A man reports how he discovered his love for gaming after an operation and how the shooter Helldivers 2 on the PS5 saved his life.
Note: The title image is a symbolic image via Pixabay.
What kind of story is this? A user named “niles_thebutler_” reported on Reddit on December 31, 2024, about the worst year of his life. He required two life-saving surgeries. During this process, a large part of his inner ear was removed and reconstructed.
He already had tinnitus before, but he hardly noticed it. However, due to the damage caused by a tumor and the surgeries, the ear noises worsened to a “catastrophic” level.
He describes the ear noises as if he were constantly wearing headphones at maximum volume, playing overlapping and varying ringing tones – during every movie and every conversation. While he was recovering from his surgery and getting used to his new reality, he discovered his love for gaming.
What was tinnitus again?
Tinnitus refers to ear noises that are not caused by an acoustic stimulus and are perceived over a longer period. Depending on its severity, “ear ringing” can significantly negatively impact the quality of life of those affected.
More information can be found at gesundheitsinformationen.de
Through Helldivers, he found new joy in life and made friends.
As he recovered from his surgery, he discovered his love for gaming
This is the role gaming played: As niles_thebutler_ reports, he never really had much to do with gaming. However, after the life-saving surgeries, he had 10 weeks of “couch time” ahead of him. The crazy shooter Helldivers 2 had just been released at that time and dominated social media.
So he spontaneously ordered a PS5 along with Helldivers 2 and did his part in the fight for democracy. For him, it was the perfect distraction from the pain and the constant noise in his head. For one to two hours a day, the tinnitus turned into just background noise, and he was able to have fun.
Through the game, he also met new people with whom he initially played for hours and who have now become close friends outside of the game.
The Reddit user says: “When I say it saved my life, I truly mean it.”
In his post, he also shared the Christmas gifts he received from his partner: a new TV with a new soundbar, a PlayStation Portal, and an Xbox to try out both consoles.
Fellow sufferers encourage each other
In the comments, many users report similar problems. Some have been suffering from the annoying ringing in their ears for decades. They assure the poster that it will get better over time.
- Damseletteee: “In the first year, I thought my life was over from all the buzzing and clicking, but the brain adjusts, really quite fantastic.”
- Wayland935: “Yes, I have severe tinnitus, which has put me in a pretty bad situation. It couldn’t get worse. The great news is that time really is a great healer, which is a cliché, but it helps with tinnitus.”
- tmb83: “The same fate befell me. Six years ago, I suddenly got tinnitus. It was terrible and caused me anxiety, I couldn’t sleep or think clearly. Over time, I got used to it and don’t perceive it as strongly anymore. […] It definitely takes a while, but you will get used to it, and life will feel normal again. Just hang in there.”
niles_thebutler_ expresses surprise in the comments at how widespread his suffering is. While it’s not pleasant, it makes him feel good that other people can understand what he’s going through and share their experiences.
Recently, we reported on MeinMMO about a gamer who didn’t let his physical limitations stop him from gaming. You can read his story here: Blind player has spent over 800 hours in Monster Hunter World – Now dozens want to play with him
