“In the Age of Ancients…"
I am a big fan of the Dark Souls games, particularly
the first one (and take my advice, play the
remastered version).
Anyway, as anyone who has played Dark Souls
can tell you, you spend a lot of time hammering
away at it, playing a section of the game,
dying, playing it again, dying, and so on
and so forth.
It’s a credit to the game’s fascinating
story and immersive world that anybody sticks
with it.
All this time in-game gives a player time
to think.
As deep as the story and mythology of Dark
Souls is, it is also somewhat vague.
Not everything is spelled out and not everything
has a definitive answer, which allows room
for the player to fill the narrative holes
with their own interpretations and experiences.
The idea of going hollow is one that interested
me.
Simply put, in Dark Souls going hollow refers
to a character dying and losing all their
humanity.
In the real world, that would only happen
to you once, but in Dark Souls, you are resurrected
countless times (minus your humanity) and
given another chance to succeed where you
failed before.
As you fight, you can reclaim your lost humanity
and gain new humanity, which increases your
power and insight.
You might be thinking, that’s how most video
games are.
You try, fail, and the game sets you back
at a checkpoint and lets you try again.
What is a little different is that in most
games you are the only protagonist moving
through the game.
In Dark Souls, you’re one of many characters
facing the same challenges.
“I am Anri of Astora.
Unkindled, like you.
This is Horace.
A friend and traveling companion.
Are you too in search of the Lords of Cinder?”
“Oh yes, Horace…
He’s not very talkative.
But don’t think ill of him.
He’s an upstanding, kind-hearted knight,
a fine partner for this grueling journey.”
Some of the those characters, most actually,
don’t make it.
They hollow too many times, lose their humanity
too many times.
The effect is that they completely lose who
they are.
They forget what they were fighting for and,
best case scenario, they give up.
The worst case is that they can no longer
recognize friend from foe and will attack
any who they come across.
When I thought about this game mechanic, I
thought about how this seems to parallel the
battle with our own demons in real life.
Particularly, I thought of addiction.
Millions of people all over the world are
dealing with addiction, whether it be to drugs,
alcohol, pornography, gambling, etc.
Overcoming addiction is a journey, and a very
difficult one at that.
I compared the journey to recovery to the
journey undertaken in Dark Souls.
We start at rock bottom, locked in a forgotten
cell in the decrepit Northern Undead Asylum.
All seems lost and perhaps we’ve resigned
ourselves to our fate, but then something
happens.
Someone offers a helping hand, in the case
of Dark Souls, it’s Oscar, a knight who
drops you the key to your cell.
One important thing to note is that Oscar
doesn’t unlock your cell himself and lead
you out.
He provides the means, but it is your choice
to act.
You could sit back down and stay where you
are, or you can take the key and open the
door.
It’s the same with addiction, those around
you can help and support, but they can’t
force you to take those first steps toward
recovery.
Yes, you can be forced into rehab, which may
help for a time.
But if you haven’t made the choice within
yourself to change, chances are your recovery
won’t last.
Back in the game, you make your choice and
you leave your cell.
You move through the asylum with relative
ease, until…
Those first few steps on the road to recovery
can often lead to a sudden obstacle that seems
beyond your ability to overcome.
It’s not, but if you’ve spent so much
time giving into your addiction when things
got tough, it can seem insurmountable.
For most Dark Souls players, the best solution
upon first meeting the Asylum Demon is to
run.
It’s not impossible to beat but, chances
are, you won’t win right now.
You don’t have the tools.
For many, recovery from addiction requires
you to equip yourself with the proper tools
and skills.
It may be therapy, it may be a support system,
it may be faith, it may be a combination of
things.
You need to be sufficiently armed to battle
addiction, or else…
So, you continue your journey through the
asylum.
You gather weapons and strength, overcoming
small hurdles along the way, which gives you
confidence.
Eventually, you find yourself facing the Asylum
Demon once more, only this time, you know
what you’re facing and you’re prepared.
Literally and figuratively, you have the high
ground and the advantage.
Still, the battle isn’t easy.
You may fail, but even in failing you learn
and have the opportunity to come back smarter.
Eventually, you beat the demon and unlock
the door to the asylum.
What comes next is a good news/bad news situation.
Yes, you’ve escaped your prison, but you
still find yourself a long way from your eventual
goal.
There are still many steps to take and many
more battles to fight.
It can be a disheartening realization, and
some are broken by it.
You could choose to stay, think of yourself
as lord of the asylum, but are you where you
want to be?
Is this good enough for you, or are there
greater things you can achieve?
As I thought about what I wanted to say, I
realized it might be a lot for one video.
So, I’m going to split this up into more
than one.
I hope you’ll join me in the future.
Also, I in no way claim to have this all figured
out.
I hope you’ll share your own insights in
the comments below.
Finally, if you are dealing with addiction
and don’t know where to start, I’ve put
a number of recovery resources in the description.
Please know that everyone can beat addiction,
even if you’ve tried and failed a hundred
times before.
Yes, you are strong enough.
No, it’s not too late.
The journey will not be easy, but it will
be worth it.
