Video Game Addiction Symptoms

The computer is a familiar part of our life, and it is very difficult to recognize addiction to it. However, there are a couple of ways that will help identify the disease and start getting rid of it.

What Is Computer Addiction?

Half of Europeans spend more than 30 hours a week playing clicker games. It often happens that the addicts themselves or their relatives cannot recognize that this is precisely the addiction. Statistics show that those who spend too much time playing games are more likely to suffer from insomnia, behavioral disorders, or social problems. However, what exactly is meant by such addiction?

Doctors in their professional language describe computer addiction as pathological use of computers, that is, a painful need for a PC and games. In addition, according to the level of severity of addiction, there are different degrees of it.

How to Recognize Addiction to Video Games?

People are considered addicted when computer games have a significant impact on their daily lives. This happens not at their will but because they cannot do otherwise. This compulsive behavior causes the addict to neglect friends, family, school, or work.

Games that are especially often addictive include massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). In them, players often fight alone or with a group of fellow adventurers. MMORPGs constantly offer new tasks, and the player is under psychological pressure all the time, being afraid to miss something.

Symptoms of Video Game Addiction

Video game addiction is a disease that needs to be taken seriously. The addict is no longer able to control how and how much they use the computer. The American Psychiatric Association has developed nine criteria to help you better recognize computer addiction. If you have at least five of the following nine signs, you should see the doctor:

• A person spends almost all the time playing online games. If an addict, for some reason, cannot play, then their thoughts revolve only around the game.
• Being away from a computer game causes withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, nervousness, boredom, or restlessness.
• The addict is tolerant of their need to spend more and more time playing computer games – they believe that it is normal to spend time this way.
• They hide from friends, family members, and therapists the actual extent of their addiction.
• They use a computer game to reset negative emotions, such as fear, guilt, or helplessness.
• Interest in previous hobbies or social contacts is reduced or completely lost when one is addicted to the game.
• Even when the addict sees their psychosocial problems, they still continue to play excessively.
• All attempts to reduce the time spent playing games are unsuccessful.
• The last symptom of gaming addiction is the risk that the addict will completely immerse themselves in computer games. This threatens to cut off contact with family and friends or even the loss of a place of study or work.

It is often not easy to understand whether someone is addicted to computer games. However, the symptoms of computer addiction are similar to those of other addictions.