At an addiction treatment center in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, teenagers and young adults begin detox by admitting they are powerless over their addiction. But these addicts aren't hooked on drugs or alcohol. They are going cold turkey to break their dependence on video games.
Keith Bakker, director of Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants created the new program in response to a growing problem among young men and boys. "The more we looked at it, the more we saw that gaming was taking over the lives of kids."
Detox for video game addiction may sound like a stretch, but addiction experts say the concept makes sense. "I was surprised we didn't think of it here in America," says Kimberly Young, PsyD, clinical director of the Center for On-Line Addiction and author of Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction -- and a Winning Strategy for Recovery. "I've had so many parents call me over the last year or two, particularly about the role-playing games online. I see it getting worse as the opportunity to game grows - for example, cell phone gaming."
But can a game truly become an addiction? Absolutely, says Young. "It's a clinical impulse control disorder," an addiction in the same sense as compulsive gambling.
Keith Bakker, director of Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants created the new program in response to a growing problem among young men and boys. "The more we looked at it, the more we saw that gaming was taking over the lives of kids."
Detox for video game addiction may sound like a stretch, but addiction experts say the concept makes sense. "I was surprised we didn't think of it here in America," says Kimberly Young, PsyD, clinical director of the Center for On-Line Addiction and author of Caught in the Net: How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction -- and a Winning Strategy for Recovery. "I've had so many parents call me over the last year or two, particularly about the role-playing games online. I see it getting worse as the opportunity to game grows - for example, cell phone gaming."
But can a game truly become an addiction? Absolutely, says Young. "It's a clinical impulse control disorder," an addiction in the same sense as compulsive gambling.
Game Addiction
Video game addiction is an excessive or compulsive use of computer games or video games, which interferes with a person's everyday life. Video game addiction may present as compulsive game-playing; social isolation; mood swings; diminished imagination; and hyper-focus on in-game achievements, to the exclusion of other life events. In May 2013, video game addiction was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in the Conditions for Further Study section as "Internet Gaming Disorder", and in January 2014 a diagnosis of internet gaming disorder was included.
How do I know that I have a Game addiction?
Excessive use of video games may have some or all of the symptoms of drug addiction or other proposed psychological addictions. Some players become more concerned with their interactions in the game than in their broader lives. Players may play many hours per day, neglect personal hygiene, gain or lose significant weight due to playing, disrupt sleep patterns to play resulting in sleep deprivation, play at work, avoid phone calls from friends, or lie about how much time they spend playing video games. In one extreme instance, it was reported that a seventeen-year-old boy would play for periods of up to 15 hours, skipping meals and only stopping when he blacked out.
The APA has proposed 9 criteria for characterising gaming addiction:
Pre-occupation
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about games even when you are not playing, or planning when you can play next?
Withdrawal
Do you feel restless, irritable, moody, angry, anxiours or sad when attempting to cut down or stop gaming, or when you are unable to play?
Tolerance
Do you feel the need to play for increasing amounts of time, play more exiciting games, or use more powerful equipment to get the same amount of excitement you used to get?
Reduce
Do you feel that you should play less, but are unable to cut back on the amount of time you spend playing games?
Give up other activities
Do you lose interest in or reduce participation in other recreational activities (hobbies, meetings with friends) due to gaming?
Continue despite problems
Do you continue to play games even though you are aware of negative consequences, such as not getting enough sleep, being late to school/work, spending too much money, having arguments with others, or neglecting important duties?
Deceive/cover up
Do you lie to family, friends or others about how much you game, or try to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you game?
Escape adverse moods
Do you game to escape from or forget about personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression?
Risk/lose relationships/opportunities
Do you risk or lose significant relationships, or job, educational or career opportunities because of gaming?
The APA has proposed 9 criteria for characterising gaming addiction:
Pre-occupation
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about games even when you are not playing, or planning when you can play next?
Withdrawal
Do you feel restless, irritable, moody, angry, anxiours or sad when attempting to cut down or stop gaming, or when you are unable to play?
Tolerance
Do you feel the need to play for increasing amounts of time, play more exiciting games, or use more powerful equipment to get the same amount of excitement you used to get?
Reduce
Do you feel that you should play less, but are unable to cut back on the amount of time you spend playing games?
Give up other activities
Do you lose interest in or reduce participation in other recreational activities (hobbies, meetings with friends) due to gaming?
Continue despite problems
Do you continue to play games even though you are aware of negative consequences, such as not getting enough sleep, being late to school/work, spending too much money, having arguments with others, or neglecting important duties?
Deceive/cover up
Do you lie to family, friends or others about how much you game, or try to keep your family or friends from knowing how much you game?
Escape adverse moods
Do you game to escape from or forget about personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression?
Risk/lose relationships/opportunities
Do you risk or lose significant relationships, or job, educational or career opportunities because of gaming?
What causes Game Addiction?
Some theorists focus on presumed built-in reward systems of the games to explain their potentially addictive nature. In reference to gamers such as one suicide in China, the head of one software association was quoted, "In the hypothetical world created by such games, they become confident and gain satisfaction, which they cannot get in the real world."
A high prenatal testosterone load may be a risk factor for the development of video game addiction in adulthood.
Ferguson, Coulson and Barnett in a meta-analytic review of the research, concluded that the evidence suggests that video game addiction arises out of other mental health problems, rather than causing them. Thus it is unclear whether video game addiction should be considered a unique diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of Rochester and Immersyve, Inc. (a Celebration, Florida, computer gaming Think-tank) investigated what motivates gamers to continue playing video games. According to lead investigator Richard Ryan, they believe that players play for more reasons than fun alone. Ryan, a motivational psychologist at Rochester, says that many video games satisfy basic psychological needs, and players often continue to play because of rewards, freedom, and a connection to other players.
Michael Brody, M.D., head of the TV and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, stated in a 2007 press release that "... there is not enough research on whether or not video games are addictive." However, Dr. Brody also cautioned that for some children and adolescents, "... it displaces physical activity and time spent on studies, with friends, and even with family."
Dr. Karen Pierce, a psychiatrist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, sees no need for a specific gaming addiction diagnosis. Two or more children see her each week because of excessive computer and video game play, and she treats their problems as she would any addiction. She said one of her excessive-gaming patients "...hasn't been to bed, hasn't showered...He is really a mess."
A high prenatal testosterone load may be a risk factor for the development of video game addiction in adulthood.
Ferguson, Coulson and Barnett in a meta-analytic review of the research, concluded that the evidence suggests that video game addiction arises out of other mental health problems, rather than causing them. Thus it is unclear whether video game addiction should be considered a unique diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of Rochester and Immersyve, Inc. (a Celebration, Florida, computer gaming Think-tank) investigated what motivates gamers to continue playing video games. According to lead investigator Richard Ryan, they believe that players play for more reasons than fun alone. Ryan, a motivational psychologist at Rochester, says that many video games satisfy basic psychological needs, and players often continue to play because of rewards, freedom, and a connection to other players.
Michael Brody, M.D., head of the TV and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, stated in a 2007 press release that "... there is not enough research on whether or not video games are addictive." However, Dr. Brody also cautioned that for some children and adolescents, "... it displaces physical activity and time spent on studies, with friends, and even with family."
Dr. Karen Pierce, a psychiatrist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, sees no need for a specific gaming addiction diagnosis. Two or more children see her each week because of excessive computer and video game play, and she treats their problems as she would any addiction. She said one of her excessive-gaming patients "...hasn't been to bed, hasn't showered...He is really a mess."
Prevention
Some countries, such as South Korea, China, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States, have responded to the perceived threat of video game addiction by opening treatment centers.
Because few clinical trials and no meta-analyses have been completed, research is still in the preliminary stages for excessive gaming treatment. The most effective treatments seem to be, as with addictions or dependencies, a combination of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and twelve-step programs. That is the addict is forced to first accept that they have a problem and then substitute away different aspects of their addiction with healthier habits.
Because few clinical trials and no meta-analyses have been completed, research is still in the preliminary stages for excessive gaming treatment. The most effective treatments seem to be, as with addictions or dependencies, a combination of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and twelve-step programs. That is the addict is forced to first accept that they have a problem and then substitute away different aspects of their addiction with healthier habits.
How do I Treat myself?
Examine all of the negative effects that have come of your game addiction
These might be include physical pain, diminishing physical and mental skills, and loss of productive time, which could be spent on school or earning money.
Make a new priority list
Remember that computer games should be played on your free time, so consider where your free time is on your list.
Commit yourself to making a change for the better
Realizing that you have a problem, along with seeing the effects of the problem, gives you an advantage. It gives you a reason to change and motivates you to stick with it.
Progressively quit
Some people can't get over an addiction unless they stop completely, while cold turkey actually makes it worse for someone else.
Make a plan for how many hours a day you're allowed to play at the most, if you choose not to go cold turkey. You can cut down in increments like hours or half hours, and by day or week.
Move the Source
It's easy to feel the urge to get up and play if your computer is in the living room or your bedroom, so if you have another room to put it in, move it there.
Complete your other responsibilities first
When you come home from school, do your homework. Do your chores and take care of the top priorities before settling down for the day.
Go to bed earlier
Often, someone addicted to computer games will stay up late. Try going to bed earlier each day, but not so early that you'll just lay in bed staring at the ceiling. If you go to bed at 10, try 9 the next night, then 8 the next, and 7 the night after that.
Replace the time with productive activities
You can exercise, read, or do something else that stimulates your brain.
Go out with friends
Friends are important in life: they're there to support you, they're a source of advice, and later in life, those connections can even help you get a job. Plus, walking around the mall or the park can help your health.
These might be include physical pain, diminishing physical and mental skills, and loss of productive time, which could be spent on school or earning money.
Make a new priority list
Remember that computer games should be played on your free time, so consider where your free time is on your list.
Commit yourself to making a change for the better
Realizing that you have a problem, along with seeing the effects of the problem, gives you an advantage. It gives you a reason to change and motivates you to stick with it.
Progressively quit
Some people can't get over an addiction unless they stop completely, while cold turkey actually makes it worse for someone else.
Make a plan for how many hours a day you're allowed to play at the most, if you choose not to go cold turkey. You can cut down in increments like hours or half hours, and by day or week.
Move the Source
It's easy to feel the urge to get up and play if your computer is in the living room or your bedroom, so if you have another room to put it in, move it there.
Complete your other responsibilities first
When you come home from school, do your homework. Do your chores and take care of the top priorities before settling down for the day.
Go to bed earlier
Often, someone addicted to computer games will stay up late. Try going to bed earlier each day, but not so early that you'll just lay in bed staring at the ceiling. If you go to bed at 10, try 9 the next night, then 8 the next, and 7 the night after that.
Replace the time with productive activities
You can exercise, read, or do something else that stimulates your brain.
Go out with friends
Friends are important in life: they're there to support you, they're a source of advice, and later in life, those connections can even help you get a job. Plus, walking around the mall or the park can help your health.