Video game addiction: symptoms, consequences and treatment

  • Jul 26, 2021
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Video game addiction: symptoms, consequences and treatment

Nowadays, video games are a very common form of entertainment in our society and, therefore, the harmful excessive use of video games increases. It is important to recognize the signs of addiction, since if it is not treated, the negative effects are increased. Some children or adolescents with difficulties relating to others play video games so as not to feel alone and break monotony, while some do it only once in a while, others become obsessed with video games and begin to feel more comfortable in the world of video games than in the world real. In the latter case, we would be talking about an addiction to video games. In this Psychology-Online article, we show you the symptoms, consequences and treatment of video game addiction.

Video game addiction does not have the same impact on everyone who experiences it. Some of the negative consequences of video game addiction can be:

Emotional problems

People with a video game addiction may be at higher risk of depression, loneliness, social phobia

, anger and feelings of shame from spending so much time playing. It must be taken into account that these problems can be consequences of addiction, but they can also play a role in the development of pathological gambling.

Financial problems

In the case of children this is not usually a problem, but it is a problem for adults and adolescents who can spend large amounts of money on computers, consoles, subscriptions, etc. In addition, in extreme cases, financial problems can occur when the person loses motivation to work, being fired or not working full time.

Health problems

Video game addiction is often related to poor sleep habits, poor personal hygiene, little physical activity, and inadequate nutrition. In children, some studies have shown its association with childhood obesity.

Social problems

As addiction worsens, video game addicts tend to spend more time playing games and less quality time with friends, family, or other important people in their life. The addicted person can say that they have many “online friends” and experiment loneliness, depression and social isolation due to lack of personal contact with others.

Family problems

These types of problems can be the most common difficulty in people with video game addiction. Family problems are usually a consequence of addiction, but keep in mind that in some cases poor family relationships can increase the likelihood of developing addiction. A person with addiction may feel that some family members are trying to interfere in their life when they show concern about gambling and become aggressive, either verbally or physically.

There are several treatment options to help people addicted to video games stop gambling and begin social and emotional recovery. In many cases, video game addiction is an attempt to mask certain emotions or the result of poor or inadequate social skills. This is why most treatments revolve around helping the person be more social, overcome negative emotions, and find more productive things to do.

Some of the methods more employees to treat video game addiction They are:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most recommended therapy for play, but there are other types of therapies that can work as well.
  • Family therapy: Sometimes video game addiction is the result of family problems or poor family interaction. Family problems can lead to excessive use of video games. For these cases, family therapy is aimed at improving family relationships, indirectly treating gambling behavior.

In addition to psychological intervention, there are studies that show the good results of a drug (bupropion) to treat addiction to video games.

Video game addiction: symptoms, consequences and treatment - Treatment for video game addiction

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Video game addiction: symptoms, consequences and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Addictions.

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