Pokemon Go improves players' mental health

People are claiming the new augmented reality game is responsible for improving their state of mind. Photo / Getty

Pokemon Go is the game that has gripped the smartphone-wielding masses, sparking arrests, accidental involvement in drug deals, outages, and a staggering number of people venturing outdoors.

Self-proclaimed nerds profess to working muscles their ordinary gaming habits had effectively seized up, as they find themselves striding it out for the augemented reality game.

And while people are praising the physical effects of the game, they're also claiming their mental health has improved in their search for Pokemon.

One avid Pokemon trainer told Mother Nature Network (MNN) the game has been life-changing for her.

Emily Crowthorn, 24, said she suffered debilitating panic attacks that left her housebound. It wasn't until she began playing Pokemon Go that she was able to step outside without feeling panicked.

"It's been very therapeutic," she told MNN. "Everyone I talk to is friendly and is open to chatting," she said of meeting other gamers out and about.

".... As someone who has pretty much been a hermit, this is more positive socialisation I've had in months."

Another woman, known as "Sophia", told BuzzFeed News she started playing the game to distract herself from "the spate of shootings and bad news".

"To say that my heart has been heavy the past few days would be an understatement. But tonight my faith in people was restored just a bit. I spent most of my evening at Great Marsh catching Pokemon with a huge diverse group of people ... I'm not trying to dismiss what has happened but I feel better. There are good people in this world and its possible for us to get along."

Others have taken to Twitter to express their delight in their improved mental states, which they credit to the game.

#PokemonGO is going to do wonders for my mental health, providing me with purpose and reason to go outside at last.

— Drew Dale Rebooting...🖤💜❤️💉💻✨ 🇪🇺 (@drwdal) July 6, 2016