This is such an awesome post. These underlying strategies and concepts can be applied to so many other situations. Also, your writing style is perfect for taking notes from, thank you for that. I plan on musing over these ideas for quite a while.

Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write this. =D (BME student here)

blumberry

2 Posts

December 24 2011 02:05 GMT

#127

I would like to add a note that worked for me, at least partially. Use the custom games for 1v1 obs and just join every match that comes up. If you're lower level, there is a chance you could play masters or a higher skill. More than likely, you'd get stomped. This helps the feeling of a loss being a bad thing because it makes it feel like something that will happen no matter what, allowing you to focus on the strategy and what you are actually doing in the game.

Fiendish

United States210 Posts

December 24 2011 02:17 GMT

#128

i like your style!

MingusDew

United States77 Posts

December 27 2011 16:42 GMT

#129

Great post - a very informative read. Lately I've been fostering a growing interest in Positive Psych by watching Tal Ben-Shahar's lectures from Harvard and reading about CBT so I found this to be a wonderfully engrossing post, especially since I've been trying to apply what I've been learning to Starcraft (as well as other facets of my life).

Diks

Belgium1880 Posts

December 27 2011 17:21 GMT

#130

this post is awesome. Highly informative and accurate.
Thank you.

brxnd0n

United States42 Posts

December 27 2011 17:29 GMT

#131

you have hit the nail on the head with this post.

great read.

Chamby

United States32 Posts

December 27 2011 17:49 GMT

#132

this is a great read. i have had anxiety all my life and playing SC2 definitely has a certain anxiety level associated with it. some of the tips in this article will definitely be helpful while playing on the ladder

Shallot

United States58 Posts

December 27 2011 18:08 GMT

#133

Thank you, OP.. very well informed article, and I will be considering all your points as frequently as possible, not only while laddering, but in all aspects of life.

strongandbig

United States4858 Posts

December 27 2011 18:35 GMT

#134

This is a really interesting read. I agree with some other people who said it should be spotlighted.

When I played a lot, I definitely experienced some of the things OP described. Not the adrenaline so much, but more the difficulty separating current skill and future skill, and separating my self skill appraisal from overall ego value. I still forced myself to play through it, and it did get better. Actually practicing and improving my skill helped a lot, since I got positive feedback as I advanced in leagues. Once I plateaued at high-ish diamond, I still could play ladder games without too much anxiety since I knew that my "current skill" was higher than it had been in the past as the result of my own efforts.

However, when I was home for summer break I couldn't play due to a slow Internet connection. Since then, I've been having troubles with anxiety because all that positive feedback has become negative; my "current skill" is lower than it has been, and thus I lose to players and strategies that I "should beat." Hopefully some of the things in the OP here will help me get back into it.

@OP: are you finishing undergrad, or a phd or master's? This is more in depth into the therapy/coping side of things than I would expect undergrad psych classes to go, but I can't imagine someone finishing a grad degree would have enough time to put together something so detailed and long.

One last thing: I love your suggestion that players who can ignore balance issues will be happier than those who think about them, blame their losses on them, or complain about them. Case in point: the happiest person in Starcraft, Day[9].

awwnuts07

United States621 Posts

December 27 2011 18:50 GMT

#135

Great read. Hopefully, this will help those who have a hard time pressing that "find match" button.

Personally. I don't ladder a whole lot because I have the opposite problem: "ladder addiction". I purposefully play no more than 3-5 games a day/every other day because I'm afraid I won't stop. Starcraft is too much like Pringles.

Utinni

Canada1196 Posts

December 27 2011 19:14 GMT

#136

On December 28 2011 03:50 awwnuts07 wrote:
Great read. Hopefully, this will help those who have a hard time pressing that "find match" button.

Personally. I don't ladder a whole lot because I have the opposite problem: "ladder addiction". I purposefully play no more than 3-5 games a day/every other day because I'm afraid I won't stop. Starcraft is too much like Pringles.

I guess that is good if you don't want to improve too much.

Dingodile

4135 Posts

December 27 2011 19:59 GMT

#137

I read your really nice and very good post. I have this ladder anxiety

I played Season 1 and 2, then i switched to co-op. I was silver in both seasons, i won around 20 of 30 matches ( i lost all zvz if i remember correctly). I think, my biggest anxiety is that I get stronger opponent later, even if I play better from match to match. I have no ladder or online experience in a other rts game.

After I read your post, i feel much better. I probably play ladder again

Sorry for my bad english, i know my english isn`t good/okay.

Nolari

Netherlands51 Posts

December 28 2011 08:50 GMT

#138

Very nice write-up! I've linked it from the TL wiki article (Wiki)

Dealing with anxiety (might not yet be an approved edit).

LilClinkin

Australia667 Posts

December 28 2011 09:01 GMT

#139

Fantastic read, thanks TC =D

Catatonic

United States699 Posts

December 28 2011 09:19 GMT

#140

I have some super intense ladder anxiety >.< Like I could be in the mood to play like 30 games in a row but mentally ill talk myself out of it thinking things like "shit everyone is better then me so ill lose like 20 of those 30 games". Like I even get it after hitting like a 12 game win streak like i did last season. Like I had won 12 in a row an was mentally riding high but out of nowhere instantly the "fuck everyone is better then me" thought game in an the anxiety returned >.<. When I try to play through the anxiety my play suffers quite severely where I lose to a worker rush >.< Ill take the advice from this article to heart but as I usually run on emotion it will be rather hard to remove it from my game >.<