Video Game Addiction is Real? Its Treatment, Causes and Symptoms

Published On: March 28, 2023
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Video game addiction is a serious condition. There are different types of video game addiction; the causes can be physical, psychological or environmental. The symptoms of video game addiction include excessive use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets; lying about gaming activities; loss of sleep; irritability when not around an electronic device or unable to use it; preoccupation with thoughts about the device or previous online activity; increased agitation when required to stop using these devices; several unsuccessful efforts at controlling, cutting back or stopping gaming behaviour.

It is common for children to play video games. As parents, we wish our children to enjoy themselves and play games instead of getting into trouble or being on drugs or alcohol. There are many benefits to playing these games, including the opportunity to learn new skills, develop ways to solve problems and build good eye-hand coordination.

But when does it become an issue? When does time spent playing these games become excessive? And when should they seek help? Many kids start playing at a young age. Most of the time, this activity is simply a fun way for them to spend their time and does not become a problem. However, video games may become more than a pastime for some kids. They may start spending excessive amounts of time on gaming to a point where it interferes with their daily activities, such as schoolwork or social life.

For some kids, video games may become more than just a pastime. They may start spending excessive amounts of time on gaming to a point where it interferes with their daily activities, such as schoolwork or social life. While this does not necessarily mean that you should take your child to get help for video game addiction, it is certainly something you should keep in mind if they exhibit signs of excessive gaming like:

  • Spending longer than usual on one game session (game playing)
  • Not being able to stop playing when asked (video games are like drugs; once addicted, they can’t stop until they reach their goal)
  • Being irritable when being asked to stop playing (this is called “video game withdrawal”)

Video game addiction is a disorder characterized by excessive or compulsive use of computer games or video games that causes significant impairment in a person’s life. As a result, they require treatment.

There are many reasons why people become addicted to video games. However, the most common causes include:

  • Stress Relief – An effective way of relieving stress can be found in playing video games daily. However, playing too much without taking breaks can lead to serious health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
  • Feeling Socially Isolated –Playing online games with other people may help reduce feelings of loneliness by letting you interact with others over the internet instead of face-to-face interactions at school or workplaces where there isn’t much time left after work hours end each day.

The signs of video game addiction include playing video games for hours at a stretch while skipping meals, leisure activities, and chores.

To determine if you have a problem with video game addiction, it’s essential to look at your habits. For example, if you’re playing video games for several hours at a stretch and skipping meals, leisure activities, or chores in order to do so, then that could be an indication of a problem.

Some individuals with video game addiction prefer to play games in isolation, while others may become socially isolated as they neglect their relationships and other social obligations to play games.

The most common cause of addiction is due to the fact that the brain is wired for reward, so when an individual receives a reward from playing video games, it triggers the same response in their brains as if they were eating chocolate cake or drinking alcohol. In addition, people often develop an emotional attachment with their favorite characters or races within these virtual worlds, making quitting difficult because you feel like you’ve lost something important when moving away from this environment.

Some of the symptoms include irritability and anxiety when not around an electronic device or unable to use it; excessive use of gaming devices.

Other symptoms include:

  • Difficulty with sleep, concentration and focus;
  • Poor grades in school;
  • Physical health problems such as headaches, digestive issues and high blood pressure

The hallmark of gaming addiction is increased gaming, accompanied by tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include:

  • Increased agitation when required to stop using these devices; preoccupation with thoughts about the device or previous online activity; several unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop gaming behaviour.
  • Craving for the rush and feeling of excitement that accompanies playing video games.

Video game addiction can have negative consequences.

  • Social isolation, which is a common symptom of video game addiction, can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
  • Video game addiction may be linked to other mental health issues, such as sleep disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Video game addiction is a serious condition.

It can lead to frustration and depression, which in turn affects your relationships with others. If you suspect that you or someone you know has an addiction to video games, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible.

While there are many different types of video game addictions, these four categories are most common:

It’s not just kids who are addicted to video games.

Video games are a big part of our culture and have been for decades. However, as much as we love to play them, it’s important to remember that they can be addictive. The same way that drugs and alcohol are addictive, so too are video games. They become hard to stop playing once you start on your journey through the world of gaming.

The good news is that there are resources available if you feel like you’re addicted to video games or have developed problematic behaviours around them

Video game addiction has the same primary symptoms as other addictions.

As with other addictions, video game addiction has the same primary symptoms. The most obvious sign of a video game addiction is that you cannot stop playing games even when they’re no fun anymore. When this happens and you know it’s time to cut back on playing, it can be difficult because of how your brain reacts: Your dopamine levels get low and you feel an intense craving for more action to compensate for how much time has passed since last session.

In addition to this physical withdrawal symptom, there are mental ones as well—including anxiety and depression—that can also accompany excessive gaming behaviour if left untreated over time (which is why many people with addictions start using drugs or alcohol).

There’s more than one type of video game addiction.

There are two main types: internet gaming disorder and video game-playing disorder, also known as video game use disorder (VUD). There are also other subtypes, such as social media addiction.

The causes of video game addiction can be physical or psychological

  • Physical: Video game addiction is a real phenomenon that can cause physical symptoms. For example, people who play video games excessively may experience headaches and eyestrain; they may also have difficulty sleeping or concentrating on other tasks because of their obsession with gaming. In some cases, these problems become severe enough to require treatment to prevent further harm to one’s health and other members of society (such as family).
  • Psychological: Some people believe that the urge to play games stems from a lack of self-esteem or other negative emotions such as depression or anxiety disorders due to past experiences that caused them distress at the time but has now been resolved through therapy sessions over time since then!

There are different ways to treat video game addiction.

There are different ways to treat video game addiction. The first step is to identify the problem, which can be difficult because of its subtle nature and lack of apparent symptoms. Some people may experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop playing games for longer than a few weeks or months.

Conclusion

Video game addiction is a serious condition, and it’s important to get help if you think that you’re addicted. It’s not just kids who are addicted to video games; adults can also be affected by this disorder.

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