Tuesday, March 19, 2024

How To Help Someone Addicted To Video Games

These Are The Questions You Must Ask To Consider You Are Having A Video Game Addiction:

Q& A Help They are Addicted to Gaming! Helping Someone Who is Addicted to Video Games. Codependency.
  • Am I not doing well in school because I spend most of my time playing video games?
  • Am I not moving forward in my life because my time is taken up by gaming?
  • Is my gaming getting in the way of my sleep?
  • Am I still considered a romantic partner because I do not spend enough time with my spouse?
  • Am I still having a harmonious relationship with my parents and friends because I spend an excessive amount of time playing video games than with them?
  • Am I still able to connect with my friends and have a social life?
  • Am I doing good in life and still motivated?
  • Am I professionally growing?
  • Is my mental health considered healthy?
  • Do I need medical assistance because of suffering eye strains, migraines, and other physical disorders due to too much playing of video games?

How Is Gaming Addiction Treated

Treatment for video game addiction is similar to treatment for other disorders like substance use disorder. Counselling and behaviour modification are the primary means of treating addicted gamers. Together, individual and family counselling are powerful treatment tools.

Unlike drugs or alcohol, video games are tied to devices, which are a key part of life for most people. In many cases its not possible to just stop using devices and that makes video game addiction similar to disordered eating we still need to eat, and well likely still need to use devices at some point in our lives. For many, the goal is controlled use rather than abstaining from using devices altogether.

There is no cure for these behavioural addictions, however, individuals do progress into remission and stop experiencing the negative effects of these behavioural addictions with significant work on themselves, and promoted self-awareness to manage triggers and avoid pitfalls in life. At that point, their work shifts more from acute treatment towards ongoing behavioural change maintenance.

Last Door is proud to offer services to help treat individuals struggling with the negative effects of media overuse including video game addiction.

Last Door Recovery Society helps teens and adults overcome their gaming addictions, learn new healthy behaviours, people from across North America come to Last Door to recovery from Video Game Addiction.

How Do I Detox My Child From Video Games

Implement a Strategy to Detox Your Child From Video Games

  • Sit with them when they play games and root for them.
  • Build rapport and get on the same team as them.
  • Ask them about the hard experiences they might be going through.
  • Ask them if they want to do a fun activity with you for a small amount of time.
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    You Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is something that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your hand, fingers, and wrist. This condition is usually developed by those who spend a lot of time on the computer, and it can point to addiction if this is developed at a young age.

    It is all fun and games until your body starts responding to the stress of your addiction as it tells you it is time to stop. Some take the hint, while others keep playing and end up in worse situations.

    Video Game Addiction Is A Real Chronic Behavioural Disorder That Is Treatable With A Variety Of Approaches

    Excessive Video Game Playing: A Widespread Addiction ...

    The American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for video game addiction is very similar to a substance use disorder. In both cases, the person requires more of the source as time goes on and becomes irritable and sad when they cannot access it. In fact, people addicted to video games can even experience withdrawal symptoms.

    Typically gaming must cause significant impairment or distress in multiple aspects of a persons life in order to be considered problematic or an addiction.Some of the symptoms include:

    • Increasing preoccupation with gaming
    • Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away or not possible
    • Tolerance, the need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge to game
    • Inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming
    • Giving up other activities, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities due to gaming
    • Continuing to game despite problems or negative consequences
    • The use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness
    • Risk, having jeopardized or lost a job or relationship due to gaming

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    How Our Helpline Works

    For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, the PsychGuides.com helpline is a private and convenient solution.

    We are standing by 24/7 to discuss your treatment options. Our representatives work solely for AAC and will discuss whether an AAC facility may be an option for you.

    Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. Neither PsychGuides.com nor AAC receives any commission or other fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a visitor may ultimately choose.

    For more information on AACs commitment to ethical marketing and treatment practices, or to learn more about how to select a treatment provider, visit our About AAC page.

    If you wish to explore additional treatment options or connect with a specific rehab center, you can browse top-rated listings or visit SAMHSA.

    How Do I Select A Residential Treatment Facility

    Today there are many different resources online that offer referrals to programs or rehabs that say they treat video game addiction. Some are offered by people who played video games and quit, but dont have clinical experience. Others are run by people who have clinical mental health background, but dont have much experience in the way of video games or technology in general.

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    Drugs For Video Game Addiction

    There is no magic bullet pharmaceutical cure for video game addiction: as mentioned above, treatment consists of a wide variety of approaches almost universally founded upon psychotherapy. While research is ongoing into pharmaceutical approaches, any such cure will still be years off, if it is ever developed at all. However, some of the side-effects of gaming addiction especially physical health conditions which may have developed can be treated with medication. Always consult your GP before taking any such medication.

    How To Quit Video Games

    How to Overcome Video Game Addiction

    1. Quit Cold Turkey

    You can drop gaming altogether. While this is the least effective strategy to overcome video game addiction, it does work for some people. However, this has a low success rate because of the way gaming affects our brains.

    Instead of trying to quit gaming altogether, try to do a dopamine detox. A dopamine detox is an exercise to deprive yourself of activities that are too stimulating and fun. Delete all social media applications from your phone, uninstall all your games, and disconnect your computer and keep it somewhere that is not easily accessible.

    Before starting the dopamine fast, try to find other activities to do. Try picking up a skill that involves creating something physical. Try learning a new instrument. Pick up a sport, or start a new exercise routine. Try to spend more time in nature â go for a hike or a run. You can even try to start meditating and cultivating more internal awareness. If you can come to terms with the reason you play video games in the first place, it will be easier to find ways to avoid gaming.

    Dopamine detoxes are the most effective when done with someone. Have a friend do it with you. You can check in with each other for fifteen minutes a day and hold each other accountable.

    You can watch Dr. Kâs take on the neuroscience of dopamine fasting here, and how to execute it:

    2. Slowly Reducing the Time You Spend Gaming

    Check out this video to learn more about dopamine reward circuitry:

    3. Find an Alternative Interest

    Recommended Reading: How To Control Gaming Addiction

    How To Treat Video Game Addiction

    The important thing to remember is that no matter what difficulties youre trying to overcome, youre not alone. Now that gaming disorder has been recognised as an official disease, more and more people are able to seek the help that they need.

    The good news is that help is available for someone struggling with gaming disorder. Game Quitters is an online peer support community with hundreds of free videos, a community forum, and an affordable program for both gamers and for parents.

    If youre looking for professional help, browse our directory for a video game addiction therapist.

    If youre struggling to imagine your life being any different, have a look at our library of video game addiction stories. Hundreds of people have turned their lives around through Game Quitters, and you can do the same.

    Even if you dont want to quit gaming forever, you might be amazed how much your life could change if you take some time away from video games. Dont look back a year from now and regret not taking action.

    Take 90 days off gaming now, and change your life for the better.

    Footnotes

    Understanding Video Game Addiction

    Over 2 billion people play video games worldwide, and the market for video games was estimated to be a $90 billion industry in America in 2020. The average gamer plays for about 6 hours every week. For most players of all ages, playing video games is a fun pastime: a way to relax, connect with friends, and enjoy a challenge. Unfortunately, for some players, a video game hobby can escalate into an addictive disorder which takes over their lives.

    In recent years, the smartphone has surpassed the computer and the console as the most common gaming device. Video games are now available on apps and social media. Furthermore, massively multiplayer online role-playing games continue to be immensely popular. Every day, games like League of Legends, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, Final Fantasy, and The Elder Scrolls Online draw millions of players into their virtual worlds. About 160 million Americans play MMORPGs and other internet-based games every day.

    Like all good things, videos games are best in moderation. Adults and children alike can develop unhealthy, obsessive relationships with video games that they love.

    Featured Center Offering Video Game Addiction Treatment

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    Am I Addicted To Video Games How Do I Control It

    Do you love playing video games? Or are you getting addicted to it? To play video games for leisure and getting addicted are two different things. However, many gamers are unaware that they are experiencing video game addiction. There are two reasons: you can be in denial or unaware of gaming addiction.

    With the easy access to video games these days, may it be with a PS5, Xbox, even your phone, it really is tempting to easily get hooked. When do you consider yourself a video game addict? Read further so you can learn if you have a gaming addiction and how to get help.

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    This content is accurate and true to the best of the authorâs knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

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    Can Video Games Cause Addiction

    How can gaming become an addiction? Hyperarousal also can be triggered by a release of dopamine, the feel-good chemical thats released in the brain when we experience success or achievement. Its the same dopamine release process that triggers addiction to video games, screens and chemicals, such as alcohol.

    What Causes An Addiction To Video Games

    Many different causes factor into video game addiction. One of the main reasons that video games can become so addictive, however, is they are designed to be that way. Video game designers, like anyone else trying to make a profit, are always looking for ways to get more people playing their games. They accomplish this by making a game just challenging enough to keep you coming back for more but not so hard that the player eventually gives up. In other words, success for a gamer often feels just out of reach. In this respect, video game addiction is very similar to another more widely recognized disorder: gambling addiction.

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    Preventing A Gaming Problem

    To keep the amount of time spent gaming under control, try these tips for adults and kids alike:

  • Set time limits for play and stick to them.
  • Keep phones and other gadgets out of the bedroom so you wonât play into the night.
  • Do other activities every day, including exercise. This will lower the health risks of sitting and playing for long stretches of time.
  • No one knows whether certain kinds of games are more likely to lead to problem gaming. For the time being, make sure that your child is only playing games rated for their age.

    Setting Limits On Your Access To Games

    ADDICTED TO VIDEO GAMES
  • 1Give yourself a strict time limit for daily play. Health experts recommend that teens and school-aged kids should spend no more than 2 hours a day in front of a screen, and its just as important for adults to limit their time being sedentary.XResearch source If youre struggling with too much gaming, try setting specific limits for yourself on how long you play each day.
  • For example, you might limit yourself to no more than half an hour of play each day.
  • Help yourself keep track of your playing time by setting a timer on your phone or another device.
  • Dont give up or get too upset with yourself if you slip up and end up playing longer than you meant to from time to timeits totally normal to have setbacks! Try to learn from what happened and think of a way to avoid it next time, like having a buddy send you a text to remind you its time to stop playing.
  • Warning: Setting appropriate limits can help prevent you from developing a full-blown addiction. However, if youre severely addicted to gaming, you may need to quit playing games altogether.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the world’s leading hospitalsGo to source

  • 2Keep gaming devices out of your bedroom. If you have a game console, computer, or other gaming device in your room, you may be tempted to stay up all night playing instead of getting the sleep you need. Make your room a screen-free zone so you dont get caught up in late-night gaming.XResearch source
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    Why Is Video Game Addiction So Prevalent

    No definite scientific consensus is established in determining whether gaming is addictive. It regarded Internet Gaming Disorder as an unverified potential diagnosis with the need for additional review by the American Psychiatric Association.

    The APA defines addiction as a psychological disorder that manifests through compulsive substance usage despite the harmful consequences. Consequently, it excludes the possibility of any behavioral addiction.

    Only a very little part of gamers show the symptoms of a disorder particularly when it comes to specific symptoms of withdrawal or tolerance. For this reason, several people say over-use of games can act as a habit or become symptoms of another condition.

    Effects Of Video Game Addiction

    Gaming addiction is a compulsive mental health disorder that can cause severe damage to ones life. Its common for a video game addict to spend over 10 hours a day gaming, usually well into the night, and many suffer from sleep deprivation 22.Massively multiplayer online role-playing games: comparing characteristics of addict vs non-addict online recruited gamers in a French adult population×. Immersed in their experience, gamers are known to have poor diets consisting mainly of energy drinks full of caffeine and sugar. Many are dehydrated and malnourished.

    In more severe cases, gaming addicts report agoraphobia a type of anxiety disorder in which they fear leaving the house and others identify with hikikomori a term popularized in Japan as reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life 33.A preliminary cross-cultural study of Hikikomori and Internet Gaming Disorder: The moderating effects of game-playing time and living with parents×.

    Gaming addicts tend to be moody and irritable, depressed, physically aggressive, and refuse to go to school or work due to gaming. To be addicted to games is to experience functional impairment in multiple areas of your life, and the long-term effects can be devastating. Gaming addicts fail out of college. They get divorced. And they struggle with unemployment.

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    Is My Privacy Protected In Rehab

    Many people who go to rehab are worried about their privacy. However, all rehabilitation centers endeavor to ensure the privacy of each patient. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires all healthcare providers to take measures to ensure patient information is kept strictly confidential.3

    Before selecting a rehabilitation center, patients should always ask about patient privacy and confidentiality policies. Typically, most rehabilitation centers are more than willing to share these details with anyone who asks.

    Not all rehab centers offer private rooms however, there are many centers that do. Patients will usually have to pay an additional fee for a private room.

    Video Games Are Now Mainstream And That Comes With Some Risks

    Signs Your Child Has a Video Game Addiction

    It was only a few decades ago when video games were seen as a niche activity. When I was in high school, gamers were nerds.

    Thats now changed. With the rise of phenomenon like Pokémon, World of Warcraft, , and Fortnite, games are now mainstream. According to Statista, the number of active gamers worldwide will rise to more than 2.7 billion people in 2021, up from 1.8 billion in 2014 and 2.3 billion in 2018.

    The great majority of these people will not become addicted to video games. Based on some of the bestresearch, 1 to 3 percent of gamers are at risk.

    This is true for other kinds of addiction, even for drugs that are considered highly addictive. For example, some research estimates that about 8 percent of opioid painkiller patients get addicted still a significant amount, but definitely not a majority.

    But when billions of people around the world are playing games, even a small percent can lead to a large population literally tens of millions with problems.

    The WHOs designation is meant to get ahead of this problem. It creates a basis that the health care system can build a response around. Doctors will have a condition to diagnose patients with. It enables more research into the disorder. And health insurers will be pushed to pay for treatment as its recognized as a real medical condition.

    Joël Billieux, a University of Luxembourg professor involved in clinical and research work on gaming disorder, argued thats why the WHO designation is necessary.

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