Brief overview
- Description: Computer game addiction belongs to the behavioral addictions. Affected persons play excessively and neglect tasks, other interests and social activities.
- Symptoms: strong desire to play, increase in playing time, loss of control, continuing to play despite negative consequences, inability to abstain, withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and depression.
- Diagnosis: Increasing gambling duration over a period of one year, loss of control, loss of interest, ignoring negative consequences.
- Therapy: Understanding of the disease, will to abstinence, cognitive behavioral therapy with cause analysis, triggers of the behavior, alternative strategies, avoidance strategies, strengthening of the will to abstain.
- Prognosis: With existing insight into the disease, will to cope and professional help, good prognosis.
Computer game addiction: Description
MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) are the fastest and most addictive. In these role-playing games, several players in the form of self-designed fantasy figures (avatars) work together in a team to solve tasks in a virtual world.
At present, it is mainly adolescents and young adults who are affected, and among them predominantly boys and young men. Experts believe that more girls and women, as well as middle-aged adults, will develop computer game addiction in the future.
Computer game addiction: symptoms
Like sufferers of substance-related addictions, addicted computer gamers show the typical signs of addiction.
Strong craving
Loss of control
Once people with computer game addiction sit in front of the computer, there is no stopping them. Even if they firmly resolve to play only for a limited time, they cannot stick to it, but play hour after hour.
Abstinence incapacity
If those affected realize that they have a problem, or if their environment puts pressure on them, they often try to limit their gambling. In most cases, they fail to do so or only last a short time.
Withdrawal symptoms
Tolerance formation
Another main criterion for addictive disorders is the so-called formation of tolerance: The brain dulls over time, so that the dose of the drug must be increased in order to experience the longed-for “kick” again. Applied to computer game addiction, this means playing more and more frequently and for longer periods of time, or that the kick is only triggered by reaching a higher level of play.
Continuing the behavior despite negative consequences
Secrecy
Secrecy is not one of the six official addiction criteria – but it is also typical of addictive disorders. Those affected are aware that their behavior is questionable. They therefore try to conceal the extent of their computer gaming activity from others. Family members, friends, or even therapists are deceived about the true extent of time spent on the computer.
Computer game addiction: Causes and risk factors
Overactivation of the reward center
Like all addictions, computer game addiction is based on activation of the reward center in the brain. The reward center actually serves to reinforce behaviors that are good for us or serve to preserve the species: Food and sex, for example, but also praise, attention, and success.
In addition, negative feelings such as frustration, fear and sorrow can be relieved while playing, which the player also experiences as a reward. This creates the so-called addiction memory: Everything that reminds the computer game addict of playing awakens the desire to play again.
Disturbed emotion regulation
At the same time, the brain becomes particularly sensitized to the connection between computer games and rewards. The awareness that other behaviors can also generate positive feelings or reduce negative ones fades. The gamer really forgets that there are other ways for him to regulate his feelings. The player’s perception of stimuli that are not related to gaming becomes increasingly weaker.
Psychological mechanisms
- High impulsivity: Very impulsive people react spontaneously without considering the pros and cons of an action beforehand.
- weak self-control: Affected people find it particularly difficult to resist temptations.
Low self-esteem
People with low self-esteem or anxiety (especially social phobia) are also more prone to computer game addiction, especially role-playing games in the form of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games):
Another plus for those affected: When they solve tasks together with others, they feel they belong to a group. As a result, the virtual world seems increasingly more attractive to them than reality.
Escaping reality
This can lead to a vicious circle: Because of excessive gaming, the gamer gets into more and more problems in real life. As a result, he withdraws even more into the virtual world. They forget how to actively deal with their problems.
Problematic socialization
Environmental factors
The environment can also contribute to the development of computer game addiction. Stress plays a central role. In the virtual world, the player can let off steam and relieve stress. The fantasy world can also help to escape a problematic reality – be it problems at work or in a partnership, bullying, unemployment or other worries.
Genetic factors
Computer game addiction: Diagnosis
Not everyone who persistently plays computer games is automatically addicted. Even though the likelihood of a computer game addiction increases with the number of hours spent playing games, there is no number of hours that is suitable as a diagnostic criterion.
WHO diagnostic criteria
In the current international classification system for diseases, the ICD10, computer game addiction is not yet listed as an independent clinical picture. Strictly speaking, it cannot be diagnosed as a disease.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now recognized computer game addiction as a disease in its own right. The disorder will therefore be listed in the forthcoming ICD11, which is due to replace the ICD10 in January 2022.
- subordinates his or her other activities to play, for example, neglecting chores, social contact, and physical needs over it,
- no longer has control over the frequency and duration of gambling,
- @ continues with his excessive gambling behavior although he is threatened with negative consequences.
Concomitant disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
In the case of problematic use of computer games, it should also always be clarified whether it is actually an independent disorder, whether the behavior is rooted in another mental disorder that requires treatment, or whether it exists in parallel with it.
Computer game addiction: therapy
Insight into the illness is the first step
The first step toward recovery is therefore understanding the disease, the realization that “I am sick, I need help. Without professional support, it is usually not possible to get out of addiction. In the course of the therapy and with increasing weaning from the addictive substance, the affected person increasingly makes the experience – I feel better without it.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
- What triggers a desire in me to play computer games? (e.g. stress, anxiety, the sight of a computer, etc.).
- What needs does computer gaming fulfill for me? (e.g., stress relief, relieving boredom, feeling successful, belonging to a team, etc.).
- What activities can computer gaming substitute for me? (e.g. relaxation exercises, sports, meeting friends).
Therapeutic services for computer game addicts usually consist of a combination of group and individual therapy. There is the possibility of outpatient treatment. In severe cases, however, inpatient treatment is usually required.
The fact that computer game addiction will be included in the ICD11 catalog from 2020 will improve access to appropriate therapies and the supply of such treatments in the future.
Computer game addiction: prognosis
However, with professional help, one can learn to lead a fulfilling life without the addictive substance computer games. Above all, the affected person learns that a fulfilling life for him/her is only possible without computer games. Prerequisite for this: The affected person recognizes and accepts that he/she is ill and needs help, and he/she has the desire to overcome the permanent pressure to play.
However, there are also people who do not (want to) recognize their addictive behavior. In this case, the chances of getting away from computer games are very poor.
Computer game addiction: tips for relatives
Whether parents or life partners: If a close person spends a lot of time playing computer games, those around them will worry. Important to know: Not everyone who plays too much is addicted. However, if your child or friend plays conspicuously a lot, you should take initial action.
- Approach the permanent player, show interest, let him explain the game to you and try to understand what needs the game satisfies for him. Is he playing out of boredom, or is he escaping into a parallel world because he has problems?
- Agree together on clear rules for computer game time, for example, no more than two hours a day.
- Help the person find or rediscover activities that are enjoyable in real life.
Recognizing that there is a problem in the first place is a major hurdle for anyone suffering from addiction. This also applies to people who are not yet addicted, but for whom the addictive substance already represents an important purpose in life or even a crutch for coping with problems.
Counseling centers can help
The goal is then to encourage the person affected to visit a counseling center for computer game addiction himself. There he meets people who are familiar with his problem, advise him without prejudice and support him on the path to therapy.
Computer game addiction: Further information
There are numerous offers for people with computer game addiction:
The Fachverband Medienabhängigkeit is a service of the Hannover Medical School: www.fv-medienabhaengigkeit.de
Plan B is an initiative that, among other things, offers online counseling for addiction problems among young people: https://www.planb-pf.de/jugend-suchtberatung/online-beratung
