We have lost quite a few people in the WoW community to mental health issues, some who were very prominent even.
Seeking help should not be seen as weakness. It takes a lot of guts to even ask - and then the gauntlet you go through (if you can get help at all) is exhausting and often does not result in the right help. It can be years before someone finds the right therapist and/or combo of meds and treatment. I know personally, very personally.
So what can we do in game?
- Be kind.
- Remove yourself from a situation if it gets out of hand. Whether you are having an issue, or someone else is causing you issues. You can’t help everyone and destroying yourself in the process is not required. Sometimes it is best to cool down and think. For everyone.
- If you run into someone in game who is in crisis who you legitimately think is in danger Blizzard does have a special report category. They don’t talk much about it, but you can come to the website here and report for a Real Life Threat https://us.battle.net/support/en/help/product/wow/197/478/solution That is a priority category and Blizz has info based on our accounts to reach out. NEVER use it unless you are really sure it is a real and serious issue. Blizz has taken action that has saved lives in the past, thanks to friends or guild members who reported and sought help.
Future ideas? I find social grouping in WoW to be one of the more challenging things for people, esp learning dungeons and raids. Humans are often not optimal!
I did write a post on the Council forum to address much of that when we first started it. It is not just about solo play, but also about making content more accessible to people with a variety of personal issues or preferences. Further, having a solo mode lets people learn and build confidence.
P.S. I want to say a special thank you to some of my fellow MVPs and especially Vrakthris (forum support agent) who have been so kind, understanding, and supportive over the years. Double thanks to former MVP Lissanna who was instrumental in getting me on the right road to a correct diagnosis after a life time of struggles. The WoW community can also be amazing and deserves credit for that too.