Dealing with computer game addiction

Who Answers? Reading Time: 3 minutes. From finding a job to paying a bill, computers have become a necessary part of everyday life. With just a few keystrokes, computers offer convenience, information, recreational pursuits and social activity. Unfortunately, for some people, computers and computer games in particular become the center of their world over time.

Computer game addiction develops in much the same way as any other kind of addiction. The faster a relapse is evaluated, the sooner the addict can continue toward complete recovery. Even one video game session could lead to a relapse.

The good news is unlike food addicts who need to eat , video game addicts do not have to play video games. Of course, for kids who are addicted to video games, not gaming may mean not going to social events like parties and other celebrations where gaming will be available. This is similar to the practice of alcoholics not going to functions where alcoholic beverages are likely to be served.

That way, they have a much better chance of beating the addiction completely. Utilize our search tool to find information about experts who can help your situation. Video Game Addiction Statistics Researchers and social scientists have been troubled by video game addictions since the phenomenon first presented itself with the advent of video games in the s and s.

These gamers were considered dependent on video games to avoid real life situations. Multiplayer games online appear to be the most addictive types of video games, perhaps because of the illusion of community they create.

Students who are addicted to video games tend to score lower on their academic tests than their counterparts who are not addicted. Boys are more likely to become video game addicts than girls. Girls who are addicted tend to prefer games that involve puzzles and other interactive activities, rather than violence and aggression. Studies have shown the regions of the brain the pleasure centers that are activated in drug addicts and alcohol addicts are also activated in the regions of the brain of video game addicts.

In Germany, a study showed up to 3. A research study found that out of 7, self-proclaimed gamers, approximately 12 percent of them were video game addicts. Risk Factors for Video Game Addiction Why do some people become video game addicts, while others seem to have no problem turning away from the game? The answer might lie in risk factors such as the following: The video game addict has been sexually or emotionally abused and is trying to escape from the situation.

The video game addict has been bullied by their peer group and is seeking acceptance in an alternative community. The video game addict is socially awkward and does not feel comfortable interacting with people in a real environment.

The video game addict seeks out gaming as a way to show their aggression toward the world, or deal with anger. The video game addict has little control in their own life, so they turn to gaming to feel confident. The video game addict has lowered self-esteem and constantly uses video games to elevate feelings of self-worth. The video game addict is left alone for long periods of time and turns to gaming — especially multi-player gaming — as a source of community and comfort. The video game addict is spontaneous and rash by nature and is unable to control their impulsivity.

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Give yourself a strict time limit for daily play. 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. Keep 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.

Playing games right before bed can reduce the quality of your sleep. National Institutes of Health Go to source In addition to keeping your room screen-free, avoid playing games during the last couple of hours before you go to bed. If you find yourself struggling to sleep, try not to worry. Do something calming and comforting to help you unwind, like meditating for a few minutes or taking a warm shower. Try apps or extensions to block your access to games.

If you play games on your phone or on your computer, you can install apps or browser extensions that limit your play time. Some apps can limit your access to specific games, while others will lock you out of your device altogether during a set time.

PC programs like Game Boss can set time limits on games or block your access to gaming websites. For phone games, try apps like Offtime or BreakFree to set time limits, track your game usage, or block your access to gaming apps.

Ask friends and family to help stay on top of your gaming limits. Ask the people in your life to respect your decision by not tempting you to play video games. Try not to feel embarrassed about asking for help. Can you remind me to stop if you catch me playing longer than half an hour? Method 2. Distract yourself with other fun activities during the day. Take the opportunity to rediscover activities you used to enjoy, or try something exciting and new! Treat gaming as a reward for completing other tasks.

If your gaming is interfering with homework, chores, or other work you need to get done, make a vow to put those important jobs first. Sometimes a gaming addiction can develop when you use gaming as an escape from things that are stressing you out. For instance, you could: Meditate Do yoga Exercise Draw, write, or play music to express your feelings.

Schedule time each day for self-care. A severe gaming addiction can interfere with your ability to care for your own basic needs. In turn, not taking good enough care of yourself can make you feel tired and unwell, which might tempt you to turn to your game for comfort. As you work on overcoming your gaming addiction, set aside specific times each day to: [10] X Trustworthy Source Recovery. Talking to someone else may help determine if you are addicted, or you just play a lot because there is nothing to do.

You didn't disclose your age, but what about a job, school, or some other activity outside of the home? Take up a hobby that doesn't involve any electronic device. I've had my fair share of it. Been playing mmos. Currently subscribed to humble bundle.

If i can't play. I watch how people play the game via youtube or twitch. Doing this the whole day. Currently on financial support. Yet the thing is. I want to get out. I want to get that higher life achievement but these things just pull me back. This has been my coping mechanism to every thing that i endured. But it has become a double edge sword to me. This article helped a little bit because i did search how to treat gaming addiction but i just still feel like playing games all day mainly because there is nothing really to do in my neighborhood.

I am a Steam user although i used to play Xbox. I do try to help myself but like I said, theres nothing really else to do where i live besides watch movies and TV which i sometimes do. I feel like my health is still fine right now but I still want a little bit of help. So both you and your husband are deep back into WoW again.

I get that, I've had my fair share of WoW obsession myself. If you want to taper the use, there are parental controls that can be set up to allow only play time at certain times or limit the hours, but you would probably want someone else to set that up on your behalf. However, I strongly encourage you to seek some sort of mental health treatment. I encourage you to reach out to family members or friends who can help.

Avoid getting on the PC. I wish there is more I can do from here, but all I can say is that you can find a way to limit or eliminate playing the game. Just reach out to someone close to you and ask for help.

I finally broke my gw2 addiction after a year of beating diabetes and 40 hrs a week playing. Am still disableled and hubby brought WoW back in house after 8 yrs clean on that game. It has gotten bad again where all we think or do is about the game.

The problem is neither of us is strong enough to delete the dang game again. Tonight I stopped and cried for about 2 hrs after I solo ran 20 raids in last 24 hrs. I want my life as much as I can with an illness and my husband back.

I strongly recommend you try to talk to your real life friends or any family members who can help you. If you feel you can't, then make contact with a mental health provider and state what issues you are having. They can connect you to someone who will be able to help. Hi, I'm turning 31 in may and I've been addicted to games most of my life. At first it wasn't a issue had a great start in a rugby career after graduating and basically after my parents died filling the void I played games and interact ed with people I met online.

It has gone as far as selling everything I had to pay rent etc cause of my addiction and it has affected me physically and mentally. I need help. I've been addicted to video games my whole existence. After tried to shift to a game development field and freelancing.

I started Doing so thinking it was a way to keep going. Kept playing checking out new stuff. Watching twitch. But i noticed i just get some remorse after not doing anything important throughout the day. I'm currently taking up license to teach yet i do get delayed by other real world stuff not gaming Yet the next day i keep on going. Yes i do need help. Keep in mind cutting cold turkey can be hard. You may want to consider just moderating your time instead of just quitting.

Talk to your girlfriend about it and enlist her support. Try to avoid friends or conversations if gaming is involved. I've quit several times only to relapse after a couple of months because my friend go on about how good a game is and I just lose it and buy another console.

I'm at a point in my life where I'm ready to start a degree part time settle down with my girlfriend. I desperately need to stop. My life is turning to shit again after starting in November after 6 months away.

I need some help. M genuinely ready to sell my Xbox tomorrow. How so? If you feel it's serious and interferes with your life, I strongly recommend you talk to friends or family about it and see what help is out there for you. But if you feel empty without games, you may need help.

Talk to someone you know about how you feel and go from there. I'm experiencing a 'burnout' which means i don't enjoy video games anymore but i can not replace it yet.

I continuously reinstall and uninstall old and new games, feeling stuck and hard to breathe. It's good your parents only restrict it to weekends. Moderation may be better than completely cutting it off.

Continue to focus on sports. Find a way to play on the weekends. Hang out with friends while avoiding video games.

I have been addicted to MOBAs myself. Mostly LoL and HotS. If you have a co-worker, teacher, or someone else in your life, you can reach out to them. If not, I recommend you try to find help with a mental health professional. You can each search online for agencies in your area to help.

I'm not a therapist, but if you want to talk more, you can contact me directly at novideogame yahoo. I'm 13 and i'm looking and I dont want this to happen because i'm really good at baseball. My parents only let me play on weekends, but on weekends i just can't stop playing any tips on how to help it not get worse. I know being addicted to MOBA games sound crazy, but it happens to me a lot. I recommend you reach out to your family for assistance.

They will provide the best support for you to deter how much time you spend playing video games. Stopping cold turkey is hard, so that may not be the right first step, but you can overcome the addiction. I'm addicted to video games. My grades have dropped so far that I'm going to flunk. I just can't stop and I have no idea what to do. If I do take a brake, it will make me go insane. Just like I said. You're reaching out now, which is great, but there is only so much I can do through these messages.

Reaching out to someone in person will help bridge you to the help you need. Thank you for trying to help me. Is there anything other way you would suggest to me that might be able to stop this addiction. It's great that you want help in this area. I recommend you talk to your parents or a school counselor. I know it will be hard, but you need to show them this article and post and ask for help in controlling it.

It's okay to reach out to others. Find support with those who have helped you in the past, then go from there. I have messed up badly to the point where I said I would never play video games, listen to music, or watch YouTube videos either this problem has gone to school. My life is messed up. I need help breaking this adiction. This addiction as n going on since 6 grade which which now I am 11th grade.

I play about 21 to 23 hours week. It has gotten so bad that I am sneaking the games at night. I have been trying cold turkey. When ever stop for about a week of non games I play once and get sucked back in to it. It feels like my life is ruined. Please do somthing and help me I need the help. I wish you luck. Quitting gaming is a hard thing to do. If you need to, seek help. There is nothing to be ashamed off. There are those out there who will help you.

I am almost addicted, I don't skip school, I don't pass 3 hours of game time, though I play daily and within I feel ashamed, today I had the task to try to keep away, I tried, but ultimately failed, now I stopped cold turkey, and yeah, it hurts, I am very ashamed, I was ever since I had the moderate problem. Thank you for writing this article, it could possibly give me my 6th chance before it got too late, I really appreciate.

I've been there. I messed up my life due to games, but you can find a way to balance the two. Been trying to quit my gaming addiction , your article is truly inspiring and helpful , thank you. I am only young and i feel I have no connection with reality. If you feel your addiction is becoming out of control, you need to seek help with your family or friends. A mental health professional can assist as well. I'm still addicted.

I play games daily, but I balance it with other life activities - such as writing, working, and going out with people. Finally, someone who understands that video-games are an addiction!

I've been playing v-g's on PC since I was like 6. I'm almost 25 now, and I want to get my life together. I am trying to get over the addiction, but I just can't. I tried picking up reading, but as soon as I read something interesting or watch a movie , I instantly get the urge to experience it - even so distantly - and the only option that I have is through v-g's. My hobbies aren't of much use either. I used to collect pebbles, but I got over it since what's the point hoarding a pile of stones?

I should try photography which will make me go out more often , but I just ain't sure. Sports aren't my favorite thing, though I did apply for dance teaching as my second profession. Now if only I could force myself to get off my bum and get to work!

I recommend you read and following the tips I outlined in this article. But if you are unable to do it on your own, reach out to your family or friends for help, or, reach out to a mental health professional. There are people that will help you. I have a family member keep my favorite games hidden away to keep me from wasting too much time on them.

I will reward myself with game time once very few weeks, and then put them away again to avoid staying up all night playing them. Addiction can come in many forms - PC games, consoles, mobile, etc. Mobile games, especially games like Animal Jam, are a bad addiction due to the heavy play time and money you can spend in them. Honestly she needs to take the iPad away from you and not allow you access since it's a mobile game.

You can quit. It's as easy as uninstalling the application and forgetting about it. Companies like that prey on people like you, don't let them win.

It's a matter of self control. Therapy is your choice, but your family should be involved in this and should help you with it. Yelling at you won't help, but helping you find other ways to cope is best. Show your mother this article and your comment, reach out to her. Is that the same as regular video games? I'm really scared. I really, really want to but I already collected so many good betas and spent so much time. I just don't want to give that up.

Should I see a therapist? I still addicted to age of enpires 2 mmo game Gaming wasting my time.. There could be underlining issues why someone is addicted to video games. Seeking mental help isn't a bad thing. This is the answer. Find out the underlying cause. Set new ideals and goals to improve your life.

Video games are a huge waste of time and money.