Dr. Alok Kanojia, a psychiatrist known simply as Dr. K, is the man behind "HealthyGamer_GG" on Twitch. Lately, he has taken the streaming platform by storm, broadcasting conversations that he holds with other gamers and streamers. Although providing his services through HealthyGamer is his profession – the significance behind what he is doing is cannot be overstated.
Dr. K started the Twitch channel around 6 months ago and has since gained over 100,000 followers, many drawn to his content because of the celebrity-streamers who visit with him. For example, Dr. K's recent session with Mizkif picked up a good amount of traction – their conversation centering around the streamer's struggles with ADHD.
By the end of the talk, Mizkif seemed to find clarity in thinking about his issues through a new perspective, in part due to thought-provoking guidance and encouragement provided by Dr. K.
Perhaps the reason why the HealthyGamer channel is so important is because (despite providing sessions to a limited amount of people) countless young adults are benefiting from simply being exposed to healthy discussions about mental health.
Without having to muster up the courage or the money to book a session with an expert – Twitch's community can access an ongoing archive of therapy streams. Sure, it isn't the same as receiving help directly, but if Dr. K's content can demonstrate the benefits of seeking help – that's a big deal. It's especially significant considering the high reports of depression and anxiety in young adults.
Twitch is honestly the perfect place to expose young adults to the advantages of therapy as well – isolated zoomers and millennials are all over the website. Witnessing to role-models open up about their mental health issues can surely lead many down the path towards getting better; Dr. K calls it "AoE healing."
He made a point to give all of the credit to the streamers and community members who have had the bravery come on – Destiny, Athene, Mizkif, LilyPichu, Reckful – just to name a few. Regardless, Dr. K hasn't shied away from admitting things that have haunted him too; At the end of the day, he's just a normal person.
Dr. K's HealthyGamer is certainly a channel to keep your eye on, if you haven't checked it out yet. With any luck, the channel's content continually acts as a beacon of guidance for those who have yet to be convinced of the positive utility behind therapy.
Sources: Twitch, Reddit, YouTube, Economist.com