“Bordering on full panic attacks” - Twitch streamer Jorbs reveals how streaming affected his mental health

In an interview with NPR, popular Twitch streamer Stephen ‘jorbs’ revealed how streaming for long hours without taking breaks or vacations negatively affected his mental and physical well-being.

With his rise in popularity, Jorbs started becoming exhausted with his usual streaming schedule, as it was almost "unmanageable" to balance everything out. He even revealed the borderline anxiety issues he has been facing due to the hectic work routine. It even reached a point where he wouldn't take any vacations or breaks if it cost him views.

Speaking about the mental health struggles he has been facing due to his continuous long-hours streaming days, Jorbs noted:

"I started having anxiety, bordering on full panic attacks.”

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Twitch streamer's situation shows why it is essential to take breaks during work

Jorbs interview announcement (Image via jorbs/Twitter)

Jorbs, famous for his Slay The Spire content, started his streaming journey with a mere 15 viewers on average. However, with his rise in popularity, his concurrent viewership numbers claimed up to 200, making everything "unmanageable" for him.

Speaking up about the enormous amount of pressure Twitch streamers have to go through every single day to keep up their viewership count, Jorbs quipped:

"Now, I have like 2,000 viewers,” jorbs added. “When that many people are asking you questions and telling you what to do, it becomes absolutely unmanageable. I started having anxiety, bordering on full panic attacks.”

Further pointing towards the insecurities he used to face at the beginning of his career and why he wasn't too keen on taking short vacations and breaks during his initial streaming days, Jorbs further added:

"I would worry about viewers losing interest in my channel if it was offline for a week or two. But nowadays my content is unique enough and my viewers are long term enough that my viewerbase consistently returns when I come back."

Notably, Jorbs isn't the only creator who has had issues dealing with the intense pressure of streaming for long continuous hours.

Many high-profile streamers from the community have opened up about their struggles with managing a massive number of active viewers during their live stream.

Most have taken breaks away from cameras and social media to benefit their health. This includes replying to live broadcast comments along with interacting with them regularly.

In July, popular Twitch streamer Pokimane cited mental health reasons for taking a short break from social media and her hectic streaming schedule. The notable female creator took a month-long hiatus from social media platforms and content creation to focus on her mental health. She is set to resume her streaming schedule on September 1.

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Importance of mental health

While professional video gaming can sound like an enviable gig, it is undoubtedly one of the most hectic tasks. Streamers sit in front of their screen and camera for hours while watching what's happening on their live broadcast and interacting with a live audience via text or voice chat.

This back and forth between a streamer and its viewers while maintaining a steady flow of content can lead to mental fatigue and physical strain if not monitored appropriately. Stress can lead to anxiety, resulting in intense burnout and mood swings.

Additionally, there is no denying that getting away from screens when making a living out of it is quite difficult, but taking a break or a short vacation with friends and family members can help with the everyday mental hassle.

It's imperative to take a break from streaming once in a while for a mental and physical reset so that you can deliver quality content to your viewers without hampering your mental peace.