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How to deal with anxiety?

Morał Support·6/26/2019, 10:22:15 PM·3 votes·2,494 views

I've been playing for about a month now, mainly support. I really love playing but I always have anxiety when I get ready to play (mainly in the form of a stomach ache). I rarely get flamed when playing support, it doesn't bother me too much when it does happen though.

But I don't want to play ONLY support. I want to play jungle and mid, but that's where the anxiety comes in. I know it's just a game, that I'll never see these people again, and that I can't get banned for just being bad, but I'm scared of getting flamed constantly and my anxiety is at it's peak. I don't know how to deal with it, and I just want to learn how to play the game.

How do you guys recommend I deal with anxiety in normal games (I don't play ranked, nor do I want to)? Is it okay for me to mute the chat automatically when playing (as my anxiety always seems to go away once I do this)? I always try to be as positive as possible in chat, and I let people know I'm still learning, but what else can I do?

14 Comments

Lovelle6/26/2019, 10:40:51 PM4 votes

Play a lot, get your butt kicked a lot. Eventually you won't feel anything.

FullmuteAll play6/26/2019, 10:57:51 PM4 votes

use /fullmute all and focus on improving

Wild Geese6/27/2019, 12:08:17 AM3 votes

Speaking from experience; the way to deal with it is get through it, don't avoid anything. Don't mute all, queue anyway, queue ranked. Anxiety becomes a disorder when you avoid something for it, so you must always always try not to avoid something due to anxiety.

Woodakoodashooda6/27/2019, 8:56:33 AM2 votes

I know exactly what you're going through. You're inexperienced and you may even feel inadequate compared to other players to the point that you figure you should just take whatever role players normally don't want to play because you're worried that you might mess up and make everyone around you angry at you and put you down for your mistakes, and you might even be afraid that they're right and that you shouldn't even bother playing something other than support or that you shouldn't ever again play that champion you may have done badly with once, twice, or even three or more times.

At least that was my experience when I first started playing the game a while back.

My advice is to just have confidence in yourself and prioritize having fun. League is a game and games are supposed to be fun contrary to popular opinion among all the try-hards. And, if you truly want to get better, learn from your mistakes and look up some helpful information.

My personal favorite site for knowing what does and doesn't work is lolalytics (I don't pay much attention to win rates as much as I do to pick rates and ban rates because their tier system is nonsense).

Pandemic Punch6/26/2019, 10:40:15 PM2 votes

I have been muting all for about 5 years now. Absolutely nothing wrong with doing that

Hocker6/26/2019, 10:43:50 PM2 votes

Practice for your own sense of self-confidence... and also realize that people flame when they are actually insecure people. They trash talk to try and make you just as insecure as they are/make themselves feel "better" through catharsis.

Spiced Rum6/27/2019, 1:06:31 AM2 votes

The game shouldn’t be giving you anxiety honestly. Just remember that you are not in person socializing/playing with these people, it’s all online. I have anxiety myself and the only time I feel anxious is when I meet new people to voice chat with. But honestly just play the game and do what you want. Who cares what they think.

Death by Glamour6/26/2019, 10:28:31 PM2 votes

Just mute everybody when you play your off roles

LeafieGreens26/26/2019, 11:27:15 PM2 votes

Play a lot. You'll start to care less and less about what others think about you. This is basically exposure therapy. Force yourself into the situation where you feel anxiety a thousand times and you will regain your power when you realize that the world doesn't end if you lose or even when you have bad games and feed.

You got this.

MrFawknSunshine6/26/2019, 11:57:44 PM2 votes

hmm if you have anxiety over playing a video game then you most likely have anxiety effecting other parts in your life. i wouldnt worry about the game and worry about seeking to fix your anxiety issues in general.

I Faker I6/27/2019, 12:16:56 AM2 votes

Add me I play jg a lot I can give some knowledge to help you with gameplay and hopefully shake that anxiety

Velasan6/27/2019, 12:28:10 AM2 votes

It's about perspective honestly.

No one said you have to be good at the game. In fact the majority of League players are NOT good at the game or they would all be in dia+ and your average player is somewhere between iron and high silver.
Some players have played more games than you've ever lost. So while one game may feel really bad when you don't win, in the long run it wont matter much.
If people are super toxic muting helps. I know you're supposed to communicate, but in the last couple seasons the only time I ever see pings are for allies being obnoxious by spamming it. I usually leave the chat on for the beginning of the game until someone starts spam pinging or being rude, but the second that happens the /mute all comes down.

Overall, just try to have fun, and remember not to go crazy with the number of back to back games. If you lose 2-3 usually a good time to stop playing for that day or take a break, just land up tilting more. Should never play just to win or get elo. Play what's fun for you.

Düff McWhalen6/26/2019, 11:04:02 PM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Bene Velle,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=m9cIBApR,comment-id=,timestamp=2019-06-26T22:22:15.202+0000)

I've been playing for about a month now, mainly support. I really love playing but I always have anxiety when I get ready to play (mainly in the form of a stomach ache). I rarely get flamed when playing support, it doesn't bother me too much when it does happen though.

But I don't want to play ONLY support. I want to play jungle and mid, but that's where the anxiety comes in. I know it's just a game, that I'll never see these people again, and that I can't get banned for just being bad, but I'm scared of getting flamed constantly and my anxiety is at it's peak. I don't know how to deal with it, and I just want to learn how to play the game.

How do you guys recommend I deal with anxiety in normal games (I don't play ranked, nor do I want to)? Is it okay for me to mute the chat automatically when playing (as my anxiety always seems to go away once I do this)? I always try to be as positive as possible in chat, and I let people know I'm still learning, but what else can I do?

Dude... toughen up frankly. If you get anxious just queuing up, then don't play ranked at least.

Heko The Man6/26/2019, 10:36:38 PM1 votes

Play on your smurf or duo with someone, you obv don't enjoy this game.