I’ve long admired the work of the folks at the Digging Deep Project and their mobile game “Shadow’s Edge.” Their work focuses on helping chronically ill children, teens and young adults develop emotional resiliency.

“Shadow’s Edge” is a free, self-help mobile game designed for teens and young adults to tap into their healing power of self-expression.

As stated on its website:

“Playing Shadow’s Edge puts you in the driver’s seat. You take control of reviving the city of Shadow’s Edge by expressing your thoughts and feelings. As you do, you may find yourself more confident and resilient– skills you can use in your real life too. We built Shadow’s Edge to connect you to other players that are experiencing a similar journey. And at times, Shadow’s Edge can just be a fun distraction, to help calm everything on your mind. We hope Shadow’s Edge helps with all of this.”

Helping parents to help their teens

This week, I received an email outlining how the organization hopes to guide parents in helping their teenagers cope with the new realities of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what it said:

“Right now, many teens and young adults are stuck at home without or with far less social interaction that they would usually be getting at school or their extracurricular activities.

“Fights at home may arise, as many teens don’t understand the full extent of the situation. This can cause a lot of frustration, which can have a negative impact on their emotional well-being.

“These challenges may present themselves in the form of depression, anxiety, or destructive behaviors.

“It is important to take time to communicate with your teen as these tumultuous times continue to change and develop.

“Therapy visits may not be a possibility when under a quarantine lock down. and the usual activities a teen might participate in to combat stress are most likely canceled.

“Because of this, young people will need an extra boost than what they usually require so that they can cope with the isolation. But what tools can we give them and how do you as parents stay sane? This is one of the topics of our upcoming webinar.”

Free webinar for parents

Digging Deep Journal will host a free webinar for parents and professionals on April 28, at 9 am PT (Noon ET). Their guest panel will include Dr. Kristi Pikiewicz, a psychotherapist, as they discuss ways to help your teen during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.

Here’s a video that explains more about the game:

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s Vice-president and Director of Communications. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.