Online Gaming Addiction
The Pinnacle Schools offers programs that specialize in the treatment of addictions, including addictions to online gaming, role-playing games or any interactive gaming environment. This addiction has increased dramatically in the United States.
Gaming stimulates the brain's "reward centers" which stimulates the same high a drug addict or alcoholic feels. While most people associate addiction with substances, such as drugs or alcohol, doctors recognize online gaming addictive behaviors as well.
When a child is admitted to the Elk River Treatment Program (ERTP) of The Pinnacle Schools, a full medical and psychological evaluation begins. An Individualized Treatment Plan is developed for your child and a Treatment Team is formed to address your child's specific needs. Online gaming is often a symptom of an underlying core issue. The child needs the escape or the feeling of reward that online gaming provides because something else is missing in their life. Through group and individual therapy on a consistent basis, the child may eventually identify the core issue(s) and begin recovery.
Some gamers exhibit severe withdrawal symptoms, becoming angry, violent, or depressed if a computer is taken away. Residential treatment is a safe setting for withdrawal from any addiction.
The Psychological Factor. Unlike with substance abuse, the biological aspect of video game addiction is uncertain. Research suggests gambling elevates dopamine, but there's more to addiction than brain chemistry. The addict suffers from a psychological component to the addiction. Online gaming allows a person to escape the real world and change the perception of self worth. An online gaming addiction is not that far from drug addiction. Both are searching for a way to make themselves feel better.
The lure of a fantasy world is especially pertinent to online role-playing games. These are games in which a player assumes the role of a fictional character and interacts with other players in a virtual world. An intelligent child who is unpopular at school can feel dominant in the game. The virtual life becomes more appealing than real life.
Too much gaming may seem relatively harmless compared with the dangers of a drug overdose, but experts say video game addiction can ruin lives. Children who play four to five hours per day have no time for socializing, doing homework, or playing sports leaving little time for normal social development. Imagine a 21-year-old with the emotional intelligence of a 12-year-old who has never learned to talk to girls, or never learned to play a sport.
Addiction Warning Signs. According to the Center for On-Line Addiction, warning signs for video game addiction include:
- Playing for increasing amounts of time
- Thinking about gaming during other activities
- Gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety, or depression
- Lying to friends and family to conceal gaming
- Feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming
In addition, video game addicts tend to become isolated, dropping out of their social networks and giving up other hobbies. The overwhelming majority of video game addicts are males under 30 - usually children with poor self-esteem and social problems, according to specialists. They are intelligent and imaginative but don't have many friends at school. A family history of addiction may also be a factor which is why Elk River Treatment Program requires extensive background information from parents before admitting their child into the program.
Source: www.webmd.com
