I have to say I've never thought about how WoW has actually helped me before, and I'm kind of tearing up a bit after reading this. My wife got me playing after my first deployment, and thinking about it this game might really have helped save my life.

I was drinking nightly, really didn't care about work, and I was having a real difficult time connecting or talking even to anyone who "wasn't there". I still get somewhat nervous in crowds but at the time I couldn't be around more than a few people I didn't know without a lot of difficulty.

WoW certainly didn't fix all of my problems, and it took a couple years of Army counseling to help (which despite the rumors has become really wonderful). Thinking about it in light of this article though I'm realizing that meeting people in game and raiding with relative strangers, a place where I could isolate myself easily if needed by just logging off, may have had a lot to do with being able to reintegrate myself with my real world family and friends.

Great article, thank you.

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