What makes gaming addictive

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News 04 NOV Research Highlight 03 NOV It helps sustain interest and attention, which is why it can be so hard for anyone to tear themselves away from a video game or interesting post on Facebook. New technology for productivity, education and entertainment is exciting and has improved our quality of life. But, as with most activities in life, moderation is key.

Request an Appointment Patient Online Services. Plainview Red Wing Sherburn St. James St. Peter Waseca Waterville Wells Zumbrota. Iowa Decorah Lake Mills. View map. Recent Posts. Most adolescents like to spend at least part of their free time playing video games. But for some, what starts out as innocent recreation can become an addiction. Soon, friends, family, school, and even personal hygiene are neglected as nearly every spare moment is spent playing the game.

But what makes a game addictive? Are there certain characteristics that make some games more addictive than others? Why are some teens more susceptible than others to this kind of addiction? Having a hard time getting your child away from the TV or computer? For starters, video games are designed to be addictive.

This is particularly true for game developers whose business model relies on in-game purchases. However, such complete abstinence in those who have not developed an addiction may be overcautious: as mentioned earlier, as part of a balanced life gaming can be a harmless recreation providing a great deal of enjoyment and a good and cost-effective way of relaxing.

Indeed, some studies show that some games enjoyed in moderation can actually be beneficial in terms of their impact upon problem-solving skills, coordination and even general knowledge.

For those who would like to participate in video gaming, but wish to take some steps to prevent the possibility of addiction developing, some safeguards can be put in place:. In every relevant study conducted, boys have shown to be significantly more susceptible than girls to video gaming addiction.

Online game Fortnite — which now has over million players globally — was cited in over divorces in the UK in If you have been struggling with a gaming addiction, help is out there if you are ready to request it. As with any addiction, your gaming addiction need not be a terminal condition if you are prepared to take back control of yourself and your future. A range of high-quality facilities across the UK are now providing treatment to gaming addicts, and countless individuals are now in recovery and enjoying lives, which previously they could not imagine could ever be theirs.

Draw a line under that damage today and begin the process of healing, and taking back control of your own life; do not let gaming addiction determine the course of your future, regardless of the impact it has had on your past. Help is out there: reach out for it today. No matter where you live, there is a drug rehab center that can help you overcome your addiction. We'll help you find it. Home Behavioural Addictions Gaming Addiction. Gaming Addiction Explained.

Types of Gaming Addiction As the aforementioned WHO definition indicates, the type of gaming to which an individual might become addicted can involve either online or offline play; indeed, theoretically, any game or combination of games might prove addictive, and as is the case with any form of addiction each individual case is unique though with some obvious commonalities.

Stages of a Gaming Addiction Once again, because there is no unanimity within the medical profession about how to categorise gaming addiction, no generally agreed list exists of the stages through which the condition develops. Other activities may begin to take on a diminished significance in consequence. All their free time is taken up with gaming, and all their energies are focused upon it, possibly at the cost of work or academic progress.

Dietary and sleeping patterns are likely to be hugely affected by constant gaming, and the gamer may find themselves entirely dislocated from friends, family and the real world. Emotional symptoms Restlessness: the addict may find it impossible to remain still and calm for any length of time whilst not gaming; fidgeting, pacing, constantly getting up and down, and being unable to participate in any task for more than a few minutes may all indicate frustration at not being able to game.

Isolation from others to spend more time gaming: as noted above, withdrawing from social circles and previously enjoyed activities is a very common sign that something is wrong. Physical symptoms of video game addiction Fatigue: many people play computer games for very long periods of time — indeed, as noted above gaming-related fatigue has been a factor in numerous deaths in recent years — and often sacrifice sleep for the sake of continuing to play.

This is especially common amongst those who work or attend college or university and who are therefore unable to play during working hours. Migraines: prolonged gaming has been known to spark off migraines even in those who have previously not suffered from them. Carpal tunnel syndrome: repeated, very protracted bouts of gaming using manual controls such as drawing pads, keyboards or mice can lead to the wrist condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome, causing pain and tingling in the fingers and hands.

Some e-sports competitions have been obliged to post notices warning that gamers exhibiting poor levels of hygiene will be disqualified and removed from the venue. Gaming Addiction and Depression Depression and similar disorders have been identified as both a potential cause of and the potential consequence of, gaming addiction.

Moreover, depression can make interpersonal communication and relationships difficult or impossible, whereas interacting with a computer game — or even with real but effectively anonymous individuals online — can feel immeasurably easier and less daunting. These feelings can increase the apparent value to an individual of computer gaming, even over very long periods, and thus drive the kind of compulsive behaviour which leads to addiction.

Get Confidential Help Now. Gaming Addiction and Substance Abuse It is by no means uncommon for an individual to suffer from more than one addiction — or even more than one type of addiction — at once, and many behavioural addictions are often found to cooccur with substance abuse disorders.