How Game of Thrones Helped Me Overcome My Mental Illnesses and Helped Me Make Friends!

It’s crazy, isn’t it? How a crazy, fantasy-filled show like Game of Thrones ended up being one of the biggest steps towards helping me overcome my mental illness.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and selective mutism. I’m currently still going through tests to see if I have ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).

I became so depressed that I spent most of the time cooped inside of my room, playing video games and sleeping. I can vividly remember the day I started Game of Thrones, actually. It was snowing outside (rather ironic) and I was looking through all my dad’s dvd box sets when I came across Game of Thrones. Obviously, I’d heard of Game of Thrones; and as a matter of fact, I’d already played though the Game of Thrones video game multiple times. I grabbed the box set to give it a go and upon putting it on, I immediately fell in love. I think it was the dire wolves, Arya, and Daenerys that first looked me in the eye and sternly whispered, “You are going to LOVE this show.”

As someone who has grown up in Yorkshire, I loved the Starks. Their accents and personalities just seemed so familiar to me! I binged the first few seasons within a few days.

One day at school, I heard some people talking about Game of Thrones. Now, remember I said I had been diagnosed with selective mutism? For those of you who don’t know, someone with selective mutism feels too anxious to talk at all to most people. I didn’t talk whatsoever at school. But for some reason, hearing these people talk about Game of Thrones gave me more of an urge to talk than I’d ever felt.

“I—I like Game of Thrones,” I muttered from the desk behind, shaking.

Immediately, everyone turned to me. I thought that maybe they were just shocked that I’d talked. But to my surprise, nobody even commented about my voice. We talked about Game of Thrones, Daenerys’ dragons, Arya’s many faces, the red wedding and... I was given a LOT of spoilers (as I hadn’t watched the whole thing at this point.) It seemed they loved Game of Thrones just as much as me!

After this, I started feeling a lot more comfortable to talk to other people. I made some friends (some being the ones that also loved Game of Thrones). I finished watching GOT and talking about it made me feel so much happier! I started to smile more, laugh more, and talk more! I’d also grown an extreme love for dragons, constantly drawing Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegan, which in turn made me grow quite a skill and love for art!

It’s funny how a TV series like Game of Thrones actually made me feel so happy, and actually made me do more, see more, and make friends!

Upon the release of Season Eight, I ended up making even more friends. Everyone was talking about the new episodes! I enjoyed making new theories about what would happen next with people and fantasising about our favourite characters!

Despite everyone’s mixed opinions, I really enjoyed the ending of Game of Thrones! The journey Game of Thrones took me through was amazing. I recommend Game of Thrones to anyone reading this who hasn’t already seen it! I’m currently reading the books and falling even deeper in love with the series! George R.R. Martin and all the actors and people involved in the making of Game of Thrones are seriously amazing and talented people, and I would like to thank them all for helping me see the good in the world!

I currently have quite a few good friends (and a girlfriend) mostly thanks to Game of Thrones! The series not only helped me with my mental illnesses, but also helped inspire my own creative writing! Game of Thrones has definitely inspired me even more to become a writer (my lifelong dream).