"Why didn't you just leave them?" "Why didn't you just stand up to them?" "Why didn't you just talk with them?" "Why didn't you do this why didn't you do that I would never end up like that why didn't you why didn't you why didn't you-" After leaving a very abusive relationship crisis, this bs is what I was asked by a few sideline third parties-who frankly has no business telling me how to feel and how to cope. So a word of advice to anyone who knows someone in or out of an abusive relationship;Never tell them those things, never instruct them on there thoughts and actions. Just let them know you care, just listen to what they say, and give them a home and real friend when asked.
Couldn't have better said myself as a woman who had been in an abusive relationship before. When people around you who you would think care about you and support you talks like they are insulting your intelligence or furthermore make you feel like stupid, you are not feeling cared for, or supported but feeling ashamed instead when obviously you are not the one who should be ashamed for what's been going on. It's like accusing victim for getting abused when they should accuse the abusive partner. And they usually don't think about one simple thing: Abuse doesn't necessarily mean only physical, this type of people starts with abusing you psychologically, break your self confidence down, till you feel like they are your best option or even till you feel like you deserve getting abused. Many women are getting more abused by their abusive partner or worse, getting killed cause they are ashamed of getting out there and seek help. It happened to me, I was ashamed and that relationship ended up going on 6 more months (thankfully I'm alive and well now, but the scars on my soul will never fade completely) just cause I was afraid what people around me would tell or would think about me, as if I was the one with the fault in that scenario.
I can relate-I'm truly sorry for what you went through. I wish this shit on no one, even though my situation has long passed. And it wasn't a romantic partner with me-however if you need someone to talk to who understands. We can if you want, my offers always open.
@@violetraven8323 Thank you so much, my relationship has long past also thankfully (10 years give or take), I'm in a way better place now, still single (of couse I had relationships after that but didn't last, cause well basically we weren't right for each but nothing wrong with that of course - no drama - but I guess I'm still single because of the fact that I ended up being overly selective about who I am allowing to be in my life or not tbh) but happy with my life, but we can always chat of course, I don't mind making new friends ❤
Gamze M The Queeb That sweet of you 😊-I appreciate that a lot. I'm glad to know your in a better place(in fact you got out of that mess way quicker then I ever did). So quick question;are you much of a gamer?(considering we're on a gaming video) just out of curiosity,
@@violetraven8323 Yep, I am in fact a gamer, basically all my free time goes to spending time on games, and I don't regret it, I guess you're a gamer too then? Maybe if you have steam or smth we can add each other? 😊
what i love about this game is how it blends horror with mental illness in a respectful and realistic way. its not about using the "crazy and dangerous mentally ill person" as a shitty plot device. its about susan as a person and how she's....more than her mental illnesses
The coffee "minigame" in particular is the most accurate depiction of depression I've seen in any media, ever, and as soon as I saw that bit I was fully on board with the game because the devs clearly GET IT. It so clearly conveys how fraying mental health turns a simple, straightforward task into a series of insurmountable and discouraging obstacles.
This game came out the same month I was going to take my life. When I beat the game, I was bawling my eyes for the rest of the day. To say that this game changed my life is an understatement. The positive change in the game got me through my rut and I’m forever grateful to the developers.
I'm glad you were able to pull through. Your bravery to preserve the unimaginable is something I admire. You were meant to continue on, cause your life is worth fighting for. I hope you are doing well today.
The portrayal of anxiety disorder is by far one of the best I've ever seen and gives non-sufferers a taste of how utterly unfair and frustrating as well as how very touchy and unpredictable an actual anxiety disorder is. It doesn't make sense and is difficult to handle. You get called a "snowflake", the very word "triggered" is such a meme that you can't even seriously discuss your anxiety triggers any longer or express them, people complain they have to walk on eggshells, and never once does anyone understand how terrible and destructive the internal struggle is. You just want it to STOP and it feels like you have to complete some RPG level quest to accomplish that.
God I feel you. Sometimes the littlest stuff will set me off. And I’ll know that one thing shouldn’t hurt me, and I should get over it, but it just digs in. I know it’s no one’s fault, but I get in such a way that I just want to take a break from the world to compose myself, but I can’t.
@Godot Godot i read what he said. I understood it perfectly. the people who are focused on people who "fake mental illness" are those types of people. Almost every person with a mental illness, especially if they are women, gets accused of faking it by people like this. It's the same thing as people who always talk about false rape allegations whenever rape is brought up. It's a very small percentage of people, a much smaller problem thann the original problem and overall a bad faith argument.
@@ether49 Though the difference between rape allegations and faking mental illnesses is the disgusting prevalence of the phenomenon in today's culture. Especially within my generation and younger, you'd be surprised the percentage of "cases" that are actually no more than an effort to gain clout or some sort of personality trait to artificially display depth.
Ragnar to me is just one of those UA-camrs you forget over the couple of months it takes them to make a video, then they upload a new one and it´s like christmas just popped in early.
Hat-Eating-Cthulu-Goat basically also he’s the best youtuber since he actually puts work into the videos not just some half assed top 10 video or even worse daily uploads
I remember when I played, I felt Doctor X was also metaphorically "painting up" his patients into the images he wants. Much like many bad psychiatrists will attempt to cover the superficial causes of mental illnesses, and ignoring the deeper parts of the patient. Like fueling the person with lots of medicine but not giving them coping tools or support outside of it. It only prevents the surface level stuff from showing, but doesn't help them learn how to live with it. Unfortunately, I've met a few before, and most people I know can say the same about the doctors. Doctor X really hit that for me, and I felt like I was back in an office with an old man telling me to take the medicine and not giving me answers to any of the questions of what I could do to improve, and the woman who misdiagnosed me and pilled me up till I was cracking. The fact I've had the better of the worst doctors is really screwed. The Cat Lady has been one of my favorite games since it came out. I relate to it and Susan and ended up bawling at the ending, and I always end up crying at the end every time since, hahaha. It gives me hope and a sense of solidarity with Susan and Mitzi at the end. Like we all fight our good fight, and we're there doing it together, yknow?
I know it can be taxing on people in this line of work to do what they do and not get messed up themselves. It's a sad fact that some of these people have to cut themselves off to even retain their own health. There are good therapists and psychs, most definitely. It aches to see the stable, pleasant people lumped with the people who still need to take care of themselves. Especially when it comes to mental health work. OTL
My sister was a nurse in a psychiatric hospital for six years, and she hated the psychiatrist/therapist who would only come in to look at the patients about two times a month. She told me that whatever progress the patients had made when they entertained themselves (under constant supervision of course) with the puzzles, drawing pads and coloring books she and other nurses bought with their own money (being able to express their feelings via art was particularly effective on patients with anger and anxiety problems) were completely destroyed once they had a session with the psychiatrist. They would enter the office in high spirits because they felt that they had successfully defeated a great obstacle, and would come out crestfallen and drawn into themselves. Obviously the sessions were private, but their behaviour would indicate that she probably treated their positive progress as something unimportant and unsignificant. The woman also felt herself superior and belittled the nurses even though they were the ones who had contact with the patients on a daily basis and as such had more knowledge about them than her. The patients also respected and trusted the nurses more. When she resigned, my sister received small drawings as gifts from the patients, they liked her very much and were going to miss her.
Maybe I am reading into your comment to much but it sounds like you are expecting a psychologist to be perfect and not have any problems? That is a pretty unfair bar to set. If someone has problems that does not in any way mean they dont have or learned the tools to help others. Everyone has issues...that is life.
Spills51 but there is a line that can be crossed, a doctor should not be affected with his flaws that he gets his patients hurt or killed. psychiatrists and therapists are risking lifes of already vulnerable people if they can’t handle their own shit. i had someone like that too, thanks, was really not needed, waste of years
Gotta say I adore this fucking video so far but there's something I thought you were building too but you breezed right past (that I only even noticed just while watching this). There's another aspect to the whole Dr. X thing and it's far too precise to be accidental. It's another aspect of abuse that's less overtly portrayed (and irl less horrific but still relevant to subjects like mental health) than the Doctor-Patient issue, but is still so prominent I'm surprised I didn't notice it before. Think about it. He seeks out women of a particular kind to exploit and charicaturize into these "pieces of art" for nothing but his own gratification and that are so devoid of substance and actual meaning it's just an insult to the real life suffering that went into/allowed for its creation in the first place. In other words it's a very in your face representation of people who make exploitative art/media about those who struggle with mental illness, and attempts to portray the activity in a way that's just as appalling, hollow, and disgusting to those who are (I guess you might say are) unfamiliar, as the real life equivalent can be to those who see the exploitation as it is. FUCK. *_HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT BEFORE???_*
the main complaint of the anxiety chapter being "how am I supposed to do this I can't predict everything and the only way to do this first try is luck or a walkthough" is a perfect example of real anxiety. There is no walkthough for real life, and some people's anxiety is so bad that the potential for a panic attack can set them off. so it's perfect
Man, fourty minutes went by like they were five. You're a really skilled creator, Ragnar.
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As for the topic of the abuse in the mental health system, yes you are correct. I know it first hand as my mother is a therapist and has worked for many years in the psych ward of different hospitals in two cities. People disregard completely mental health, and what's more it is so stigmatized that no one seeks help on the off chance of "being confused with a loony". Also, in this kind of mental health hospitals, as it might also be the case of some prisions and retire homes for the elderly but don't quote me on that, where the staff willingly abuse the patients as a way to release pent up tension because of the treatment they have on their regular lives. And these vulnerable people have no way to defend themselves, some because they are not heard, some are outright rejected by the system and other cannot even talk about it. Case in point, I give you an example and I would link you to the note if it was on internet, this happened back in the 1999/2000 and I'm from a third world country so... yeah. Couldn't find the note But I do remember the news broadcast. But a nurse on one the mental hospitals at which my mother worked, was known because she was "bad". Apparently she ill treated a lot of patients, but there was never a formal investigation as no one made a request for that, and so, a patient took a pipe and crushed her head. The man went to prison, for what I know, and when asked he said: "She was bad". It's easy to not listen, until someone gets hurt.
Thank you for this contribution. Sadly, this is only one in many cases, and many decades went by without barely documenting any cases at all because it was so beyond recognition.
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Overall, there's a strong denial and stigma. Society as a whole doesn't want to accept that this kind of issue exist. Furthermore, with the way it is exposed there's been a lot of backlash on the way it's been handled. Before, we could play for ignorant and cover it with a rug, now it is either used as an excuse to get away with crime or you get treatment for things that no one actually knows how to face. I don't really know how America and other developed countries deal with this kind of topics, my own personal experience comes from Argentina (third world country that goes in and out of economic crisis at the flip of a literal coin). For what I've noticed, and if we are on the topic of human evolution as a whole, there are so many stress triggers around that people either don't have time to deal with mental health (not knowing when or where your next meal is gonna be, doesn't let you think too much about depression). On the other hand, people still think that being blue is the same as being depressed. Like, no, dude, get your research straight. Depression talks about a chemical imbalance in the brain, sometimes it really has a biological explanation. But that's that. And I'll take this momento thank you for this wonderful contribution. Your channel has explored many of the topics which I find most interesting in gaming (both in story telling and mechanics). Your forgotten gems segment is the best. Parasite Eve, Soul Reaver and Vagrant Story are a few of the games that marked my brother's and my own childhood. We did a reprise of Parasite Eve for Christmas a few years back. Playing PE with a certified doctor that knew the medical jargon was a complete treat. So yes, thank you, keep up the good work!
I even read the story of that guy who got completely paralyzed (a.k.a the man who was trapped in his own body for years). The poor guy later on recollected that he was once sexually assaulted by a nurse.
My great grandmother was neglected and abused in two retirement homes. She passed away a few years ago because of it. Someone there literally forgot to return her dentures for over a week. They wouldn't give her proper care, or even a nice room. She couldn't remember my grandma, her daughter, or my mom when she died. She only slightly remembered me. A week before her death I visited with my family for lunch, and she seemed fine. She wasn't. I never got to know her that well, but what I do know is people will do anything to get out of working, even if it means neglecting someone so helpless they can't even pee without help.
It's unfortunate they used deinstitutionalization in a bad way but as someone who's spent long term stays in state mental facilities I am so grateful for that. Both are definitely wrong and I hope we get to a middle ground. Abuse in psych wards was always just a "horror" that "doesn't happen anymore" but when I went in 2014 it was almost worse than horror movies. I hope people will start to care enough not to let people get away with abusing people but idk if that day will ever come.
I couldn't play this game because it was too scary for me, but I've watchd cryaotic gameplay a few years ago and it became one of my favourite videogames ever. I just love this weird mix between real life problems and surreal images. And, the best thing is, it felt so real. I was very depressed as a teenager and I'm still dealing with anxiety, so this game still makes me cry. It talks about these issues in a very respectful way but it is also brutally honest, and that's exactly what I need in a story about mental illnesses. Thank you for your channel, dude
I agree. I was in the same predicament, so when I played this game, it was a rather painful and somehow sobering experience. I wish you the best regarding your anxiety. I'm sure you'll pull through :)
The reason why I loved this game so much initially, was actually Susan herself. As someone who does suffer from depression, I say the same others do about the accurate and respectable depiction in the game. Susan is a painfully human character, with far more depths than I would have thought; she's not conventionally attractive, which is rare for a female protagonist. She's not young, she's not friendly, she's extremely rude and difficult to handle. And that right there is what makes the game feel so raw. Depression has been romanticised for so long now, and even when it is depicted without an attractive sympathetic stroke, the characters personality is never that realistically bitter. Well, unless it's a dark, brooding male protag, but still. Susan is written as a person, acts like a person and even feels like one. Her terrible attitude is indicative of her mental illness and shows the raw, ugly side of the illness. You become short-tempered, impatient, constantly pushing people away and just generally making it hard to allow others in to help, even if you need that help. It often makes you a very unlikeable person who just allows their depression to fester The sequence at the start of chapter 3 where you have to prevent Susan from having a breakdown was brilliant to me, just through it's sheer accuracy of how the tiniest of things can truly set you off. In that sequence, it's only the matter of one wrong action, one tiny action that results in Susan breaking down, or keeping it together. I often used to berate myself for suddenly crying over nothing, because it really was the stupidest and small things that triggered it for me; but I do recognise now that in this situation, you aren't crying over "nothing", you are crying over everything that you've been holding back. The "nothing" that caused the breakdown is just a catalyst more than anything
I love the whole atmosphere in the game. And I love that they don't mention the mental illnesses all the time, because the characters especially Susan live their lifes. She is suicidal but still lives like a normal person. Other games or movies wouldn't stop mentioning the protagonists mental illness, while the cat lady is so real. They still live like they are not always thinking about death. Susan often acting more thoughtful and clever than the "healthy" characters. Also I love how the characters are so real. That her suicide note ends with: "thanks for nothing." And that the good end isn't all about being happy ever after but that she says that she feels better but that depression will always be part of her life.
Susan , to me, was one of the most relatable characters in a horror game in a long time. As a woman myself who struggles with depression and anxiety, esp at work, doing mundane tasks. It becomes exhausting for me what is simple for others at my work. I appreciated this game as not only a fan of horror, but as someone who loved to see a more realistic approach on the true horrors of the world incorporated in a game. It's brilliant and i always recommend it to anyone i know who hasn't played it. Thank you for making this video and reminding me why i love it so much.
I remember when I attempted suicide. I had to go to a care facility(I guess that’s what it’s called, but it’s anything but.) When we arrived there my mom said that I would have to stay and I didn’t understand, because I was fine. I didn’t commit suicide out of it being a last option, I did it because I was scared and felt I had nothing left. I even told my mom about what I had done, I didn’t WANT to die. After my first night at the facility I didn’t know what to do, I missed my family and my dogs, and I had no instructions, no guide. I only made 2 friends, and I had to leave one of them behind. Being at that facility made me more suicidal than I already was, but I had to pretend that I was fine or else I wouldn’t get out. I HATED it there. Everybody seemed almost robot like, and when there were kids with mental illnesses who took their anger out physically, nobody dealt with them in the way that they should have. It was like being dropped in a new place and having no idea what to do. People in care facilities really have no idea how to deal with mental illnesses. Thank you for the great video RagnarRox!
When I was fourteen I tried to kill myself and after being treated in the hospital I was put in a “force care” situation because I was considered high risk. It was nightmarish and to this day, even when I am suicidal and in a place where I need help, I hesitate to get help because I am TERRIFIED of going back there. Care centers are a fucking joke and the people who work there, for the most part, have no business caring for other people.
Fucking thank you. I went though something similar. I could not believe how unqualified the people there were. The only thing I learned was, if I want to kill myself, dont tell anyone or make sure you go though with it next time.
Yeah unfortunately a lot of these sort of cases happened to me and other people when I went into those hospitals. I was personally abused by a male worker who worked on the floor and would watch over all of the girls on the ward. It makes me so upset to realize that I wasn't the only one. When I went to the other staff to get help him basically molesting me and straight up just smacking me around I was met with sarcastic responses, as I was a suicidal depressed patient with psychotic symptoms. It wasn't until I begged and did everything he wanted to get a phone call to my parents, who understandably were pissed that anything got done. I am so sorry that you had to deal with things such as this and I can relate to feeling trapped. As a child and teen I rarely acted out, but I too feel that when I was in there, I acted out more than I ever had before. Which like you said causes you to stay longer, and so you suck it up take their mess and pretend that you are fine.
I was honestly in a pretty similar situation. Sent to the loony bin when my mom found a document/final will and testament, like a suicide note but not quite, that I had locked in my filing cabinet until the time came. One night I went out in a fit of frustration after a year of living at my parents, unemployed, borderline unemployable, and feeling like a waste of resources, and I walked 10k to the bar where I got shit faced. (Not responsible but I was not in a good headspace back then. Isolation can do funny things to your perception) Got home late, didn’t answer my phone because it had died. My mom tore apart my room and (locked) filing cabinet (do not mess with a terrified mother) and found the note. Long story short, with passive condescending doctors and uncaring nurses, constantly watching as I spent the weeks of involuntary hold bored out of my mind, i didn’t learn an appreciation or meaning to life. I didn’t gain a sense of self worth or purpose. All I learned was how to convincingly lie about how everything is golden. I got out. Took the meds until I moved out. They weren’t doing anything for me. Honestly I’m still suicidal. Some days all I can think about is stepping in front of a bus to make it look like an accident, that way my gf can get my insurance money. But then I can tell myself, this feeling will probably pass. Sure you probably should have killed yourself a long time ago, but there’s still so much to do. Your beautiful girlfriend needs new winter boots. Christmas is coming up. You wouldn’t want to ruin their Christmas, would you? Been doing that for years. Still works.
I remember this game, I watched Cry's gameplay during a time I was really, really depressed. Watching something that put eveyrthing I was feeling into a screen and a narrative was like watching a car wreck, I wanted to stop looking, I couldn't. I still don't know if it helped or made it worse, but it sure was something
Regarding the revenge fantasy, as someone who used to be very predatory and abusive, the process of overcoming that was a necessary step in dealing with my mental illness. I think the parasites can represent the way that abuse can create abusers, which while not the case as a rule, is frequent and certainly was how it worked with me. Being raised with abuse made me use abuse as my model for how to be in a relationship. After a while, you start to derive a sick sort of pleasure from hurting others, because it ultimately hurts you, which you feel you need and dsserve or should want. Killing those parasites of identity, so to speak, was an important era in learning to be healthy and positive in interpersonal relationships. And on a metaphorical level, I think the parasites can easily fit into that schema.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I always try to empathize or at least understand the behavior of others and I really appreciate this insight. I’m glad you did the work and I hope you’re a better person thriving now. Take care.
@@WobblesandBean To prevent black clothes from fading, wash in cold water on permanent press or delicate cycle, then tumble dry on very low heat or hang up to dry indoors while avoiding too much direct sunlight, just as you would when keeping clothes from shrinking. (I know this is late, but Goths help one another!)
Another great video sir. People like you are the reason UA-cam is still a worthwhile thing, when so many others have become consumed with cynicism, bitterness and easy nitpicking.
My little sister was away at college, very far away from any friends or family, when she felt she was in danger and her on-campus counselor wasn't able to be with her. Now, before I go further I want to emphasize that this woman is a god-sent hero and has quite practically been the reason my sister made it through that first semester. But since at the time she wasn't able to be with my sister, she advised her to check in at a hospital so she wouldn't be alone. The campus police gave her a ride to the hospital, but when my sister arrived and wanted to be a "voluntary" check-in, they wouldn't let her since she arrived with the police. For their part, they tried to explain that they were just giving her a ride and that it was her choice to come. But the hospital wouldn't listen and had her checked in as "non-voluntary." My sister spent that night in horror, her phone taken away, and all contact with the outside world cut. No staff would listen to or believe her when she begged to be released; she wasn't even given a room to stay in! In the end, she had to spend a long time with the on-site psychiatric doctor--who belittled and gaslit her--to eventually lie her way out. She was sent back to the college dorm the next morning worse than when she came. My blood still boils when I recall this incident, and that joke of a facility had the gall to send us a BILL for essentially terrorizing and tormenting a suffering female student who just wanted some comfort and protection! She had to protect herself from THEM and I'm horrified to consider who else has been subjected to their "care." We should NOT be treating people this way!! That you for talking about this game. Mental health and mental health care are subjects that need REAL attention and not just hollywood glamourized sensationalism.
Like the un-Hollyw’d Soderbergh movie “Unsane.” A woman is stalked & voluntarily checks in to a mental clinic. Bc she has good insurance the hospital staff & long term patients collude to extend her stay. Movie critics poked at plot holes like her stalker working on staff. In nasty real life, apart from paranoia or delusion, this appears to be but isn’t a plot mistake. Critics stayed away from the back story reason for the movie: Corporate rehab (drug/ non-drug), insurance, Big Pharma, psychiatry parasitically feeding off each other & off patients. Who are an afterthought.
Like that's a pretty typical story of being sectioned. Only part alien to me is where she got billed for it, but that's the american healthcare system for you. At least when I was trapped there for a month they didn't bill me like it was a 5-star hotel lol. They really like to add insult to injury over there
after a few decades being a chill guy i'm pretty skeptic i'd have to ask the 1st husband why he went that far. with most guys and society ready to lynch a man for abuse it likely takes some hardcore antagonizing.
I feel games like cat lady are games we need to keep alive.Its dark,gross,sad,heavy game.I feel it could have easly been exploitative.But it was amazing genuene way of showing unconventional main character with recognizable style.I loved it.it made me cry.
As someone who has been struggling with these issues for years, mostly unsuccessfully, I want to thank you for making this video. There are times when I just feel like there is no way possible that I'm ever going to be able to do this. The part that got me the most was you describing how Susan's husband systematically and intelligently isolated her from her friends and family. I got out of an abusive relationship a year ago and my jaw literally dropped when I made the connection. That is exactly what she did to me, she convinced me to move in, claimed I was cheating on her whenever I would talk to my friends, and kept me dependant. I've struggled with that experience and my mental health very heavily lately. I live on a week by week basis most of the time, I.E "I just have to make it one more week," and lately it has been getting to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm on a day by day basis. People say things like "You just need a hobby" or "Don't think about it so much" which, let me be clear, I don't disagree with. But there's a point where those just aren't valid options anymore. My flame for activities is there some days and just absent the next, and if I force myself to do things it just makes me frustrated and sad, which the only output I have for those emotions are usually violence outbursts inflicted inwardly. This video has given me a lot to think about, and maybe given my brain the connections it needed to finally start making sense of this infuriating back and forth that seems to be my adult life. And that's more than I can say for any other content I have consumed on these topics. This is the first video I have ever seen from you, and I genuinely thank you.
I relate extremely to the anxiety puzzle. When I'm having worse days, it's like nervously tip-toeing through a minefield of things that could break my composure. It's amusing to see people complain about it and call it unfair without realizing that's the reality for a lot of people.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see you make a video of this game. I am very fond of this game for the exact same reasons as you. The game feels so genuine and it helped me to better understand how depression feels like. This game contributed much more to the diversity of video games than most other games, and not at all in a ham-fisted way like most other attempts.
I once played a game called Missed Messages it is about a girl going through a normal day for her. And shows how mental health can effect anyone and sometimes is invisible to people outside. And how people who can see like they are on top of the world and be the best can also be suffering from intense mental illness.
I know that one; played it just the other day, in fact. What got me the most is when I understood that the „missed messages“ don’t relate to the random airdrops you’re getting, but the fact that your roommate who you‘ve known for a long time is suffering just next door from you. Morale of that story (for me at least): Consider that the ones closest to you, those who you would have never expected to, may be carrying a greater burden than you thinks. Be kind and be there for them, because they will neither ask you for help openly, nor repeatedly. On a personal note, this might be my greatest safety net against committing to something terminal (in that regard at least): The thought that all the self-centered ignorants of yesterday would then be wailing in unison „Why didn’t he say anything?!“. (I am sure they would be very, VERY tearful while doing it, too). Kinda depressing, when you think about it but it has worked for me so far - just like in the metaphor, if you’re caught between two perils you‘re more inclined to the lesser one, no matter how much it would scare you when taken on it’s own. Thanks for reading - hope you sleep well tonight !
“It tells those who silently suffer like Susan, not just that attempting to fight your inner demons is worth it, but that you’re seriously fucking kick-ass for trying” Goddamn... until now I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that. As someone who just recently discovered your channel, I just want to say I love your content and thank you for the great videos :)
Farah456 I actually teared up as he said that. As someone with Asperger’s, I feel like most of what the game represented with Susan and her struggles greatly reflected many of my own throughout my life while growing up. While I’m not clinically depressed, I do have many issues with anxiety both caused by my disorder and also by past traumatic experiences. So, when it came to the scenes Ragnar was describing with Dr. X and the anxiety puzzle, I couldn’t help but having to stop the video a couple of times to pull myself together. It’s almost kind of eerie how well this game represents the different disorders and each of the demons they face. Even the term “parasites” for the different villains are uncanny because that’s how I view the people who do this to others.
As someone who has both General and Social Anxiety, the vast majority of the time (at least in my experience) the triggers really are trivial or kind of dumb when you really think about it, but small things do trigger Anxiety attacks a lot, I do love that the game at least attempts to portray it as well as the other mental illnesses, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide are almost always misunderstood by people who've either never experienced it or had loved ones that have, and it's extremely frustrating. Just the other day at my work a girl was talking about how her old friend told her she had depression and came to her for help, and she just said "I have no patience for those kind of people, why can't they grow up and stop feeling sorry for themselves?" When she said that, I was extremely pissed off, probably would've went off on her if I wasn't scared of talking to people let alone yell at them, but I digress, point is I really wish more people understood mental health issues like Suicide and Depression, I know people don't like talking about it, but it really should be discussed more often.
The other day I got lost downtown and started panicking. I made my way back to the train and just went home without actually going to my appointment, like, I knew how to get to the building, but I just couldn't do it. Started crying on the train. Looking back, I feel bad for the other people on said train.
+Lesbian Lioness that sounds exactly what I'd do if I ever went into the city, the worst part is the Skyscrapers they freak me out all ways makes me feel trapped for some reason. At least you got home okay.
Just a PSA to say that plenty of mental health support workers in Britain are empathetic, opposed to the use of physical and chemical restraint, and sensitive to the beliefs, perspectives and feelings of each individual person with whom they work, so please don't let a particular artistic representation dissuade you from seeking any help you may feel you need. Great video, I'll be checking the game out asap. :)
An amazing video as always. I especially like Part 3 in which you talk about a person's perspective on their suicide. I'm a writer, but I've always struggled with really explaining what depression, and what depression can tell you, is like. You did it beautifully.
The scene where Mitzi asks what depression feels like absolute crushed me. It made me sob so hard. It summarized perfectly what I felt in highschool when I knew that I had no reason to feel that way. I just...did. 😢 I’m better now, but it hit very close to my heart.🥲
I love this game and your video essay on it, but I must tell you that I identify with the woman as well (though I'm a big black American man; the opposite of a small, white, British woman), as I've been in emotionally, sexually abusive relationships with women, so I would say that the empathy thread is deeper than one of sex, but one of those targeted by trusted individuals.
I can't even find the words to express how thankful I am that you created a video about this game. It's easily one of my favorite ones even though I have never played it before (I've only seen playthroughs, I'd love to play it by myself but I think it would be too much for me). I love how it portrays so many things that make you struggle in life but gives you hope in the very end, my best regards to the creator, the game is amazing. Thank you so much for talking about it ♥ I missed your videos.
Depression, Anxiety and ADHD. Those have been my diagnosed woes for a couple of years now. Thankfully I live in a country where mental issues are treated with utmost care and respect. And I love "The cat lady" for giving me an escape where I can manifest my frustrations and the things that haunt me into characters that I can get rid of. But there is one tiny little thing that urks me about it: *Disclaimer: this game is still amazing and SHOULD be played* And that is that it falls into the same "pattern" that 90% of all stories about mental illness fall into: The protagonist is specifically a woman, who isn't taken seriously, the antagonist/s are predatory men and at the end she beats the shit out of them and is better for it. And while, yes, depression and other mental illnesses are definitely a huge problem for women they are the same for men. It, like many other, stories pushes the narrative that men are brutal monsters who can't do anything but take advantage of "weaker" women. And that pisses me off. Because men can't have emotional depth right ? They have to be the villain, because they *can't* have mental illnesses right and so they couldn't possibly understand right ? They need to oppose the female protagonist because only the struggles of female characters are valid but suppressed right ? ( BTW I am not trying to defend anyone in "The cat lady". Every one she beats up definitely deserved it ) Sorry if I came across as trying to devalue anybody's mental problems. Of course the mental problems of women are serious and should be taken as such but I feel like the general public thinks that that isn't the case for men. And I have every right to be upset about that. It took *7 years* of constant attempts, to get into a therapeutic program while everyone around me told me that I should just "be a man" and "man up" while it took me more and more effort to get out of bed each morning and going to school / work instead of just killing myself to be done with the pain. *7 fucking years !* Thank you for reading this truckload of a comment and I hope you get better soon. Bye.
"Every little thing can become an additional stressor..." God, I feel that. Might just be sensory issues acting in combination with my anxiety, but oftentimes, little things are enough to put me so close to the edge of an attack. The glint of a candle getting in my eye, the sound of cutlery on plates, the temperature of a room, anything can seemingly trigger these issues with little warning. Trying to keep calm at home is so much harder than it sounds.
I feel this personally, I can't handle loud noises or crowds of people talking. The talking becomes something like a mass of sounds and I'm unable to focus on one and I freaks me out and if I'm already anxious beforehand, it gets much worse and I just have the urge to run and hide yet I won't move
You're the only person in my subscriptions who I avidly anticipate new content from. Your videos are fantastic and thank you for continuing to make them.
Just wanted to point out that Dr. X's actions are just scary from the context of a man in power exploiting a vulnerable woman (although, that is also relevant and terrifying). It also spotlights the actuality of those with mental health issues being more likely to be victims than perpetrators of abuse. So often we see the 'violent nutso' in media, but it's far, far more likely for them to have violence directed towards them. The doctor is operating in a system that gives him power over a disenfranchised group of vulnerable people, not just women. And his place of power comes from his perceived mental stability and sound mind compared to the distrust others would give to his victims who might catch on and try to get help before hand, or lead authorities to investigate his crimes. In that instance, asking for help becomes impossible because he could just say, "She's sick and confused, she's been suffering from delusions," and no one would question him because society views those with mental health issues as lesser, unreliable, dangerous, delusional, sick or scary.
The Cat Lady and Downfall are some of my favorite games of all time. I also played Lorelai a couple of times, but I couldn't help but feel rather disappointed by it. I suppose it's entirely possible that I missed something crucial or that I wasn't in the right mindset and that it's just as good of a game as the previous two entries, but I just didn't see the same level of visceral depth and complexity in the story, lore, and characters that we get with the other two. I couldn't really tell you why Lorelai ... exists. It feels empty, it looks the same as the others on a surface level but it doesn't seem to have much of anything to say. I know this is off topic for this video, but whenever I think about these games this is one of the main things that bothers me.
You always cover my favorite games. This one is really good. The art and writing really since it apart. Also never trust the gaming "press" often even steam reviews are more accurate.
I suffer from depression and anxiety and the only thing that i have to say about this video is IT IS AMAZING. Your way to describe the game, a documentary based way and the careful with the details. It's no surprise why my friends recommended you to me. Congrats for the amazing channel, i love your videos.
I suffer from anxiety and depression and... other mental health issues. I also adore horror (weirdly) and now i want to play this. I was nodding along with everything you were talking about with the anxiety part, having had panic attacks, anxiety attacks and other problems, I found myself saying: "YES! THAT IS THE POINT! ANXIETY ISN'T FAIR! IT'S A FUCKING NIGHTMARE!"
For whomever played The Cat Lady and ever thought "How can you predict what it's going to make her have a mental breakdown during the anxiety chapter? So unfair!", welp... That's literally anxiety for you. Anything can be a trigger. One (very bad) day, I got burned as I took my tray of baked potatoes out of the oven and ended dropping half of them on the floor; my boyfriend found me sitting on the kitchen floor crying and on the verge of a panic attack. Anxiety doesn't let you react in a rational way, so one should not expect that a person suffering from anxiety will react in a necessarily "logical" way when they're rapidly reaching that breakdown point.
"Why invent monsters when life is full of them" gave me crazy shivers. It is one of the reasons I can't handle listening to the news or watching TV. Too much evil with very little good being talked about or even going on. Life is hard and then you die. It is very defeating trying to get out of depression and I really enjoyed your input on this amazing game. I listen to different UA-camrs playing Cat Lady to help me sleep better and find I have less stressful nightmares when I do. Thank you for this heatfelt video. I feel it made me understand myself as I listened to you.
Honestly, that anxiety level sounds so incredibly attractive because of how realistic the mechanic is. I know, for myself, living(even for a day) without my family is incredibly triggering, so I had nights where they would be out and I had to spend 24 or even 48 hours alone. I would drink coffee, take a shower, work out, order delivery, watch a movie or play with my cat...But when the night comes, that`s when all these activities have less effect on my actual panic levels. Especially when I get ready for bed, I go through a minor panic attack almost every time and can`t wait for the day to come when I would see my family again. It`s also amplified by things like an unwelcome sound, floor creaking, having to deal with the delivery person for more than a minute etc. This sounds almost exactly like that.
I swear that when i get a job i will support one if the best and most interesting channels if UA-cam. Since i discovered tour vídeos of "the Monster of the week" i see each and one of your videos. Great worlk and greetings from Argentina
"It feels unfair, tedious and frustrating." ...yeah honestly, while I've mostly conquered my depression, my ADHD means I still deal with a ton of executive dysfunction adn that's really just what daily self-maintenance routines feel like tbh. Completely impossible and unreasonable to ask of myself while simultaneously being the bare minimum needed to keep me from mentally going to shit and absolutely trivial in the grand scheme of things.
This video hit me pretty hard. Both of my younger sisters were abused by the hospitals they were taken to after suicide attempts roughly a year apart. They were faking getting better just so they could come home and not risk growing even more suicidal. I remember my sister Kaylee stating that the hospital staff constantly poked and prodded her with needles every few hours for "blood work". She was even more lonely, depressed, and suicidal within that awful place than before she got there. Now she has been developing bipolar depression disorder because of not getting the proper care she needed. I have problems too, but mine is more neurological. I have autism, and for the longest time, everyone around me thought that I had ADHD or something similar due to the weird shit I did as a kid. Up until a year ago, I lived with my grandparents for two years, and they had mentally abused me, calling me stupid, saying I should be locked in a loony bin, telling me I was worthless, ect. I felt terrible, and repressed how I really felt from the family that cared about me, AKA, my mom and sisters. They had no idea that I was being abused but I could tell they caught wiffs of something foul as I wasn't my cheerful, happy self. I was lucky to get out of that situation, thanks to my mother's quick thinking, and me finally telling myself that enough was enough. I'm finally getting the proper help I've needed for years now; seeing a psychiatrist that gives a shit about me, getting the proper meds to control my anxiety and depression, and having a stable support system.
This game was a really unique and bizarre journey for me, among all games i have thusfar sojourned through. I took a hard look at this game, called in for work that day, and spent the next 15 hours walking with my fingers laced with Susan's, from the beginning of her story to end. I have not experienced anxiety at such a crippling level as i have in this game, but as someone that's weathered the last 11 years of my life on my own, doors slammed in my face and just being trapped....yeah, i totally get what it means to just want to give up on trying. I understand too, how utterly vindicating it can be to rediscover the thrill of living, once you trust your life to something other than yourself, realizing that helping others is the first actual step to helping yourself face the very horrors you wasted all this time fleeing from. That you can rediscover a new meaning to life, by murdering monsters that feed off our misery. I think I'll revisit this game soon. That girl Susan Ashfield knows how to show a guy a good time.
This is my first video of yours, I attribute the cat lady to me realising I was suffering from suicidal idealation, excessive anxiety and depressive symptoms. Was one of the first portrayals of suicide and mental illness I was ever exposed to as a teenager and additionally after rewatching a let's play of it at 20-21, further realising just how much I was relating to this character. And then unfortunately experiencing some of the bad portrayed in the game and a year long breakdown. I love this game, I think it's extremely powerful and hearing it taken apart makes me love it even more I think. I especially loved Liz because she's got a Welsh accent, that's not super normal in most games and there's something comforting about it that also makes it feel closer to home because I am Welsh. Fundamentally seeing Susan and Mitzi able too overcome their demons in the game and buikd a healthy relationship together was a delight and gave me some hope even while my life still is in pieces. I sincerely hope it's done that for a lot of people. Thanks for this video.
Hello from Russia. I and several my friends adore your videos. This kind of videos make me feel that youtube is still worth to watch. What do you think of translation them to Russian (with links to the original of course)? I'm translating the text for your video about Jacob's Ladder for about a week, when I have a free hour :)
One of the best of your works yet! I must also thank you for your book recommendations, The Myth of Sisyphus and Think on These Things have changed my thought process concerning daily life for the better. Keep on creating!
I needed this. I have bad anxiety and suppressed depression and haven't had any friends in years. It is a struggle just to get by some days and even thinking of trying to improve myself seems like a daunting task. Hopefully I'll find my Mitzi
I spend many hours lying in bed just staring up at the ceiling devoid of thoughts Everything in life just feels utterly pointless. Even positive and wonderful things because I can't help but think that everything dies eventually, so what's the point? All of us are constantly under the boot of a cruel and uncaring system
I've been both actively and passively suicidal, in fact I'm not sure how often I'm not passively suicidal. I also lost a sibling to suicide. I've sought help before, and being in a place is miserable even when the staff are amicable. It's so miserable I'd honestly rather die than go through it again honestly. Not only that, but you have to be able to afford help to get help. Which financial stressors, and feelings of uselessness and helplessness, are reasons of feeling suicidal. I can tell you from experience when you're living only for other people, you sometimes end up resenting people. That whole 'easy way out' crap is something that pushes people to live for other reasons than their own, and it honestly diminishes the quality of one's own life. I'm not trying to say that suicide is good exactly, but I really can't condemn it either. I don't understand people basically saying 'well life is suffering, we all suffer, and we get over it'. Just I'm still here doesn't mean I don't understand, everyone has their own breaking points. And, no, I haven't had it the worst but I haven't had it the best. I don't know, I guess I feel like the whole 'suffering competition' and callousness need to end.
I've been in a hospital to treat my suicidal thoughts. It was horrifying how they treated me. I was didn't even attempt suicide yet they made me wear gauze and took away everything from me. My books, my clothes, even my jewelry because I could "hurt myself with them". Then they locked them my possessions away behind a metal wall. There were dirty hand prints on the wall for you can only guess the reasons. That's not even the worst part. The worst part was that on my side of the door there was no handle. Luckily I had my mother there but if she wasn't I would have been locked in there on the side where there was no door handle. I felt like a animal in a cage rather than a human being. It was scary, unnerving, and to say the least hospitals are not equipped to help the mentally ill. I hope this give some of you at least a little perspective on what goes on with suicidal people in hospitals. It certainly gave me some perspective.
I'm assuming cause they are just too costly to give everyone a personal doctor and better way of handling people with mental disorders. The people helping can only be there so long and they have no one to watch them while their gone.Probably doesn't help that any kind ofhospital is seen as places where doctorspaid are to take care of the people there. They can't afford to take any chances cause of this and the cost to do so would be staggering to make them capable of doing so.
Hi! I'm two years late 😂 I think you forgot about the "call the police segment" you may have never experienced that fear but in my case, I live in México, our police is almost a satirical dark comedy by how they always arrive a minimum of two hours late, you can hear stories like that by any person who needed to call them, even in news, they will point how police arrived five hours late. To make it worse, we have this absurd law that if you harm someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill you or your family, you will go to jail for homicide until there is proof that you were deffending yourself. Thus, I felt genuine terror when I started to hear how the police guy talks to you, his voice is STARTLING knowing how much of a trouble you're in, I don't have words for describing it, but the fear of using maybe your last moments for calling for help and slowly realizing that person doesn't give a damn about your life had my blood feel cold 😂
This game deserved such a video, you did a great work on that one, Ragnar. Thanks for everything. I wonder what everyone thinks of *Downfall* from the same People. I haven't played *Downfall* to the full yet and only even launched the _ORIGINAL_ *Downfall* , but as far as i know, it's... well, literally what it says in the tin. I know for a fact that *The Cat Lady* is a tale of Hope, a very Hopeful Story. On the other hand, *Downfall* is, from what i've heard, full of misery and a literal Downfall of the protagonist that doesn't end well at all. Though, i can't confirm, haven't played yet, but this alone makes me very interested in it.
As somebody who has dealt with a chronic mental illness, I can say that this game understands me more than some of my closest friends. Great video, you've got a new subscriber :)
I’ve never seen your other videos, but you have earned my subscription. You nailed the entire background of this game beautifully. To me, this game is still very underrated for how it never sugarcoats the true struggle of depression and you explain it so greatly. I look forward to viewing more of your videos in the future and I hope you’ll be open to the idea of doing a video about R Michalski’s other game, Downfall.
I share your love of The Cat Lady. Replaying it for a video in 2016 I thought to myself, "I think this could end up being one of my favourite games". Its message of hope despite its horror and how brutal it can be left me loving the journey taken. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to try for any of the other endings though. Giving the gas mask to Mitzi and walking away from the queen of maggots feels like the right way to go each time (if those choices actually affect the ending). I love how personal and even handed your discussion of the themes was, and boy did you get some millage out of those clips of killing the doctor and shooting the nurse in the bath :)
Oh I love it. Thank you for making this video. As a person who has some experience with the subject of the game, I think you explained a lot of things very well. So thanks for that. It's really nice to see a well crafted video. I subbed pretty recently, but after this, I can say that I am definitely here to stay. Looking forward to your next video!
Yesss! I’ve been so eagerly waiting for you to talk about this game! This is a game that really resonated with me, with its silent hill influence and it’s important coverage of mental illness. I’m so happy you’re finally covering it
The conundrum with these videos is I always have to stop watching at about 3 minutes because you make the games sound so good. I guess I'll come back once I've finished.
The Cat Lady has been one of my all time favourite games to play (and was ecstatic to play the remake of their first game) You did an amazing job on exploring the game and it's themes and as I also felt the same way with the game. It touched on hard topics but in a genuine way that I could greatly relate to moments with my own life. I'll always come back to the game and definitely recommend your video to friends who're interested :)
I would say that many suicide victims probably don't know what's good for them, but they're also victims. They're not to blame. They're not cowards. They're not bad. They need help and compassion.
21:46 i really wish people would stop saying queer. Like I don't give a shit if you decide to use it to describe yourself but don't force that slur on other people. I'm gay, I have been called queer. I don't fucking like it and I don't have any intention of "reclaiming" that hateful slur. Don't call people queer.
I like your videos. As a licensed clinician, I would be mindful of phrasing suicidality as a conscious choice. Suicidality is a behavior that is considered a sign of aggravated sickness when a person is dealing with major depressive disorder. We do not want people to have a narrative that they are a making a rational choice as they are inherently depressed and are seeing everything in the world through depression goggles. The end of the cat lady even reinforces this idea as when susan is managing her depression, she no longer considers suicide as an option. Suicidality is often considered egosyntonic. The goal is to make it egodystonic. Please be aware that suicide is never a choice, even if the brain makes it seem so. Keep up the great content!
Kind of unfortunate how games like this languish in obscurity while David Cage can shit out, "What if racism but robots?" and be lauded as some kind of visionary despite never making anything more than a decent game in his life and being a real scumbag as a person.
I love this game, I love this video. I re-watch the video whenever my depression starts to get really bad in the summer. When I tried to get help for my many mental health problems, it was treated like it was an embarrassment and that I was attention seeking. Hurtful, but I didn't expect any less from my less than accepting relatives. The worst kind of people that I despise when it comes to 'invisible' diseases/disorders, are the ones that say something along the vein of, "I don't believe in it." Okay, so if I break your leg, but tell you I don't believe you have a broken leg, does that mean it's suddenly fixed? No. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
i was half asleep when i was listening to this and when i heard you casually mention lisbeth was autistic it shocked me (in a very good way) because i am also autistic and i love lisbeth (and the cat lady) very much
"Why didn't you just leave them?"
"Why didn't you just stand up to them?"
"Why didn't you just talk with them?"
"Why didn't you do this why didn't you do that I would never end up like that why didn't you why didn't you why didn't you-"
After leaving a very abusive relationship crisis, this bs is what I was asked by a few sideline third parties-who frankly has no business telling me how to feel and how to cope. So a word of advice to anyone who knows someone in or out of an abusive relationship;Never tell them those things, never instruct them on there thoughts and actions. Just let them know you care, just listen to what they say, and give them a home and real friend when asked.
Couldn't have better said myself as a woman who had been in an abusive relationship before.
When people around you who you would think care about you and support you talks like they are insulting your intelligence or furthermore make you feel like stupid, you are not feeling cared for, or supported but feeling ashamed instead when obviously you are not the one who should be ashamed for what's been going on. It's like accusing victim for getting abused when they should accuse the abusive partner. And they usually don't think about one simple thing:
Abuse doesn't necessarily mean only physical, this type of people starts with abusing you psychologically, break your self confidence down, till you feel like they are your best option or even till you feel like you deserve getting abused.
Many women are getting more abused by their abusive partner or worse, getting killed cause they are ashamed of getting out there and seek help. It happened to me, I was ashamed and that relationship ended up going on 6 more months (thankfully I'm alive and well now, but the scars on my soul will never fade completely) just cause I was afraid what people around me would tell or would think about me, as if I was the one with the fault in that scenario.
I can relate-I'm truly sorry for what you went through. I wish this shit on no one, even though my situation has long passed. And it wasn't a romantic partner with me-however if you need someone to talk to who understands. We can if you want, my offers always open.
@@violetraven8323 Thank you so much, my relationship has long past also thankfully (10 years give or take), I'm in a way better place now, still single (of couse I had relationships after that but didn't last, cause well basically we weren't right for each but nothing wrong with that of course - no drama - but I guess I'm still single because of the fact that I ended up being overly selective about who I am allowing to be in my life or not tbh) but happy with my life, but we can always chat of course, I don't mind making new friends ❤
Gamze M The Queeb That sweet of you 😊-I appreciate that a lot. I'm glad to know your in a better place(in fact you got out of that mess way quicker then I ever did). So quick question;are you much of a gamer?(considering we're on a gaming video) just out of curiosity,
@@violetraven8323 Yep, I am in fact a gamer, basically all my free time goes to spending time on games, and I don't regret it, I guess you're a gamer too then? Maybe if you have steam or smth we can add each other? 😊
what i love about this game is how it blends horror with mental illness in a respectful and realistic way. its not about using the "crazy and dangerous mentally ill person" as a shitty plot device. its about susan as a person and how she's....more than her mental illnesses
Exactly!
The coffee "minigame" in particular is the most accurate depiction of depression I've seen in any media, ever, and as soon as I saw that bit I was fully on board with the game because the devs clearly GET IT. It so clearly conveys how fraying mental health turns a simple, straightforward task into a series of insurmountable and discouraging obstacles.
and if you mess them up, it can just be the last straw
This game came out the same month I was going to take my life. When I beat the game, I was bawling my eyes for the rest of the day. To say that this game changed my life is an understatement. The positive change in the game got me through my rut and I’m forever grateful to the developers.
I'm glad you're still alive. *hugs*
Amazing! I felt this game was what I needed at the time too. I loved the voices too
I'm glad you were able to pull through. Your bravery to preserve the unimaginable is something I admire. You were meant to continue on, cause your life is worth fighting for. I hope you are doing well today.
I’m glad you’re still here!
I’m glad you and I are still here
The portrayal of anxiety disorder is by far one of the best I've ever seen and gives non-sufferers a taste of how utterly unfair and frustrating as well as how very touchy and unpredictable an actual anxiety disorder is. It doesn't make sense and is difficult to handle. You get called a "snowflake", the very word "triggered" is such a meme that you can't even seriously discuss your anxiety triggers any longer or express them, people complain they have to walk on eggshells, and never once does anyone understand how terrible and destructive the internal struggle is. You just want it to STOP and it feels like you have to complete some RPG level quest to accomplish that.
God I feel you. Sometimes the littlest stuff will set me off. And I’ll know that one thing shouldn’t hurt me, and I should get over it, but it just digs in.
I know it’s no one’s fault, but I get in such a way that I just want to take a break from the world to compose myself, but I can’t.
@Night's Watch knight congrats. You're literally the type of person OP is talking about
@Godot Godot i read what he said. I understood it perfectly. the people who are focused on people who "fake mental illness" are those types of people. Almost every person with a mental illness, especially if they are women, gets accused of faking it by people like this. It's the same thing as people who always talk about false rape allegations whenever rape is brought up. It's a very small percentage of people, a much smaller problem thann the original problem and overall a bad faith argument.
@@ether49 "BELIEVE WAHMEN". People are tired of your kind and your constant need to satisfy your victim complexes.
@@ether49 Though the difference between rape allegations and faking mental illnesses is the disgusting prevalence of the phenomenon in today's culture. Especially within my generation and younger, you'd be surprised the percentage of "cases" that are actually no more than an effort to gain clout or some sort of personality trait to artificially display depth.
"Why invent monster when life is full of them"
This hit me hard.
I had to pause after he said it, take a long breath and keep watching.
Monsters are a human invention to sugarcoat the reality. The real monster is indifference.
Because at least fictional monster can always be beaten.
a shiver ran down my spine.
Ragnar to me is just one of those UA-camrs you forget over the couple of months it takes them to make a video, then they upload a new one and it´s like christmas just popped in early.
Hat-Eating-Cthulu-Goat yeah but the content is good so
It is.
yeah i feel the exact same way
I JUST found the channel, so, no waiting for me, till I run out, and have to wait like everyone else for something new.
Hat-Eating-Cthulu-Goat basically also he’s the best youtuber since he actually puts work into the videos not just some half assed top 10 video or even worse daily uploads
I remember when I played, I felt Doctor X was also metaphorically "painting up" his patients into the images he wants. Much like many bad psychiatrists will attempt to cover the superficial causes of mental illnesses, and ignoring the deeper parts of the patient. Like fueling the person with lots of medicine but not giving them coping tools or support outside of it. It only prevents the surface level stuff from showing, but doesn't help them learn how to live with it.
Unfortunately, I've met a few before, and most people I know can say the same about the doctors. Doctor X really hit that for me, and I felt like I was back in an office with an old man telling me to take the medicine and not giving me answers to any of the questions of what I could do to improve, and the woman who misdiagnosed me and pilled me up till I was cracking. The fact I've had the better of the worst doctors is really screwed.
The Cat Lady has been one of my favorite games since it came out. I relate to it and Susan and ended up bawling at the ending, and I always end up crying at the end every time since, hahaha. It gives me hope and a sense of solidarity with Susan and Mitzi at the end. Like we all fight our good fight, and we're there doing it together, yknow?
I know it can be taxing on people in this line of work to do what they do and not get messed up themselves. It's a sad fact that some of these people have to cut themselves off to even retain their own health. There are good therapists and psychs, most definitely. It aches to see the stable, pleasant people lumped with the people who still need to take care of themselves. Especially when it comes to mental health work. OTL
My sister was a nurse in a psychiatric hospital for six years, and she hated the psychiatrist/therapist who would only come in to look at the patients about two times a month.
She told me that whatever progress the patients had made when they entertained themselves (under constant supervision of course) with the puzzles, drawing pads and coloring books she and other nurses bought with their own money (being able to express their feelings via art was particularly effective on patients with anger and anxiety problems) were completely destroyed once they had a session with the psychiatrist. They would enter the office in high spirits because they felt that they had successfully defeated a great obstacle, and would come out crestfallen and drawn into themselves. Obviously the sessions were private, but their behaviour would indicate that she probably treated their positive progress as something unimportant and unsignificant. The woman also felt herself superior and belittled the nurses even though they were the ones who had contact with the patients on a daily basis and as such had more knowledge about them than her. The patients also respected and trusted the nurses more.
When she resigned, my sister received small drawings as gifts from the patients, they liked her very much and were going to miss her.
Maybe I am reading into your comment to much but it sounds like you are expecting a psychologist to be perfect and not have any problems?
That is a pretty unfair bar to set.
If someone has problems that does not in any way mean they dont have or learned the tools to help others.
Everyone has issues...that is life.
Spills51 but there is a line that can be crossed, a doctor should not be affected with his flaws that he gets his patients hurt or killed. psychiatrists and therapists are risking lifes of already vulnerable people if they can’t handle their own shit. i had someone like that too, thanks, was really not needed, waste of years
Gotta say I adore this fucking video so far but there's something I thought you were building too but you breezed right past (that I only even noticed just while watching this).
There's another aspect to the whole Dr. X thing and it's far too precise to be accidental. It's another aspect of abuse that's less overtly portrayed (and irl less horrific but still relevant to subjects like mental health) than the Doctor-Patient issue, but is still so prominent I'm surprised I didn't notice it before.
Think about it. He seeks out women of a particular kind to exploit and charicaturize into these "pieces of art" for nothing but his own gratification and that are so devoid of substance and actual meaning it's just an insult to the real life suffering that went into/allowed for its creation in the first place.
In other words it's a very in your face representation of people who make exploitative art/media about those who struggle with mental illness, and attempts to portray the activity in a way that's just as appalling, hollow, and disgusting to those who are (I guess you might say are) unfamiliar, as the real life equivalent can be to those who see the exploitation as it is.
FUCK. *_HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT BEFORE???_*
A
Incredible
That’s deep.
Bro you just uncovered the next layer of my onion brain
the main complaint of the anxiety chapter being "how am I supposed to do this I can't predict everything and the only way to do this first try is luck or a walkthough" is a perfect example of real anxiety. There is no walkthough for real life, and some people's anxiety is so bad that the potential for a panic attack can set them off. so it's perfect
Man, fourty minutes went by like they were five. You're a really skilled creator, Ragnar.
As for the topic of the abuse in the mental health system, yes you are correct. I know it first hand as my mother is a therapist and has worked for many years in the psych ward of different hospitals in two cities. People disregard completely mental health, and what's more it is so stigmatized that no one seeks help on the off chance of "being confused with a loony". Also, in this kind of mental health hospitals, as it might also be the case of some prisions and retire homes for the elderly but don't quote me on that, where the staff willingly abuse the patients as a way to release pent up tension because of the treatment they have on their regular lives. And these vulnerable people have no way to defend themselves, some because they are not heard, some are outright rejected by the system and other cannot even talk about it.
Case in point, I give you an example and I would link you to the note if it was on internet, this happened back in the 1999/2000 and I'm from a third world country so... yeah. Couldn't find the note But I do remember the news broadcast. But a nurse on one the mental hospitals at which my mother worked, was known because she was "bad". Apparently she ill treated a lot of patients, but there was never a formal investigation as no one made a request for that, and so, a patient took a pipe and crushed her head. The man went to prison, for what I know, and when asked he said: "She was bad".
It's easy to not listen, until someone gets hurt.
Thank you for this contribution. Sadly, this is only one in many cases, and many decades went by without barely documenting any cases at all because it was so beyond recognition.
Overall, there's a strong denial and stigma. Society as a whole doesn't want to accept that this kind of issue exist. Furthermore, with the way it is exposed there's been a lot of backlash on the way it's been handled. Before, we could play for ignorant and cover it with a rug, now it is either used as an excuse to get away with crime or you get treatment for things that no one actually knows how to face.
I don't really know how America and other developed countries deal with this kind of topics, my own personal experience comes from Argentina (third world country that goes in and out of economic crisis at the flip of a literal coin). For what I've noticed, and if we are on the topic of human evolution as a whole, there are so many stress triggers around that people either don't have time to deal with mental health (not knowing when or where your next meal is gonna be, doesn't let you think too much about depression). On the other hand, people still think that being blue is the same as being depressed. Like, no, dude, get your research straight. Depression talks about a chemical imbalance in the brain, sometimes it really has a biological explanation.
But that's that.
And I'll take this momento thank you for this wonderful contribution. Your channel has explored many of the topics which I find most interesting in gaming (both in story telling and mechanics). Your forgotten gems segment is the best. Parasite Eve, Soul Reaver and Vagrant Story are a few of the games that marked my brother's and my own childhood. We did a reprise of Parasite Eve for Christmas a few years back. Playing PE with a certified doctor that knew the medical jargon was a complete treat.
So yes, thank you, keep up the good work!
I even read the story of that guy who got completely paralyzed (a.k.a the man who was trapped in his own body for years). The poor guy later on recollected that he was once sexually assaulted by a nurse.
My great grandmother was neglected and abused in two retirement homes. She passed away a few years ago because of it. Someone there literally forgot to return her dentures for over a week. They wouldn't give her proper care, or even a nice room. She couldn't remember my grandma, her daughter, or my mom when she died. She only slightly remembered me. A week before her death I visited with my family for lunch, and she seemed fine. She wasn't. I never got to know her that well, but what I do know is people will do anything to get out of working, even if it means neglecting someone so helpless they can't even pee without help.
It's unfortunate they used deinstitutionalization in a bad way but as someone who's spent long term stays in state mental facilities I am so grateful for that. Both are definitely wrong and I hope we get to a middle ground.
Abuse in psych wards was always just a "horror" that "doesn't happen anymore" but when I went in 2014 it was almost worse than horror movies. I hope people will start to care enough not to let people get away with abusing people but idk if that day will ever come.
I couldn't play this game because it was too scary for me, but I've watchd cryaotic gameplay a few years ago and it became one of my favourite videogames ever. I just love this weird mix between real life problems and surreal images. And, the best thing is, it felt so real. I was very depressed as a teenager and I'm still dealing with anxiety, so this game still makes me cry. It talks about these issues in a very respectful way but it is also brutally honest, and that's exactly what I need in a story about mental illnesses. Thank you for your channel, dude
I agree. I was in the same predicament, so when I played this game, it was a rather painful and somehow sobering experience. I wish you the best regarding your anxiety. I'm sure you'll pull through :)
I watched that let's play too! Cry is the best with these kinds of games. He's the best at making you appreciate the game while he plays it for you.
aaaw, that was nice. Thank you, I wish you the same thing :3
Cryaotic huh? Quite the hot topic as of recent.
@@dotsdot5608 i was wincing seeing all these comments from two years ago thank u for ur Recent Drama Solidarity lmfao
The reason why I loved this game so much initially, was actually Susan herself. As someone who does suffer from depression, I say the same others do about the accurate and respectable depiction in the game. Susan is a painfully human character, with far more depths than I would have thought; she's not conventionally attractive, which is rare for a female protagonist. She's not young, she's not friendly, she's extremely rude and difficult to handle.
And that right there is what makes the game feel so raw. Depression has been romanticised for so long now, and even when it is depicted without an attractive sympathetic stroke, the characters personality is never that realistically bitter. Well, unless it's a dark, brooding male protag, but still.
Susan is written as a person, acts like a person and even feels like one. Her terrible attitude is indicative of her mental illness and shows the raw, ugly side of the illness. You become short-tempered, impatient, constantly pushing people away and just generally making it hard to allow others in to help, even if you need that help. It often makes you a very unlikeable person who just allows their depression to fester The sequence at the start of chapter 3 where you have to prevent Susan from having a breakdown was brilliant to me, just through it's sheer accuracy of how the tiniest of things can truly set you off. In that sequence, it's only the matter of one wrong action, one tiny action that results in Susan breaking down, or keeping it together.
I often used to berate myself for suddenly crying over nothing, because it really was the stupidest and small things that triggered it for me; but I do recognise now that in this situation, you aren't crying over "nothing", you are crying over everything that you've been holding back. The "nothing" that caused the breakdown is just a catalyst more than anything
You're not crying because you're weak, you're crying because you've been strong for too long. It's ok.
I love the whole atmosphere in the game. And I love that they don't mention the mental illnesses all the time, because the characters especially Susan live their lifes. She is suicidal but still lives like a normal person. Other games or movies wouldn't stop mentioning the protagonists mental illness, while the cat lady is so real. They still live like they are not always thinking about death. Susan often acting more thoughtful and clever than the "healthy" characters.
Also I love how the characters are so real. That her suicide note ends with: "thanks for nothing." And that the good end isn't all about being happy ever after but that she says that she feels better but that depression will always be part of her life.
This is the exact reason why I love this game so much it potrays suicidal depression and anxiety so well.
Susan , to me, was one of the most relatable characters in a horror game in a long time. As a woman myself who struggles with depression and anxiety, esp at work, doing mundane tasks. It becomes exhausting for me what is simple for others at my work.
I appreciated this game as not only a fan of horror, but as someone who loved to see a more realistic approach on the true horrors of the world incorporated in a game. It's brilliant and i always recommend it to anyone i know who hasn't played it. Thank you for making this video and reminding me why i love it so much.
I remember when I attempted suicide. I had to go to a care facility(I guess that’s what it’s called, but it’s anything but.) When we arrived there my mom said that I would have to stay and I didn’t understand, because I was fine. I didn’t commit suicide out of it being a last option, I did it because I was scared and felt I had nothing left. I even told my mom about what I had done, I didn’t WANT to die. After my first night at the facility I didn’t know what to do, I missed my family and my dogs, and I had no instructions, no guide. I only made 2 friends, and I had to leave one of them behind. Being at that facility made me more suicidal than I already was, but I had to pretend that I was fine or else I wouldn’t get out. I HATED it there. Everybody seemed almost robot like, and when there were kids with mental illnesses who took their anger out physically, nobody dealt with them in the way that they should have. It was like being dropped in a new place and having no idea what to do. People in care facilities really have no idea how to deal with mental illnesses. Thank you for the great video RagnarRox!
M V That’s horrible! I don’t know if i’m out of line for saying this, but I would have sued their asses.
When I was fourteen I tried to kill myself and after being treated in the hospital I was put in a “force care” situation because I was considered high risk. It was nightmarish and to this day, even when I am suicidal and in a place where I need help, I hesitate to get help because I am TERRIFIED of going back there. Care centers are a fucking joke and the people who work there, for the most part, have no business caring for other people.
Fucking thank you. I went though something similar. I could not believe how unqualified the people there were. The only thing I learned was, if I want to kill myself, dont tell anyone or make sure you go though with it next time.
Yeah unfortunately a lot of these sort of cases happened to me and other people when I went into those hospitals. I was personally abused by a male worker who worked on the floor and would watch over all of the girls on the ward. It makes me so upset to realize that I wasn't the only one. When I went to the other staff to get help him basically molesting me and straight up just smacking me around I was met with sarcastic responses, as I was a suicidal depressed patient with psychotic symptoms. It wasn't until I begged and did everything he wanted to get a phone call to my parents, who understandably were pissed that anything got done. I am so sorry that you had to deal with things such as this and I can relate to feeling trapped. As a child and teen I rarely acted out, but I too feel that when I was in there, I acted out more than I ever had before. Which like you said causes you to stay longer, and so you suck it up take their mess and pretend that you are fine.
I was honestly in a pretty similar situation. Sent to the loony bin when my mom found a document/final will and testament, like a suicide note but not quite, that I had locked in my filing cabinet until the time came. One night I went out in a fit of frustration after a year of living at my parents, unemployed, borderline unemployable, and feeling like a waste of resources, and I walked 10k to the bar where I got shit faced. (Not responsible but I was not in a good headspace back then. Isolation can do funny things to your perception) Got home late, didn’t answer my phone because it had died. My mom tore apart my room and (locked) filing cabinet (do not mess with a terrified mother) and found the note. Long story short, with passive condescending doctors and uncaring nurses, constantly watching as I spent the weeks of involuntary hold bored out of my mind, i didn’t learn an appreciation or meaning to life. I didn’t gain a sense of self worth or purpose. All I learned was how to convincingly lie about how everything is golden. I got out. Took the meds until I moved out. They weren’t doing anything for me. Honestly I’m still suicidal. Some days all I can think about is stepping in front of a bus to make it look like an accident, that way my gf can get my insurance money. But then I can tell myself, this feeling will probably pass. Sure you probably should have killed yourself a long time ago, but there’s still so much to do. Your beautiful girlfriend needs new winter boots. Christmas is coming up. You wouldn’t want to ruin their Christmas, would you? Been doing that for years. Still works.
I remember this game, I watched Cry's gameplay during a time I was really, really depressed. Watching something that put eveyrthing I was feeling into a screen and a narrative was like watching a car wreck, I wanted to stop looking, I couldn't. I still don't know if it helped or made it worse, but it sure was something
I don't think it's something I would reccomend to someone in that dark place currently. I would for people who have recovered, though.
Regarding the revenge fantasy, as someone who used to be very predatory and abusive, the process of overcoming that was a necessary step in dealing with my mental illness. I think the parasites can represent the way that abuse can create abusers, which while not the case as a rule, is frequent and certainly was how it worked with me. Being raised with abuse made me use abuse as my model for how to be in a relationship.
After a while, you start to derive a sick sort of pleasure from hurting others, because it ultimately hurts you, which you feel you need and dsserve or should want.
Killing those parasites of identity, so to speak, was an important era in learning to be healthy and positive in interpersonal relationships.
And on a metaphorical level, I think the parasites can easily fit into that schema.
Oh, you just said that. Derp.
That's a very interesting perspective thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for sharing this. I always try to empathize or at least understand the behavior of others and I really appreciate this insight. I’m glad you did the work and I hope you’re a better person thriving now. Take care.
Wow, those pics of you were awesome! So goth!
No regrets!
How do you keep your blacks from fading? Mine never last long, I hate it.
@@RagnarRoxShow The Cat Lady video game reminds of Dentention.
@@WobblesandBean To prevent black clothes from fading, wash in cold water on permanent press or delicate cycle, then tumble dry on very low heat or hang up to dry indoors while avoiding too much direct sunlight, just as you would when keeping clothes from shrinking. (I know this is late, but Goths help one another!)
THE Sphere Hunter?!? Yay!
Another great video sir. People like you are the reason UA-cam is still a worthwhile thing, when so many others have become consumed with cynicism, bitterness and easy nitpicking.
My little sister was away at college, very far away from any friends or family, when she felt she was in danger and her on-campus counselor wasn't able to be with her. Now, before I go further I want to emphasize that this woman is a god-sent hero and has quite practically been the reason my sister made it through that first semester. But since at the time she wasn't able to be with my sister, she advised her to check in at a hospital so she wouldn't be alone.
The campus police gave her a ride to the hospital, but when my sister arrived and wanted to be a "voluntary" check-in, they wouldn't let her since she arrived with the police. For their part, they tried to explain that they were just giving her a ride and that it was her choice to come. But the hospital wouldn't listen and had her checked in as "non-voluntary." My sister spent that night in horror, her phone taken away, and all contact with the outside world cut. No staff would listen to or believe her when she begged to be released; she wasn't even given a room to stay in! In the end, she had to spend a long time with the on-site psychiatric doctor--who belittled and gaslit her--to eventually lie her way out. She was sent back to the college dorm the next morning worse than when she came.
My blood still boils when I recall this incident, and that joke of a facility had the gall to send us a BILL for essentially terrorizing and tormenting a suffering female student who just wanted some comfort and protection! She had to protect herself from THEM and I'm horrified to consider who else has been subjected to their "care." We should NOT be treating people this way!!
That you for talking about this game. Mental health and mental health care are subjects that need REAL attention and not just hollywood glamourized sensationalism.
Like the un-Hollyw’d Soderbergh movie “Unsane.” A woman is stalked & voluntarily checks in to a mental clinic. Bc she has good insurance the hospital staff & long term patients collude to extend her stay. Movie critics poked at plot holes like her stalker working on staff. In nasty real life, apart from paranoia or delusion, this appears to be but isn’t a plot mistake. Critics stayed away from the back story reason for the movie: Corporate rehab (drug/ non-drug), insurance, Big Pharma, psychiatry parasitically feeding off each other & off patients. Who are an afterthought.
Like that's a pretty typical story of being sectioned. Only part alien to me is where she got billed for it, but that's the american healthcare system for you. At least when I was trapped there for a month they didn't bill me like it was a 5-star hotel lol. They really like to add insult to injury over there
This game hit my mom pretty hard. She is a victim of abuse from her first husband.
That's terrible to hear. All the best and much strength to your mother!
Wow your mom plays pc games? Thats awesome tho!
after a few decades being a chill guy i'm pretty skeptic i'd have to ask the 1st husband why he went that far. with most guys and society ready to lynch a man for abuse it likely takes some hardcore antagonizing.
@@walrusmayonaisesandw I'm sorry the 'manosphere' has emptied your mind of any empathy.
@@nm9688 its pretty empathetic to ask a man questions before demonizing him. take notes. ;)
I feel games like cat lady are games we need to keep alive.Its dark,gross,sad,heavy game.I feel it could have easly been exploitative.But it was amazing genuene way of showing unconventional main character with recognizable style.I loved it.it made me cry.
As someone who has been struggling with these issues for years, mostly unsuccessfully, I want to thank you for making this video.
There are times when I just feel like there is no way possible that I'm ever going to be able to do this. The part that got me the most was you describing how Susan's husband systematically and intelligently isolated her from her friends and family. I got out of an abusive relationship a year ago and my jaw literally dropped when I made the connection. That is exactly what she did to me, she convinced me to move in, claimed I was cheating on her whenever I would talk to my friends, and kept me dependant. I've struggled with that experience and my mental health very heavily lately. I live on a week by week basis most of the time, I.E "I just have to make it one more week," and lately it has been getting to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm on a day by day basis.
People say things like "You just need a hobby" or "Don't think about it so much" which, let me be clear, I don't disagree with. But there's a point where those just aren't valid options anymore. My flame for activities is there some days and just absent the next, and if I force myself to do things it just makes me frustrated and sad, which the only output I have for those emotions are usually violence outbursts inflicted inwardly.
This video has given me a lot to think about, and maybe given my brain the connections it needed to finally start making sense of this infuriating back and forth that seems to be my adult life. And that's more than I can say for any other content I have consumed on these topics. This is the first video I have ever seen from you, and I genuinely thank you.
I relate extremely to the anxiety puzzle. When I'm having worse days, it's like nervously tip-toeing through a minefield of things that could break my composure. It's amusing to see people complain about it and call it unfair without realizing that's the reality for a lot of people.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see you make a video of this game. I am very fond of this game for the exact same reasons as you.
The game feels so genuine and it helped me to better understand how depression feels like. This game contributed much more to the diversity of video games than most other games, and not at all in a ham-fisted way like most other attempts.
We've missed your videos! Excellent content as always!
Orlando Dalloway I haven’t even seen it yet, but know it’s gonna be good lol
I once played a game called Missed Messages it is about a girl going through a normal day for her. And shows how mental health can effect anyone and sometimes is invisible to people outside. And how people who can see like they are on top of the world and be the best can also be suffering from intense mental illness.
I know that one; played it just the other day, in fact.
What got me the most is when I understood that the „missed messages“ don’t relate to the random airdrops you’re getting, but the fact that your roommate who you‘ve known for a long time is suffering just next door from you.
Morale of that story (for me at least): Consider that the ones closest to you, those who you would have never expected to, may be carrying a greater burden than you thinks. Be kind and be there for them, because they will neither ask you for help openly, nor repeatedly.
On a personal note, this might be my greatest safety net against committing to something terminal (in that regard at least):
The thought that all the self-centered ignorants of yesterday would then be wailing in unison „Why didn’t he say anything?!“. (I am sure they would be very, VERY tearful while doing it, too).
Kinda depressing, when you think about it but it has worked for me so far - just like in the metaphor, if you’re caught between two perils you‘re more inclined to the lesser one, no matter how much it would scare you when taken on it’s own.
Thanks for reading - hope you sleep well tonight !
“It tells those who silently suffer like Susan, not just that attempting to fight your inner demons is worth it, but that you’re seriously fucking kick-ass for trying”
Goddamn... until now I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that.
As someone who just recently discovered your channel, I just want to say I love your content and thank you for the great videos :)
Farah456 I actually teared up as he said that. As someone with Asperger’s, I feel like most of what the game represented with Susan and her struggles greatly reflected many of my own throughout my life while growing up. While I’m not clinically depressed, I do have many issues with anxiety both caused by my disorder and also by past traumatic experiences. So, when it came to the scenes Ragnar was describing with Dr. X and the anxiety puzzle, I couldn’t help but having to stop the video a couple of times to pull myself together.
It’s almost kind of eerie how well this game represents the different disorders and each of the demons they face. Even the term “parasites” for the different villains are uncanny because that’s how I view the people who do this to others.
We have the same taste. I'm a huge fan of this game. I've done the cosplay of Susan.
Oh that is just awesome!
Very cool!
I've been super fond of The Cat Lady ever since it came out. Thank you so much for making this video, you did an excellent job.
As someone who has both General and Social Anxiety, the vast majority of the time (at least in my experience) the triggers really are trivial or kind of dumb when you really think about it, but small things do trigger Anxiety attacks a lot, I do love that the game at least attempts to portray it as well as the other mental illnesses, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide are almost always misunderstood by people who've either never experienced it or had loved ones that have, and it's extremely frustrating. Just the other day at my work a girl was talking about how her old friend told her she had depression and came to her for help, and she just said "I have no patience for those kind of people, why can't they grow up and stop feeling sorry for themselves?" When she said that, I was extremely pissed off, probably would've went off on her if I wasn't scared of talking to people let alone yell at them, but I digress, point is I really wish more people understood mental health issues like Suicide and Depression, I know people don't like talking about it, but it really should be discussed more often.
The other day I got lost downtown and started panicking. I made my way back to the train and just went home without actually going to my appointment, like, I knew how to get to the building, but I just couldn't do it. Started crying on the train. Looking back, I feel bad for the other people on said train.
+Lesbian Lioness that sounds exactly what I'd do if I ever went into the city, the worst part is the Skyscrapers they freak me out all ways makes me feel trapped for some reason. At least you got home okay.
I know what you mean about skyscrapers. Their tall and imposing, if that makes any sense.
Just a PSA to say that plenty of mental health support workers in Britain are empathetic, opposed to the use of physical and chemical restraint, and sensitive to the beliefs, perspectives and feelings of each individual person with whom they work, so please don't let a particular artistic representation dissuade you from seeking any help you may feel you need. Great video, I'll be checking the game out asap. :)
Hmmm, YUP
definitely having nightmares ^^ Totally worth it! Excellent video as always!
An amazing video as always. I especially like Part 3 in which you talk about a person's perspective on their suicide. I'm a writer, but I've always struggled with really explaining what depression, and what depression can tell you, is like. You did it beautifully.
Aw man, thank you.
The scene where Mitzi asks what depression feels like absolute crushed me. It made me sob so hard. It summarized perfectly what I felt in highschool when I knew that I had no reason to feel that way. I just...did. 😢
I’m better now, but it hit very close to my heart.🥲
Your videos always leave me moved in a way or another. Thank you for putting so much effort into these, they come out beautyfull.
I keep reading on twitter how hard you work on your videos, and it shows, thanks for doing such a great job!
I love this game and your video essay on it, but I must tell you that I identify with the woman as well (though I'm a big black American man; the opposite of a small, white, British woman), as I've been in emotionally, sexually abusive relationships with women, so I would say that the empathy thread is deeper than one of sex, but one of those targeted by trusted individuals.
I can't even find the words to express how thankful I am that you created a video about this game. It's easily one of my favorite ones even though I have never played it before (I've only seen playthroughs, I'd love to play it by myself but I think it would be too much for me). I love how it portrays so many things that make you struggle in life but gives you hope in the very end, my best regards to the creator, the game is amazing. Thank you so much for talking about it ♥ I missed your videos.
Please tell me how to get this game? Can you point me in the right direction? I just found out about it and am trying to get it. Thanks in advance...
@Donna Brownstore.steampowered.com/app/253110/The_Cat_Lady/
or
www.gog.com/game/the_cat_lady
Depression, Anxiety and ADHD. Those have been my diagnosed woes for a couple of years now. Thankfully I live in a country where mental issues are treated with utmost care and respect. And I love "The cat lady" for giving me an escape where I can manifest my frustrations and the things that haunt me into characters that I can get rid of. But there is one tiny little thing that urks me about it:
*Disclaimer: this game is still amazing and SHOULD be played*
And that is that it falls into the same "pattern" that 90% of all stories about mental illness fall into:
The protagonist is specifically a woman, who isn't taken seriously, the antagonist/s are predatory men and at the end she beats the shit out of them and is better for it.
And while, yes, depression and other mental illnesses are definitely a huge problem for women they are the same for men. It, like many other, stories pushes the narrative that men are brutal monsters who can't do anything but take advantage of "weaker" women. And that pisses me off. Because men can't have emotional depth right ? They have to be the villain, because they *can't* have mental illnesses right and so they couldn't possibly understand right ? They need to oppose the female protagonist because only the struggles of female characters are valid but suppressed right ?
( BTW I am not trying to defend anyone in "The cat lady". Every one she beats up definitely deserved it )
Sorry if I came across as trying to devalue anybody's mental problems. Of course the mental problems of women are serious and should be taken as such but I feel like the general public thinks that that isn't the case for men.
And I have every right to be upset about that. It took *7 years* of constant attempts, to get into a therapeutic program while everyone around me told me that I should just "be a man" and "man up" while it took me more and more effort to get out of bed each morning and going to school / work instead of just killing myself to be done with the pain. *7 fucking years !*
Thank you for reading this truckload of a comment and I hope you get better soon. Bye.
"Every little thing can become an additional stressor..."
God, I feel that. Might just be sensory issues acting in combination with my anxiety, but oftentimes, little things are enough to put me so close to the edge of an attack. The glint of a candle getting in my eye, the sound of cutlery on plates, the temperature of a room, anything can seemingly trigger these issues with little warning. Trying to keep calm at home is so much harder than it sounds.
I can understand this. Sudden loud noises can make me tear up or want to hide. Thanks for sharing.
@@DraidtheSpacePirate thought I was the only one
I feel this personally, I can't handle loud noises or crowds of people talking. The talking becomes something like a mass of sounds and I'm unable to focus on one and I freaks me out and if I'm already anxious beforehand, it gets much worse and I just have the urge to run and hide yet I won't move
That comment about the cigarette and coffee during the anxiety segment. Dude, you nailed it.
I love listening to your voice ♡ especially while drawing ty
You're the only person in my subscriptions who I avidly anticipate new content from. Your videos are fantastic and thank you for continuing to make them.
Just wanted to point out that Dr. X's actions are just scary from the context of a man in power exploiting a vulnerable woman (although, that is also relevant and terrifying). It also spotlights the actuality of those with mental health issues being more likely to be victims than perpetrators of abuse. So often we see the 'violent nutso' in media, but it's far, far more likely for them to have violence directed towards them. The doctor is operating in a system that gives him power over a disenfranchised group of vulnerable people, not just women. And his place of power comes from his perceived mental stability and sound mind compared to the distrust others would give to his victims who might catch on and try to get help before hand, or lead authorities to investigate his crimes. In that instance, asking for help becomes impossible because he could just say, "She's sick and confused, she's been suffering from delusions," and no one would question him because society views those with mental health issues as lesser, unreliable, dangerous, delusional, sick or scary.
i've been waiting for someone to take a good, satisfactory look at this game. thank you so much!!
The Cat Lady and Downfall are some of my favorite games of all time. I also played Lorelai a couple of times, but I couldn't help but feel rather disappointed by it. I suppose it's entirely possible that I missed something crucial or that I wasn't in the right mindset and that it's just as good of a game as the previous two entries, but I just didn't see the same level of visceral depth and complexity in the story, lore, and characters that we get with the other two. I couldn't really tell you why Lorelai ... exists. It feels empty, it looks the same as the others on a surface level but it doesn't seem to have much of anything to say. I know this is off topic for this video, but whenever I think about these games this is one of the main things that bothers me.
Got about nine minutes in then paused the video. You sold me. I'm gonna go play this then come back.
You always cover my favorite games. This one is really good. The art and writing really since it apart.
Also never trust the gaming "press" often even steam reviews are more accurate.
I suffer from depression and anxiety and the only thing that i have to say about this video is IT IS AMAZING. Your way to describe the game, a documentary based way and the careful with the details. It's no surprise why my friends recommended you to me. Congrats for the amazing channel, i love your videos.
I have been waiting for this video with great anticipation since I discovered your channel. The wait was SO WORTH IT
I'm so glad to hear that :)
Yeah, this one's been a long time coming!
I suffer from anxiety and depression and... other mental health issues. I also adore horror (weirdly) and now i want to play this. I was nodding along with everything you were talking about with the anxiety part, having had panic attacks, anxiety attacks and other problems, I found myself saying: "YES! THAT IS THE POINT! ANXIETY ISN'T FAIR! IT'S A FUCKING NIGHTMARE!"
As strange as it may sound, just hearing someone sharing a subject and experience that resonant with your own is really helping.
For whomever played The Cat Lady and ever thought "How can you predict what it's going to make her have a mental breakdown during the anxiety chapter? So unfair!", welp... That's literally anxiety for you. Anything can be a trigger. One (very bad) day, I got burned as I took my tray of baked potatoes out of the oven and ended dropping half of them on the floor; my boyfriend found me sitting on the kitchen floor crying and on the verge of a panic attack. Anxiety doesn't let you react in a rational way, so one should not expect that a person suffering from anxiety will react in a necessarily "logical" way when they're rapidly reaching that breakdown point.
THIS!
This was a great video Ragnar! I loved the lens you chose for the video, and it was just what I needed after a long spout of errands.
"Why invent monsters when life is full of them" gave me crazy shivers. It is one of the reasons I can't handle listening to the news or watching TV. Too much evil with very little good being talked about or even going on. Life is hard and then you die. It is very defeating trying to get out of depression and I really enjoyed your input on this amazing game. I listen to different UA-camrs playing Cat Lady to help me sleep better and find I have less stressful nightmares when I do. Thank you for this heatfelt video. I feel it made me understand myself as I listened to you.
Honestly, that anxiety level sounds so incredibly attractive because of how realistic the mechanic is. I know, for myself, living(even for a day) without my family is incredibly triggering, so I had nights where they would be out and I had to spend 24 or even 48 hours alone. I would drink coffee, take a shower, work out, order delivery, watch a movie or play with my cat...But when the night comes, that`s when all these activities have less effect on my actual panic levels. Especially when I get ready for bed, I go through a minor panic attack almost every time and can`t wait for the day to come when I would see my family again. It`s also amplified by things like an unwelcome sound, floor creaking, having to deal with the delivery person for more than a minute etc.
This sounds almost exactly like that.
"WTF is"... a little homage to Totalbiscuit or was that a coincidence?... Anyway great video as always!
Seeing that wtf is go across the screen made me tear up a little. :'(
I swear that when i get a job i will support one if the best and most interesting channels if UA-cam. Since i discovered tour vídeos of "the Monster of the week" i see each and one of your videos. Great worlk and greetings from Argentina
"It feels unfair, tedious and frustrating."
...yeah honestly, while I've mostly conquered my depression, my ADHD means I still deal with a ton of executive dysfunction adn that's really just what daily self-maintenance routines feel like tbh. Completely impossible and unreasonable to ask of myself while simultaneously being the bare minimum needed to keep me from mentally going to shit and absolutely trivial in the grand scheme of things.
This video hit me pretty hard. Both of my younger sisters were abused by the hospitals they were taken to after suicide attempts roughly a year apart. They were faking getting better just so they could come home and not risk growing even more suicidal. I remember my sister Kaylee stating that the hospital staff constantly poked and prodded her with needles every few hours for "blood work". She was even more lonely, depressed, and suicidal within that awful place than before she got there. Now she has been developing bipolar depression disorder because of not getting the proper care she needed. I have problems too, but mine is more neurological. I have autism, and for the longest time, everyone around me thought that I had ADHD or something similar due to the weird shit I did as a kid. Up until a year ago, I lived with my grandparents for two years, and they had mentally abused me, calling me stupid, saying I should be locked in a loony bin, telling me I was worthless, ect. I felt terrible, and repressed how I really felt from the family that cared about me, AKA, my mom and sisters. They had no idea that I was being abused but I could tell they caught wiffs of something foul as I wasn't my cheerful, happy self. I was lucky to get out of that situation, thanks to my mother's quick thinking, and me finally telling myself that enough was enough. I'm finally getting the proper help I've needed for years now; seeing a psychiatrist that gives a shit about me, getting the proper meds to control my anxiety and depression, and having a stable support system.
This game was a really unique and bizarre journey for me, among all games i have thusfar sojourned through. I took a hard look at this game, called in for work that day, and spent the next 15 hours walking with my fingers laced with Susan's, from the beginning of her story to end. I have not experienced anxiety at such a crippling level as i have in this game, but as someone that's weathered the last 11 years of my life on my own, doors slammed in my face and just being trapped....yeah, i totally get what it means to just want to give up on trying. I understand too, how utterly vindicating it can be to rediscover the thrill of living, once you trust your life to something other than yourself, realizing that helping others is the first actual step to helping yourself face the very horrors you wasted all this time fleeing from. That you can rediscover a new meaning to life, by murdering monsters that feed off our misery.
I think I'll revisit this game soon. That girl Susan Ashfield knows how to show a guy a good time.
This is my first video of yours, I attribute the cat lady to me realising I was suffering from suicidal idealation, excessive anxiety and depressive symptoms. Was one of the first portrayals of suicide and mental illness I was ever exposed to as a teenager and additionally after rewatching a let's play of it at 20-21, further realising just how much I was relating to this character. And then unfortunately experiencing some of the bad portrayed in the game and a year long breakdown. I love this game, I think it's extremely powerful and hearing it taken apart makes me love it even more I think. I especially loved Liz because she's got a Welsh accent, that's not super normal in most games and there's something comforting about it that also makes it feel closer to home because I am Welsh. Fundamentally seeing Susan and Mitzi able too overcome their demons in the game and buikd a healthy relationship together was a delight and gave me some hope even while my life still is in pieces. I sincerely hope it's done that for a lot of people. Thanks for this video.
God damn, it's been a while since I got notification for you, ragnar.
Yes, this took one a lot of time!
Hello from Russia. I and several my friends adore your videos. This kind of videos make me feel that youtube is still worth to watch. What do you think of translation them to Russian (with links to the original of course)?
I'm translating the text for your video about Jacob's Ladder for about a week, when I have a free hour :)
oh god you doing this game its like a mix of my 2 favorites combined. this game was breathtaking
I missed your content so much. Glad to see a new post from you.
One of the best of your works yet!
I must also thank you for your book recommendations, The Myth of Sisyphus and Think on These Things have changed my thought process concerning daily life for the better.
Keep on creating!
Got so hyped when my notification went off. Thank you Ragnar!
I needed this. I have bad anxiety and suppressed depression and haven't had any friends in years. It is a struggle just to get by some days and even thinking of trying to improve myself seems like a daunting task. Hopefully I'll find my Mitzi
Did you find one ?💛
I spend many hours lying in bed just staring up at the ceiling devoid of thoughts
Everything in life just feels utterly pointless. Even positive and wonderful things because I can't help but think that everything dies eventually, so what's the point?
All of us are constantly under the boot of a cruel and uncaring system
I've been both actively and passively suicidal, in fact I'm not sure how often I'm not passively suicidal. I also lost a sibling to suicide. I've sought help before, and being in a place is miserable even when the staff are amicable. It's so miserable I'd honestly rather die than go through it again honestly. Not only that, but you have to be able to afford help to get help. Which financial stressors, and feelings of uselessness and helplessness, are reasons of feeling suicidal.
I can tell you from experience when you're living only for other people, you sometimes end up resenting people. That whole 'easy way out' crap is something that pushes people to live for other reasons than their own, and it honestly diminishes the quality of one's own life. I'm not trying to say that suicide is good exactly, but I really can't condemn it either.
I don't understand people basically saying 'well life is suffering, we all suffer, and we get over it'. Just I'm still here doesn't mean I don't understand, everyone has their own breaking points. And, no, I haven't had it the worst but I haven't had it the best. I don't know, I guess I feel like the whole 'suffering competition' and callousness need to end.
This is one of my favorite games. It's so underrated. It was so surreal but human.
I've been in a hospital to treat my suicidal thoughts. It was horrifying how they treated me. I was didn't even attempt suicide yet they made me wear gauze and took away everything from me. My books, my clothes, even my jewelry because I could "hurt myself with them". Then they locked them my possessions away behind a metal wall. There were dirty hand prints on the wall for you can only guess the reasons. That's not even the worst part. The worst part was that on my side of the door there was no handle. Luckily I had my mother there but if she wasn't I would have been locked in there on the side where there was no door handle. I felt like a animal in a cage rather than a human being. It was scary, unnerving, and to say the least hospitals are not equipped to help the mentally ill. I hope this give some of you at least a little perspective on what goes on with suicidal people in hospitals. It certainly gave me some perspective.
I'm assuming cause they are just too costly to give everyone a personal doctor and better way of handling people with mental disorders. The people helping can only be there so long and they have no one to watch them while their gone.Probably doesn't help that any kind ofhospital is seen as places where doctorspaid are to take care of the people there. They can't afford to take any chances cause of this and the cost to do so would be staggering to make them capable of doing so.
Oh my god, 43 minutes !! Thank you so much
Hi! I'm two years late 😂
I think you forgot about the "call the police segment" you may have never experienced that fear but in my case, I live in México, our police is almost a satirical dark comedy by how they always arrive a minimum of two hours late, you can hear stories like that by any person who needed to call them, even in news, they will point how police arrived five hours late.
To make it worse, we have this absurd law that if you harm someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill you or your family, you will go to jail for homicide until there is proof that you were deffending yourself. Thus, I felt genuine terror when I started to hear how the police guy talks to you, his voice is STARTLING knowing how much of a trouble you're in, I don't have words for describing it, but the fear of using maybe your last moments for calling for help and slowly realizing that person doesn't give a damn about your life had my blood feel cold 😂
YES! Thank you so much!! This game is so important to me and helped me going throught a lot of things when it came out. I absolutely love it.
Great video! One of my favs as well as Downfall. The remake of Downfall has the same art and style as The Cat Lady.
This game deserved such a video, you did a great work on that one, Ragnar. Thanks for everything.
I wonder what everyone thinks of *Downfall* from the same People.
I haven't played *Downfall* to the full yet and only even launched the _ORIGINAL_ *Downfall* , but as far as i know, it's... well, literally what it says in the tin.
I know for a fact that *The Cat Lady* is a tale of Hope, a very Hopeful Story.
On the other hand, *Downfall* is, from what i've heard, full of misery and a literal Downfall of the protagonist that doesn't end well at all. Though, i can't confirm, haven't played yet, but this alone makes me very interested in it.
Downfall is pretty good, but in a slightly different way. It does a fantastic job at portraying BPD in some parts of the game for instance.
As somebody who has dealt with a chronic mental illness, I can say that this game understands me more than some of my closest friends. Great video, you've got a new subscriber :)
What a coincidence! Yesterday I was scrolling through your videos to see if there's anything new
Thank you Ragnar ❤
I’ve never seen your other videos, but you have earned my subscription. You nailed the entire background of this game beautifully. To me, this game is still very underrated for how it never sugarcoats the true struggle of depression and you explain it so greatly. I look forward to viewing more of your videos in the future and I hope you’ll be open to the idea of doing a video about R Michalski’s other game, Downfall.
There is also third game from R Michalski's trilogy - Lorelai.
I share your love of The Cat Lady. Replaying it for a video in 2016 I thought to myself, "I think this could end up being one of my favourite games". Its message of hope despite its horror and how brutal it can be left me loving the journey taken. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to try for any of the other endings though. Giving the gas mask to Mitzi and walking away from the queen of maggots feels like the right way to go each time (if those choices actually affect the ending). I love how personal and even handed your discussion of the themes was, and boy did you get some millage out of those clips of killing the doctor and shooting the nurse in the bath :)
Ok new meme for neurodivergent gamers
Every time someone mentions The Cat Lady, someone will redownload The Cat Lady
Thank you Ragnar, this is one of my fave games!
Oh I love it. Thank you for making this video. As a person who has some experience with the subject of the game, I think you explained a lot of things very well. So thanks for that. It's really nice to see a well crafted video. I subbed pretty recently, but after this, I can say that I am definitely here to stay.
Looking forward to your next video!
"...but that you're seriously fucking kickass for trying"
i needed that
Yesss! I’ve been so eagerly waiting for you to talk about this game! This is a game that really resonated with me, with its silent hill influence and it’s important coverage of mental illness. I’m so happy you’re finally covering it
You just know the devs of this game had to have been big fans of The Crow.
The conundrum with these videos is I always have to stop watching at about 3 minutes because you make the games sound so good. I guess I'll come back once I've finished.
The Cat Lady has been one of my all time favourite games to play (and was ecstatic to play the remake of their first game)
You did an amazing job on exploring the game and it's themes and as I also felt the same way with the game. It touched on hard topics but in a genuine way that I could greatly relate to moments with my own life. I'll always come back to the game and definitely recommend your video to friends who're interested :)
I would say that many suicide victims probably don't know what's good for them, but they're also victims. They're not to blame. They're not cowards. They're not bad. They need help and compassion.
21:46 i really wish people would stop saying queer. Like I don't give a shit if you decide to use it to describe yourself but don't force that slur on other people.
I'm gay, I have been called queer. I don't fucking like it and I don't have any intention of "reclaiming" that hateful slur. Don't call people queer.
...thank you Ragnar...thank you
I like your videos. As a licensed clinician, I would be mindful of phrasing suicidality as a conscious choice. Suicidality is a behavior that is considered a sign of aggravated sickness when a person is dealing with major depressive disorder.
We do not want people to have a narrative that they are a making a rational choice as they are inherently depressed and are seeing everything in the world through depression goggles. The end of the cat lady even reinforces this idea as when susan is managing her depression, she no longer considers suicide as an option. Suicidality is often considered egosyntonic. The goal is to make it egodystonic.
Please be aware that suicide is never a choice, even if the brain makes it seem so.
Keep up the great content!
Kind of unfortunate how games like this languish in obscurity while David Cage can shit out, "What if racism but robots?" and be lauded as some kind of visionary despite never making anything more than a decent game in his life and being a real scumbag as a person.
I could never play this game... the art style alone is very deeply unsettling to me.
I love this game, I love this video. I re-watch the video whenever my depression starts to get really bad in the summer.
When I tried to get help for my many mental health problems, it was treated like it was an embarrassment and that I was attention seeking. Hurtful, but I didn't expect any less from my less than accepting relatives.
The worst kind of people that I despise when it comes to 'invisible' diseases/disorders, are the ones that say something along the vein of, "I don't believe in it."
Okay, so if I break your leg, but tell you I don't believe you have a broken leg, does that mean it's suddenly fixed? No. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I’m so glad you’re back!!
You’re one of my favorite channels and I was starting to worry that you died or something.
i was half asleep when i was listening to this and when i heard you casually mention lisbeth was autistic it shocked me (in a very good way) because i am also autistic and i love lisbeth (and the cat lady) very much