Among the deadliest behavioural addictions that exist, gaming addiction is becoming more prevalent than ever. With the easy accessibility to advanced smartphones and top-of-the-range PCs and gaming consoles, a new individual starts playing every day and may develop an addiction. And unfortunately, playing video games is one such behavioural addiction that is difficult to recognise and diagnose. Though the gaming behaviour or patterns seem entirely normal and healthy, they quickly spiral out of control and morph into debilitating conditions.
If you rely on stats, it will interest you to know that there are 3.24 billion gamers across the world, and 50% of them are Europeans. Also, gaming addiction in the UK alone is increasing. For example, 10.4 million people play video games on their PCs and laptops in the UK. It has also been predicted that PC gamers worldwide will surpass 1.8 billion by this year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also recognised gaming addiction as a mental health disorder in 2020.
But how does gaming actually develop into an addiction? Is it possible to distinguish between a relaxing pastime and an addictive habit? While most people unknowingly get hunted by gaming addiction, knowing a few signs can help adults to keep their gaming habits in check.
The Top 5 Signs of Gaming Addiction in Adults
Video game addiction or gaming addiction is becoming more prevalent and troubling for adults day by day. Research data from ExpressVPN delivers the state of play, with millennials playing more than GenZ. Further report stated that 72% of UK adults play video games every day, sparking the creation of gaming addiction clinics in the UK. But how do you know if your gaming addiction needs an intervention or gaming addiction therapy assistance?
Here are the top five signs of gaming addiction in adults:
1. Obsessive Thoughts
One of the earliest signs of gaming addiction in adults is the obsessive thoughts they get about video games. If you feel too engaged in thinking about video games, whether you are eating, sleeping, or studying, your hobby might be turning into an addiction.
Obsessively thinking about video games or feeling distracted by thoughts of the next battle can negatively impact your focus, ability to concentrate on everyday tasks, and professional and personal relationships. Compromised personal hygiene, in completing assignments at school and work, insomnia, and weight gain are other common signs of video game addiction in adults.
2. Mood Swings and Irritation
Like any other addiction, video gaming addiction can also transform your mood, personality, and overall demeanour by interfering with your stimulus of choice. Meaning if something troubles your playing routine or cuts off your access to gaming devices, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.
Being unable to play your favourite games can cause intensified feelings of anxiety, anger, frustration, and even depression. Having violent outbursts is also prevalent. It happens because playing video games repeatedly affects the neural centres of the brain, and you become physically dependent on the games to regulate your emotions.
For example, you use video games to cope with the symptoms of any underlying mental health condition because by doing so, the brain releases chemicals like dopamine, inducing happiness and relaxation.
3. Poor Work Performance
Not being available for your loved ones in need isn’t the only warning sign of video game addiction, but failing to uphold your responsibilities and obligations at work is equally severe. If you constantly make excuses to stay out of work to play games or are less able to fulfil your job requirements, you suffer from gaming addiction.
In addition, because of a distracted mind, careless errors and mistakes are common in gaming addiction. Hence, all of these unhealthy behaviours can put your job and livelihood at risk.
4. Distorted Relationships
Gaming addiction can consume you in and out, and the difference often reflects in your relationships. If video games take the place of your loved ones, you are at risk of addiction. This estrangement is due to the time you put into playing video games. For example, professional gamers only connect with other players in the community and isolate themselves from the real world.
A few signs that may cause distorted relationships include:
- Lying to loved ones about gaming habits and routine
- You may feel that your loved ones don’t understand the importance of games
- You decline invitations to participate in outdoor activities
- Lying about being sick or busy to stay out of the workplace and play games at home
- Fail to engage with others
- Sneaking away to play video games
All these behaviours result from the increasing importance of video games over healthy relationships in your life.
5. Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety is as common in individuals as the common cold these days. And the connection between anxiety and gaming addiction is compelling indeed.
While many people believe that constant gaming causes anxiety and depression, others think precisely the opposite. So, what is the correlation anyway?
People with anxiety and depression find the gaming industry appealing because it provides a social yet private world of fiction. It is because most people with anxiety are introverts and enjoy limited outside interaction. Video games also distract people from the negative feelings plaguing those with depression and anxiety, even if it is short-lived.
On the other hand, harmful exposure to video games can cause mental health disorders because of unmanageable self-control and impulses.
How to Overcome Gaming Addiction?
As easy as any other dependency, gaming addiction also destroys an individual’s life to an extent that one cannot imagine. Hence, here are some of the most common and widely used treatment options that can be adopted to overcome gaming addiction:
1. Detox
Detox is often associated with rehab for alcohol and drug addiction. But the truth is, you can also detox from video games. By definition, detox can be explained as a process where you abstain or rid your body of toxins or harmful behaviours within a set period of time. As soon as you recognise your root problem, you can perform detox for a period of 30, 60, or 90 days, as required.
As long as video game addiction detox is concerned, you can:
- Choose a specific time in which you don’t touch your mobile, console, or PC at all.
- Spend more time outside home playing basketball, football, or any other game to keep yourself distracted.
- Remove all the games and applications that may tempt you to play games or increase your urge.
- Only allow yourself to play games for a limited period of time if you are not ready to go cold turkey.
2. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
When it comes to gaming addiction therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is an excellent option. CBT is a common technique often used at rehab centres to treat people with gaming addiction. CBT aims to make you aware of their triggers and recognise negative thought patterns to reframe them and react positively.
Practising the CBT technique daily allows you to identify triggers, acknowledge the emotional reactions, and choose a healthier counter-reaction that doesn’t involve gaming.
3. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Another popular gaming addiction therapy involves acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). It is similar to CBT and teaches you to identify your trigger points but focus more on letting them go than taking action. One way to adopt ACT is to change the thought process to battle against video game addiction.
For example, instead of thinking that you want to stop playing video games but are too stressed, focus more on thinking that you want to stop playing video games and are stressed about it. This sudden change in vocabulary can help you go beyond pessimism and negativity and learn the art of acceptance and empathy.
Once you accept that you are stressed about being unable to play video games, you will become accustomed to the feeling and learn to see beyond the discomfort to find success and happiness.
Takeaway
Do you think you play video games in moderation? If yes, very well. If not, you are on the verge of developing an addiction, or maybe you did. To find out, start monitoring your gaming habits and stop them from controlling or ruining your life in future. But before walking into the journey of the gaming addiction recovery process, you must remember that your habit doesn’t define you, and there is hope.
Though gaming addiction in the UK is becoming increasingly prevalent, you have to break the hold that gaming has on you and live a healthy, productive lifestyle. If you find it challenging, gaming addiction clinics in the UK can help by offering gaming addiction therapy and access to support groups to help. All you need to do is accept that you have an addiction, and no one can stop you from recovering!
Also read: Who Are Long-term Rehab Centers For?
