#8: Tetris to the Rescue

This tidbit of survival advice is absolutely fascinating. Research suggests that playing the classic video game Tetris can prevent the formation of post-traumatic symptoms and flashbacks. How cool is that? Professor Emily Holmes conducted an experiment in which victims of car crashes played Tetris within six hours of the traumatic event.

The evidence from this experiment suggests that playing Tetris, which is a mentally demanding game, disrupts the formation of traumatic memories. The participants in the study who played Tetris within six hours of their traumatic event self-reported fewer intrusive flashbacks a week afterward. While playing Tetris isn’t a “one size fits all” solution to PTSD, it’s certainly an interesting finding.