new treatments pan out