Mental disorders from computer games. Computer games through the eyes of a psychologist

Modern technologies constantly evolving, each person does not want to lag behind them. Computer game addiction is becoming more and more popular as more and more such content is released every day. The computer has organically entered the life of every person and it is already quite difficult to imagine further existence without it.

Each person uses the device for different purposes: someone needs it to maintain business relationships, and someone needs it to expand their own horizons. If the time that a person spends at his computer, playing games, exceeds the established norms, then we can say that a gambling addiction has developed.

The player becomes more and more interested in the events taking place in the virtual world, not paying attention to real life. As shows world statistics, then dependence on computer games was found in more than 5% of the world's population. If appropriate measures are not taken, the problem will begin to progress. In any case, relatives and friends should seek help from a psychologist who will help get rid of the problem.

What should you pay attention to?

The pathophysiological signs and principles of the formation of many addictions are identical. They are due to the stimulation of certain brain centers. There is no need to think that the above problem concerns only teenagers, you can meet a large number of adults spending dozens of hours playing their favorite games.

People experience euphoria and improved mood immediately after being immersed in the virtual world. Gaming addiction leads to the fact that a person ceases to control the time spent at his computer. Sleep is an objective barrier to a round-the-clock game, and therefore most gamers resort to the help of caffeinated drinks and other stimulants. They can provide negative impact on the body of adults and children.

In the adult generation of players, one can observe a change in the diet, which is shifting towards low-alcohol drinks and convenience foods. Gaming addiction leads to the fact that the gamer cannot control personal hygiene:

• teeth cleaning;
• combing;
• shower, etc.

The consequences of addiction are associated with maintaining a sedentary lifestyle, a shifted sleep cycle and malnutrition. If the technical condition of the computer fails, then the mood of the “chronic player” will immediately deteriorate. He will be in a state of stress, splashing out his aggression on family and friends.

adult generation

Gambling addiction pushes you to constantly spend money on new equipment and update the necessary programs. At dependent person reality begins to take a back seat. He ceases to think about his work, family and the development of his own personality. His thinking is only about completing a new mission or installing a new update.

The signs will get worse as the addiction develops, even though many will begin to realize the futility of the time spent. Such people are increasingly beginning to seek to leave the existing world and immerse themselves in virtual reality. It is better to play the role of a character well than to solve real problems. In the lexicon of an addicted person, topics related to computer games are increasingly appearing. Over time, they begin to take up all his free time, and the brain thinks only about them.

Gambling addiction leads to the fact that the central nervous system (central nervous system) is under constant load, since certain impulses constantly enter the brain, stimulating certain centers. The patient may experience the following symptoms:

1. Sudden mood swings.
2. social degradation.
3. Anxiety.
4. Panic attacks, etc.

The longer the problem continues to progress, the greater the consequences should be expected. An adult who devotes a lot of time to computer games begins to experience constant discomfort associated with self-doubt and the loss of the meaning of life. As clinical practice shows, gambling addiction leaves a certain imprint on libido, leading to various problems in the sexual sphere. An addicted person is not so difficult to distinguish from the crowd. He does not make contact well, shows isolation and shyness.

Child and youth problem

The consequences of addiction in children and adolescents are somewhat different. If games have got into the life of a child, then they can affect the formation of his personality. Soon, juvenile gamers turn into embittered and aggressive children if their parents ask them to leave the computer even for a minute.

The consequences of addiction will be associated with regular non-attendance at school, and lying to parents and loved ones will become the norm. In some families, it comes to the fact that children begin to steal or beg for money for their favorite game, which can cause violence due to its aggressive plot.

Game effects can overload the immature psyche of a child. The thin line between the real and the virtual world can be completely erased. The sooner children begin to get involved in games, the sooner they will have problems with health and academic performance. Many may have noticed that meals are increasingly taking place without leaving the computer, and this all affects the digestion process.

Being at school, all the thoughts of the gamer are occupied only with the anticipation of future leisure. Sick teenagers begin to abandon the usual team, unhealthy food is increasingly prevalent in the diet.

What should be feared?

The consequences of any addiction negatively affect the health of each person. As the current condition progresses, problems with the joints and spine make themselves felt. A sedentary lifestyle ultimately leads to disruption of metabolic processes.

Sitting for a long time leads to the following consequences:

• Constant headaches.
• Decreased appetite.
• Fast fatiguability.
• Decreased activity, etc.

Considering more advanced cases, it is necessary to highlight problems with the cardiovascular system. With prolonged use of caffeine, exhaustion can begin nervous system leading to serious consequences.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that dependent people begin to eat poorly, and this leads to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract:

• gastritis;
• constipation;
• colitis;
• gastroduodenitis, etc.

Considering the children's version of the problem, it should be noted that the development of the brain lobes responsible for memory and concentration slows down. If prompt measures are not taken by parents, then their child may begin to have developmental problems.

Despite the large number of physiological problems, it is necessary to consider psychological ones as well. Dependent people cannot achieve significant success in life, because they lose their initiative and “fighting fuse”. The constant craving for games has a bad effect on professional results: an employee can play during working hours without fulfilling his duties. Negligence and lack of desire will lead to dismissal.

Some computer games require a constant infusion of money to be played. Debt is a natural consequence of addiction. In the hope of winning, a person can borrow money or take out loans.

The sooner a person realizes their problem, the sooner steps can be taken to eliminate it. If you can’t get out of it on your own, you can always turn to qualified specialists who solve such issues. All addictions have a similar development mechanism, and therefore the main thing is to find out the right levers of influence.

- a new type of psychological dependence, in which a computer game becomes the leading human need. It seems to be this species addiction is not as terrible as alcoholism or drug addiction, in which toxic substances become indispensable for normal metabolism. But this is only at first glance, because modern computer games are becoming more and more “advanced” and more and more perfectly imitate reality, so more and more people become their hostages.

Some statistics

Statistics on the prevalence of this dependence varies significantly among different researchers. Doctor of Psychology Alexander Georgievich Shmelev believes that about 10-14% of people who use a computer are "hardcore gamers". At the same time, Harvard University psychologist Mareza Orzak cites much less comforting statistics: she believes that among people who play computer games, 40-80% are addicted.

There are some gender and age aspects of such addiction (eng. addiction - dependence, addiction, in broad sense, is an obsessive need felt by a person for a certain activity). The intensity of passion for computer games is more pronounced among boys than among girls. Young men, on average, spend twice as much time on computer games. The older and more educated person, the less time he spends on computer games (completely different goals appear, and it becomes a pity to waste time).

Causes

The causes of addiction to computer games are as follows:

• lack of bright and interesting moments in real life. Everything is so everyday and ordinary that a person is looking for a simple and often cheap way to diversify his life. So he begins to join the virtual world;
• a hidden inferiority complex, various psychological traumas in childhood and adolescence are the result of the fact that a person “underplayed” in a timely manner, so he is trying to catch up;
• quite often, such an addiction develops on the basis of sexual dissatisfaction, when relationships with the opposite sex do not add up, and a person tries to “switch” to something;
• sometimes the first step towards the development of this addiction is "extra" time. For example, people who are forced to stay at the workplace from 9 to 18, when this time just needs to “sit out”, begin to join computer games or aimlessly surf the net.

Psychology of gambling addiction

At the heart of the mechanism for the formation of computer addiction is a departure from reality and the need to assume a certain role. In most cases, this is a means of compensating for life's problems. At the same time, a person begins to realize himself in the game world, and not in the real one.

Now there are many computer games, fortunately, not all of them are equally dangerous. Conventionally, they can be divided into role-playing and non-role-playing. By determining which of the categories the game belongs to, you can assess how dangerous it is.

Role-playing games are distinguished by their pronounced influence on the human psyche. At the same time, a person "gets used" to a certain role, identifies himself with some character, while moving away from reality.

Among role playing 3 types can be distinguished:

1. with a view "from the eyes" of the character;
2. with an “outside” view of his hero;
3. leadership games.

The most "addictive" games with a view from the eyes. The gamer fully identifies himself with a certain computer character, enters the role as much as possible, because he “looks” at the virtual world through the eyes of his hero. Literally a few minutes after the start of the session, a person begins to lose touch with the real world, completely transferred to the virtual world. He identifies himself with the computer hero so much that he can consider the actions of the computer character as his own, and the virtual world itself begins to be perceived by him as real. At critical moments, he can fidget in his chair, trying to dodge shots or blows, turn pale.

Looking at your hero "outside", then the power of entering the role is less compared to the previous type of games. Despite the fact that the identification with the computer character is less pronounced, the emotional manifestations associated with the game are still present, which can be seen during the failures or death of the computer hero.

At leadership games a person leads several (or many) characters. He does not see his hero on the screen, but invents a role for himself. Expressed "immersion" is possible only among people with a developed imagination. Psychological dependence, which is formed during leadership games, is quite pronounced.

Symptoms of gambling addiction

There are a number of signs of addiction to computer games:

• one of the main symptoms of computer addiction is pronounced irritation that occurs in response to the forced need to remove oneself from a favorite activity. When the game resumes, you can immediately notice the emotional upsurge;
• a frequent symptom of computer addiction is the inability to predict the end of the session, the player will postpone it again and again;
• the computer becomes the center of the life of an addicted person, therefore, when communicating with others, the most interesting topic for him will be the discussion of his favorite computer game;
• as the addiction progresses, the social, labor and family adaptation of a person is disturbed - he forgets about work, household chores, studies, loses interest in them;
• the presence of psychological addiction is also reflected in the habits of a person: in order to spend more time at the computer, he increasingly eats without leaving the monitor, neglects personal hygiene, sleep time is reduced, and the computer sessions themselves are lengthened.

Fortunately, this addiction does not develop overnight, it goes through a series of stages. The sooner you notice its presence, the easier it will be to deal with it.

Stages of gambling addiction

There are the following 4 stages of dependence on computer games:

1. Initial stage - slight enthusiasm. It comes when a person has already played several times, as they say, “got a taste”. Such a pastime gives a person positive emotions. At this stage, the game has a situational character, a person plays episodically, only under certain conditions, when there is free time, but he will not play to the detriment of something important.
2. The next stage is passion. The transition to this stage can be determined by the emergence of a new need - the game. At this stage, a person already plays systematically, and if this is not possible, then he can sacrifice something in order to make time for his favorite pastime.
3. And finally, the stage dependencies. In the pyramid of values, the game is elevated to the top level.
   Dependence can manifest itself in one of two forms - socialized and individualized.
   • Individualized form is the worst option, it is characterized by the loss of contact with others. A person spends a lot of time at the computer, he does not need to communicate with family, friends, others. The computer and everything connected with it for such people is a kind of “drug”, it is necessary to regularly take the next “dose”. Otherwise, there is a "breaking" in the form of depression, increased irritability.
   • For socialized form is characterized by the preservation of social contacts. People suffering from this addiction prefer online games. Such an occupation for them is not so much a "drug" as a competition. This form is less detrimental to the psyche compared to the individualized form.
4. Over time (this may take several months or even years) attachment stage. The gaming activity of a person fades away, he begins to be interested in something new, social and labor contacts can be established. However, a person cannot completely “say goodbye” to the game on his own. This stage can last for many years. The appearance of new games can provoke a surge in gaming activity.

Consequences of gambling addiction:

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But this is only at first glance, because the psychological dependence on the computer is no less strong than any other. In addition, modern computer games are becoming more and more "advanced" and more and more perfectly imitate reality, so more and more people become their hostages.

Some statistics

Statistics on the prevalence of this dependence varies significantly among different researchers. Doctor of Psychology Alexander Georgievich Shmelev believes that about 10-14% of people who use a computer are "hardcore gamers". At the same time, Maresa Orzak, a psychologist at Harvard University, cites much less comforting statistics: she believes that among people who play computer games, 40-80% are addicted.

There are some gender and age aspects of such addiction. The intensity of passion for computer games is more pronounced among boys than among girls. Young men, on average, spend twice as much time on computer games. The older and more educated a person is, the less time he spends on computer games (completely different goals appear, and it becomes a pity to waste time).

Causes

The causes of addiction to computer games are as follows:

• lack of bright and interesting moments in real life. Everything is so everyday and ordinary that a person is looking for a simple and often cheap way to diversify his life. So he begins to join the virtual world;
• a hidden inferiority complex, various psychological traumas in childhood and adolescence are the result of the fact that a person “underplayed” in a timely manner, so he is trying to catch up;
• quite often, such an addiction develops on the basis of sexual dissatisfaction, when relationships with the opposite sex do not add up, and a person tries to “switch” to something;
• sometimes the first step towards the development of this addiction is "extra" time. For example, people who are forced to stay at the workplace from 9 to 18, when this time just needs to “sit out”, begin to join computer games or aimlessly surf the net.

Psychology

At the heart of the mechanism for the formation of computer addiction is a departure from reality and the need to assume a certain role. In most cases, this is a means of compensating for life's problems. At the same time, a person begins to realize himself in the game world, and not in the real one.

Now there are many computer games, fortunately, not all of them are equally dangerous. Conventionally, they can be divided into role-playing and non-role-playing. By determining which category it belongs to, you can assess how dangerous it is.

Role-playing games are distinguished by their pronounced influence on the human psyche. At the same time, a person "gets used" to a certain role, identifies himself with some character, while moving away from reality.

There are 3 types of role-playing games:

• with a view "from the eyes" of the character;
• with an “outside” view of his hero;
• leadership games.

The games with the view “from the eyes” are the most “addictive”. The gamer fully identifies himself with a certain computer character, enters the role as much as possible, because he “looks” at the virtual world through the eyes of his hero. Literally a few minutes after the start of the session, a person begins to lose touch with the real world, completely transferred to the virtual world. He identifies himself with the computer hero so much that he can consider the actions of the computer character as his own, and the virtual world itself begins to be perceived by him as real. At critical moments, he can fidget in his chair, trying to dodge shots or blows, turn pale.

If you look at your hero "from the outside", then the power of entering the role is less compared to the previous type of games. Despite the fact that the identification with the computer character is less pronounced, the emotional manifestations associated with the game are still present, which can be seen during the failures or death of the computer hero.

In leadership games, a person leads several (or many) characters. He does not see his hero on the screen, but invents a role for himself. Expressed "immersion" is possible only among people with a developed imagination. Psychological dependence, which is formed during leadership games, is quite pronounced.

Symptoms

There are a number of signs of addiction to computer games:

• one of the main symptoms of computer addiction is pronounced irritation that occurs in response to the forced need to remove oneself from a favorite activity. When the game resumes, you can immediately notice the emotional upsurge;
• a frequent symptom of computer addiction is the inability to predict the end of the session, the player will postpone it again and again;
• the computer becomes the center of the life of an addicted person, therefore, when communicating with others, the most interesting topic for him will be the discussion of his favorite computer game;
• as the addiction progresses, the social, labor and family adaptation of a person is disturbed - he forgets about work, household chores, studies, loses interest in them;
• the presence of psychological addiction is also reflected in the habits of a person: in order to spend more time at the computer, he increasingly eats without leaving the monitor, neglects personal hygiene, sleep time is reduced, and the computer sessions themselves are lengthened.

Fortunately, this addiction does not develop overnight, it goes through a series of stages. The sooner you notice its presence, the easier it will be to deal with it.

Stages of addiction development

There are 4 stages of addiction from computer games:

1. The initial stage is an easy passion. It comes when a person has already played several times, as they say, “got a taste”. Such a pastime gives a person positive emotions. At this stage, the game has a situational character, a person plays episodically, only under certain conditions, when there is free time, but he will not play to the detriment of something important.
2. The next stage is passion. The transition to this stage can be determined by the emergence of a new need - the game. At this stage, a person already plays systematically, and if this is not possible, then he can sacrifice something in order to make time for his favorite pastime.
3. And finally, the addiction stage. In the pyramid of values, the game is elevated to the top level.
4. Over time (this may take several months or even years), the attachment stage begins. The gaming activity of a person fades away, he begins to be interested in something new, social and labor contacts can be established. However, a person cannot completely “say goodbye” to the game on his own. This stage can last for many years. The appearance of new games can provoke a surge in gaming activity.

Dependence can manifest itself in one of two forms - socialized and individualized.

An individualized form is the worst option, it is characterized by a loss of contact with others. A person spends a lot of time at the computer, he does not need to communicate with family, friends, others. The computer and everything connected with it for such people is a kind of “drug”, it is necessary to regularly take the next “dose”. Otherwise, there is a "breaking" in the form of depression, increased irritability.

The socialized form is characterized by the preservation of social contacts. People suffering from this addiction prefer online games. Such an occupation for them is not so much a "drug" as a competition. This form is less detrimental to the psyche compared to the individualized form.

Signs of addiction to computer games

Doctors put on a par with drug addiction and alcoholism. All these ailments cause rapid and painful addiction, subjugate the will of people, “tear off” from a full-fledged socially adapted life. Rarely, a gamer can show willpower and independently part with an addiction. In most cases, such people need the help and support of loved ones, as well as treatment by a psychotherapist.

What is gambling addiction

The mechanism of influence of computer games on the brain is the same as that of drugs or alcohol. Just when using drugs, endorphin is produced as a result of chemical reactions occurring in the body, and in the case of gambling, this hormone is produced as a response to a sense of excitement, joy from virtual victories and achievements. Striving for a constant feeling of happiness, a person spends more and more time playing computer games.

The disease develops gradually, if others do not notice changes in behavior in time, then over time it will form into a severe form of gambling addiction. When a real gamer is torn away from his favorite pastime, he begins to experience physical and psychological torment. In such a situation, with the help of conversations alone, the problem cannot be eliminated; treatment by a specialist will be required.

In most cases, dependence on a computer, the Internet, games is observed in the younger generation. It is quite rare for a conscious adult to spend days and nights playing online games.

signs

Psychotherapists conditionally divide addiction to computer games into two groups: attraction to local games and craving for networked online games. According to certain symptoms, you can distinguish an ordinary lover of playing on a computer from a gamer. An addict who needs treatment experiences the following behavioral changes:

• inability to plan your schedule and time;

• neglect of vital matters, for example, study, work, caring for appearance;
• aggressive behavior in relation to factors distracting from games;
• no events can force the gamer to voluntarily be distracted from the computer;
• during the game, the mood is always good, and when there is no opportunity to do what you love, the person becomes angry and irritable;
• ever-growing cash "infusions" in paid games and various add-ons to them;
• the time a person spends playing is constantly increasing;
• a constant desire to check if a game update is available;
• neglect of personal hygiene, health and other factors in favor of the game;
• refusal to communicate with others, replacing them with virtual characters.

The last two points are the most serious symptoms. If you notice them in a lover to spend time at the computer, then you should know that the person needs treatment from a specialist. The remaining signs are no less disturbing, but in some cases the problem can be solved with a simple conversation.

Long games on the computer leave an imprint not only on mental health human, but also physical. A game addict constantly experiences the following sensations:

• pain in the wrists and back;
• increased fatigue;
• headache and migraine;
• sleep problems;
• constant drowsiness, fatigue, feeling of weakness.

If a gamer has already developed functional disorders on the part of organs and systems, then one treatment is not enough. psychological help. It will be necessary to turn to doctors to eliminate acquired physical diseases.

How to get rid

There is no single answer to the question of how to get rid of gambling addiction. In each case, treatment should be individual, thoughtful and gentle. Psychotherapists consider radical measures unacceptable. Constant remarks and reproaches, a ban on leaving the house, deleting all games from the computer can only aggravate the situation. The gamer will withdraw into himself, and psychotherapy will not give a positive result. Moreover, a person may refuse to communicate with anyone at all, he may experience attacks of aggression, and even suicide attempts.

Not only the addicted to games needs the help of a specialist, but also his relatives, who also experience stress. It is necessary to improve relations in the family, understand how to communicate with a gamer, how to help him return to normal life. Very often, family therapy gives positive results. Thanks to such sessions, a person addicted to computer games is easier to give up his addiction and easier to endure the rehabilitation period.

Prevention

Preventive measures can help prevent the development of gambling addiction:

• consult a psychotherapist, offer the gamer a meeting with a specialist;
• try to understand the process and the meaning of the addict's favorite games, this will help to find common ground, establish contact, go for rapprochement;
• try to avoid negative and harsh criticism of your passion for computer games, try to express your opinion as gently as possible;
• find out what exactly attracts a person in the virtual world, why he does not like real life;
• limit the addict's access to games, books, films containing scenes of cruelty and violence, this will help stop attacks of aggression.

Do not forget that a computer game addict is a person who needs help. If you notice signs of a gambling addiction in a loved one, do not turn away from him, on the contrary, try to help. On their own, without the support of relatives, and often the help of a professional psychotherapist, a gamer will not be able to get rid of his addiction and return to normal life.

The whole truth about video game addiction

Young people are predominantly prone to gambling addiction. However, among people prone to gambling there are many adults and seemingly serious people. But it is young people, children, who most often become victims of the harmful effects of virtual reality.

The essence of the problem

Although gambling is not officially recognized as a science, in some countries, at the state level, measures have been taken for several years to combat addiction to certain types of games. Such measures are not taken out of the blue.

A person addicted to computer games is easy to distinguish from the crowd. In the later stages of addiction, the behavior of a gamer, cut off from the computer, becomes inadequate, antisocial. A game addict ceases to monitor his appearance, forgets to wash himself, cut his nails and even sleep. In such cases, we are no longer talking about normal nutrition, a person sits on water, chocolate bars and other fast food. And such nutrition sooner or later leads any person to at least gastritis, and even to an ulcer.

There are cases around the world, including in Russia, when teenagers, for the sake of continuing the game, killed their brothers, sisters, who interfered with the game and their parents, who hid the game console or keyboard from them.

By the way, the restriction of a person dependent on computer games in access to the game leads him to a state similar to breaking a drug addict.

The fragile children's psyche is especially negatively affected by games in which scenes of violence against people are regularly reproduced. Children who are too deeply immersed in the process of violence in the virtual world transfer such a model of behavior to real life, with difficulty distinguishing between virtual reality and "real". Sometimes, when people get used to the role of their virtual characters, meetings of virtual opponents in real life end in mutilations and murders.

In addition to mental disorders, a person who plays computer games is at risk of acquiring a number of physical diseases and related problems. With a long sitting at the computer (more than hours in a row), there is a risk of getting a heart attack and stroke due to stagnation of blood. In addition, non-ionizing radiation emanating from computers negatively affects the possibility of procreation in men and kills the gene pool. Continuous sitting in front of the monitor negatively affects the state of the nervous system, increases irritability and excitability. Often, people who are addicted to computer games suffer from hypertension and headaches, not to mention the deterioration of vision, which can then be restored, but with great difficulty.

Causes of the problem

The reasons for the dependence on computer games lie in the human psyche in the first place. A gamer is a person who has not been able to realize himself in real life. having significant internal problems, conflicts with society. Computer games, not necessarily online, often captivate a person during periods of destruction of hopes, in the absence of the opportunity to realize their dreams and plans.

It is known that most of all dependence on computer games extends to teenagers, young people who are in the transition period. Games give them the opportunity to psychologically assert themselves, self-actualize, without risking anything.

The same thing happens with mature people who have crossed the threshold of 40 years. This is another important and dangerous age period, when a person evaluates the results of the years of life already lived, begins to feel the approach of old age. If a person realizes that half, and perhaps most of his life has already passed, and he has not come a step closer to his dream, life has not gone at all the way he once imagined, then a crisis begins.

Most try to drown their sadness in alcohol, others use drugs to escape from an unpleasant reality. Some try to make up for a short period of everything that they missed, which they refused in their youth. But some of the adults go into virtual reality, and some of them are drawn irrevocably.

Today, it is not uncommon for summer men to sit at the computer for days on end, playing tanks, quit their jobs, forget that there is real life, family, children. Computer games have become hell for these families.

Addiction treatment

Despite the fact that most doctors and medical organizations do not recognize dependence on virtual games as a disease, in some countries measures have been taken for several years and methods have been developed to treat and prevent the onset of this disease.

In one of the clinics in the UK, a department has been opened that specializes in the treatment of addiction to computer games. In China for last decade several children's camps have been opened, in which teenagers who have gone headlong into the world of computer dreams are returned to real life. And in South Korea, Internet service providers are required to reduce the speed of Internet access for users who devote too much time to online role-playing games.

Unfortunately, the above measures are only of a general nature and are taken only in some countries. Thanks to this, the problem of addiction to computer games is slowly but surely gaining momentum against the backdrop of the Internet becoming more and more accessible and cheaper computers.

Alas, the attempts of the patient's relatives to independently cure him of addiction are doomed to failure the more the problem is rooted. In the later stages of the disease, when a person neglects work, study, proper nutrition and sleep, when a person is no longer interested in sex, he needs the help of a qualified specialist. It must be borne in mind that, first of all, a person addicted to computer games needs to realize that he has a problem. Otherwise, he will subconsciously and consciously oppose the healing process.

The treatment consists primarily in the fact that working with the patient, psychologists and psychotherapists bring him not just to a superficial understanding, but to a deep awareness of the meaninglessness and futility of games. Their task is to help the patient realize the importance of those things that happen to him in the real world while he is immersed in the virtual world. After psychotherapy, supplemented by drug treatment, it becomes much easier for the addict to give up computer games.

Drug treatment primarily consists in normalizing the metabolism of the body and restoring the functioning of its various systems. An important link in the treatment of addiction is the reduction of irritability and nervousness with sedative drugs. Plus vitaminization of the body, depleted by a long period of malnutrition and sleep.

Addiction Prevention

However, any disease is easier to prevent than to treat, and addiction to computer games is no exception. The conditions and circumstances under which there is an increased risk of over-indulgence in computer games have already been described above. It must be understood that people are not equally at risk. If we compare a group of people who are already quite familiar with computer games and a group that has not come across games before, then, of course, the risk of getting addicted to computer games will be an order of magnitude higher for the first group.

To prevent the development of gambling addiction, you should monitor your emotional state during critical periods of life. If depression sets in, it would be a good idea to apply the methods for preventing and combating depression described in this article. They will help diversify life and raise the overall tone of the body.

If you want to go into the virtual world, you need to consciously engage yourself in real things, such as reading books, putting things in order at home, or playing sports. It would be nice to find some permanent hobby. An ordinary walk in the fresh air, cycling is also a great opportunity to get distracted, get new impressions, and perhaps even interesting acquaintances.

The same applies to children as well. If they already know what computer games are and actively play them, you should not ban them from playing computer games. There is a saying: “if you really don’t want to do something, strictly forbid your children from doing it ...”. You just need to pay attention to the interests of children that exist in addition to the computer and encourage them to support children in this direction, respecting the hobby for computer games. After all, if a person devotes several hours a week to computer games, then this cannot be called an addiction. But the line between passion and addiction is thin.

Like many other diseases, gambling addiction is a treatable disease. However, it requires desire and diligence on the part of the patient himself and great patience, love and support from his relatives. Not much more than is required in order to return your loved one to the side of real life in time and not to start the disease to the last stage.

Be attentive to your loved ones. Be healthy!

Addiction to computer games

How to understand how harmless a computer game is? What is gambling addiction and how to deal with it?

The global technological progress has given us a lot of new and interesting things. A computer, which a few decades ago was a unique miracle of technology, available only to a select few, is now present in almost every home. It is difficult for a modern person to imagine his day without this universal device - it is our faithful companion both at work and at home, when we "rest" after a hard day. Undoubtedly, there is nothing terrible in watching in the evening interesting film on the World Wide Web or search for the necessary data. But this is far from all that a computer can offer us ...

There are probably few people left on Earth who are not familiar with computer games, or at least have not heard of them. According to experts, the history of computer games has a little more than half a century - the first of them appeared in the distant 50s. By definition, a computer game is a program that serves to organize the game process, communicate with game partners and / or itself is a partner. Often such games are based on books and films. And since 2011 in the US, computer games have been officially recognized as a separate art form.

In recent years, the production of computer games has become a whole huge industry. Of course, demand creates supply, which means that more and more people want to play. Naturally, an hour or two of playing once a week "for relaxation" will not kill anyone. But is everything as simple with computer games as we would like to believe? Let's figure it out.

What is computer gaming addiction?

Computer gaming addiction, or gambling addiction, is a form of addiction that manifests itself through an obsessive passion for computer games and video games. Dependence is formed especially quickly in cases when, with the help of a game, a person tries to solve his psychological problems and tasks. For example, in the game you can feel like a completely different person, not the same as in real life; you can show feelings that are not customary to experience openly: aggression, anger; you can discard the real anxiety from the present time and go into the virtual world. According to research by experts, online games cause the strongest addiction. In history, cases of the fatal consequences of such fun are known - for example, in 2005, a Chinese girl who lost World of Warcraft for many days in a row died of exhaustion.

At the moment, gambling addiction is not recognized as a disease. Such an ailment is not officially included in the International Classification of Diseases. But the debate over the adoption of this term is ongoing. According to experts, additional tests are needed to study in detail the impact of gambling addiction on the human body.

However, the results "on the ground" speak for themselves. Online games captured the minds of mankind. The number of players is already in the millions. What is the catch of such a seemingly harmless activity? And the thing is that it, like any other addiction, can drag you into its networks. The player forgets about everything in the world: about food, sleep, basic hygiene, obligations to family, loved ones, children, not to mention physical activity and walks in nature. Unable to interrupt the gaming process, gamers can lose their jobs and families. The real world for them is completely replaced by the virtual one.

But, of course, teenagers have the hardest time. These “no longer children, but not yet adults”, already experiencing one of the most difficult periods in their lives, go into games “with their heads”. As a result, relations with the family deteriorate, exams fail, sessions fail. Former honors roll down to deuces. In addition, over time, games begin to require more and more cash investments. And where can I get them for a person who does not yet earn money on his own? Many begin to beg from their parents, and when they stop giving, they take without asking. In such cases, urgent help is required - the young man is no longer able to get out of this endless marathon alone ...

Symptoms of computer gaming addiction

How to recognize a gaming computer addiction? Experts call such symptoms:

1. Unwillingness to be distracted from a computer game;
2. Irritation with forced distraction from the game;
3. Euphoria or just feeling good while at the computer and playing a game;
4. Failure to schedule the end of the game session and the time spent at the computer;
5. Forgetting about home and work responsibilities, studies, agreements, scheduled meetings during the game on the computer;
6. Large cash investments to ensure constant updating of devices and computer software;
7. Neglect of sleep, hygiene, health, in favor of spending as much time as possible in the game;
8. Refusal of normal meals, preference for mechanical "absorption" of irregular, monotonous meals in front of the computer;
9. Abuse of psychostimulants: coffee, various energy drinks;
10. An obsessive desire to discuss a computer game with everyone who understands at least something about it.

In addition, dependence on computer games negatively affects both physical and mental health of a person. Common physical symptoms include:

• Visual disturbances, dry eyes;
• Headaches;
• Changes in sleep patterns, sleep disorders;
• Digestive disorders due to irregular and malnutrition;
• Frequent back pain caused by a long sitting position;
• posture problems;
• Decreased immunity;
• Constant feeling of tiredness;
• Tunnel syndrome - damage to the nerve trunks in the wrist. Such a violation occurs due to uncomfortable working conditions with the mouse and keyboard and prolonged muscle strain;
• Neglect of personal hygiene and related problems.

The psychological symptoms of addiction are less visible to the naked eye, but no less significant. The player himself may not notice how much time he spends on games, how he forgets to eat and moves away from relatives and friends.

According to psychologists, the most prone to game computer addiction are people who are insecure, with low self-esteem, having difficulties in communication, dissatisfied with life and themselves, shy by nature and having complexes. The game gives them the opportunity to go to another reality, fulfill their desires, experience new emotions, feel strong, meaningful, armed. That is, in fact, there is a substitution of real life for a virtual game.

Causes of computer gaming addiction

The main reasons for the development of gaming computer addiction psychologists include:

1. Lack of real quality communication. Most of all, this problem affects children and adolescents whose parents are too busy or prone to overprotectiveness. The lack of real communications makes people look for them in the virtual world;
2. Lack of bright interesting moments in life. When a person's everyday life is filled with dullness and boredom, he tries to "get" positive emotions in Game;
3. Sexual dissatisfaction. Basically, the “victims” of gambling addiction are people who are dissatisfied with their personal lives or do not have one. Also, sometimes various sexual disorders and deviations from the norm are masked under a pathological attraction to games. After all, the beauty of toys is that the player is, in fact, anonymous, no one will “bite” him and will not poke his fingers at him, which means that you can manifest yourself in different ways;
4. Unformed psyche. It is not uncommon for players to "hang out" mentally in childhood or adolescence, unwilling to accept adult life with all its responsibilities;
5. Social fears, phobias. Often behind the increased craving for games is the fear interpersonal relationships, society as a whole, the inability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, lack of creativity, flexibility. The virtual world of the game in this case can replace the reality that he is so afraid of, provide a more comfortable environment for a person. All this poses a serious threat to success in real life;
6. Conflicts, discord within the family. When everything is tired, “it doesn’t work out”, it doesn’t work out, there is a great temptation to go to a place where you will not be judged, and in general no one knows you;
7. A chance to get away from real life problems. It begins to seem to a person that with the help of the game he will be able to relieve his stress, anxiety, depression, "escape" from problems in school, overload at work, discord in the family and circle of friends;
8. The presence of psychopathy. Psychopathy does not mean a disease, but pathological character traits that, under adverse conditions, lead to prolonged stress and chronic diseases. Psychopaths are considered the most prone to various addictions.

According to psychologists, role-playing games are the greatest danger. The very meaning of such games involves the "entry" of a person into the game, identifying himself with the character, the loss of the player's individuality and his integration with the computer. And, the stronger the effect of immersion, the more difficult it becomes then to break away from the game.

Stages and consequences of gaming computer addiction

Computer games attract many people, but not all become gamers. Players can be conditionally divided into 4 categories:

1. situational game. These people play when they have external factors: free time, competition. If there is no outside influence, there is no interest in the game either;
2. episodic game. In such cases, people start playing computer games from time to time, but they are able to control themselves and limit the time spent in the game;
3. systematic game. Such players are addicted to computer games, but wasted time and unfulfilled duties cause them remorse, as a result of which they may stop playing;
4. Gambling. For people from this group, the game becomes the meaning of life and takes virtually all the time. When at the moment a person does not have the opportunity to play, he still plans the course of the game in his thoughts, waiting for the moment to return to it. Unfulfilled obligations, unfinished business, losing instead of being suspended from the game, on the contrary, provoke him to continue on and on. In this case, we are talking about true gambling.

The development of addiction to computer games occurs in several stages:

1. The stage of mild infatuation. At this stage, adaptation to the game takes place;
2. Passion stage. Sharp and fast formation of dependence. There is an increased desire to play, gaming sessions become longer. The stakes in the game increase (if the game is played "for money"). At this stage, there is still no struggle between the desires to play or not to play, and a person can still refuse to play even if he wants to sit down at the computer;
3. addiction stage. At this stage, the magnitude of the dependence reaches its maximum value. The struggle of motives “to play” or “not to play” is clearly manifested, it is more and more difficult to choose “not to play”. The time spent at the computer increases sharply, excitement increases, it becomes very difficult to break away from the game. If the player receives cash winnings, they immediately return to the game;
4. attachment stage. The strength of addiction for a long period of time remains stable, then decreases a little and is fixed again and remains stable. Now the game becomes the center of the whole life of the player. Money becomes only a symbol of the game. At this stage, a person can no longer independently overcome the desire to play. The goal of the game is the process itself, not winning. It is very difficult for a person to refrain from gambling, such intervals are extremely small and arise only forcibly. The player is always immersed in his gaming fantasies.

What are the consequences of gaming computer addiction? Psychologists include:

• private and protracted conflicts at home, often - family breakdown;
• loss of friends and close circle;
• loss of social status;
• large financial debts;
• personality degradation.

Prevention and treatment

Any violation is always easier to prevent than to cure. And gambling is no exception. According to psychologists, a very important part of the prevention of computer gaming addiction (as well as other addictions) is explanatory work, primarily among young people. It is necessary to give them examples of how such an addiction ruined human lives, led players to poverty, to the loss of their favorite activities and former interests. It is important to point out that often gambling is the result of a weak character and lack of willpower. Also, in the prevention of gambling among children, a positive example of the parents themselves and close adults is also important - constantly observing how bright and interesting real life can be, taking part in it on their own, the child is unlikely to want to exchange it for a virtual one. And, of course, you should not neglect close emotional contact with the child - finding him in the circle of relatives and friends, the child will not be forced to chase him, running away to the computer.

If such an addiction has already arisen, it is important to know that it is also treatable. But, depending on the stage of addiction to the game, its treatment can take months or years, full of prohibitions and restrictions.

Among the recognized methods of treatment of computer gambling addiction are the following:

• Conversations with a psychologist. The task of such sessions is to convince the player of the ephemeral nature of his virtual world, to show him all the beauty, perfection of real, real life;
• Medical treatment. An experienced doctor can prescribe special psychotropic drugs - antidepressants, antipsychotics;
• Attention to a loved one. It is very important to notice in time when a family member is immersed in games, try to pay more attention to him, diversify life, add new colors and impressions to it. After all, if a person, in addition to computer games, has other interests and hobbies, study, work, sports, a constant lively social circle, the likelihood of getting sick with gambling addiction is negligible.

All these measures work best in combination, and under the supervision of specialists. Often, in the treatment of a gamer, family psychotherapy is used - at the same time, many related problems of family members are also solved.

If you are worried about the pathological passion of your family member for computer games, do not hush up the problem! It is very important to notice alarming "bells" in time and seek qualified help. But do not forget - a holy place is never empty. If you do not fill the space freed from games with lively productive deeds, there is a chance that other addictions will come in their place - alcoholism or the same drug addiction. Indeed, in fact, a person who finds himself in such a difficult situation tries to find a way out for himself, a kind of “surrogate” for a normal life, which does not exist for him in real life. But to help find, create and fall in love with it is already a specific task for the player himself and his relatives. The task is difficult, but doable, as many examples show.

“Be attentive to your loved ones, choose live communication, real life and always be happy!”

Addiction to computer games

Gaming addiction is an alleged form of psychological addiction that manifests itself in the obsession with video games and computer games.

The most addictive games are most often considered online, especially MMORPGs. There are cases when too long a game led to fatal consequences. So, in October 2005, a Chinese girl (Snowly) died of exhaustion after playing World of Warcraft for many days. Following this, a virtual funeral ceremony was held in the game.

Computer games are often the object of criticism. A number of scientists believe that they cause addiction, along with alcohol and drugs, but a consensus on this issue has not yet been reached.

German researchers at Charite University conducted an experiment in which a group of 20 people were shown screenshots of their favorite games. Their reaction turned out to be similar to that shown by patients with alcoholism and drug addiction when they see the object of their pathological passion. A study by Nottingham Trent University called the International Gaming Research Unit showed that 12% of a control group of 7,000 people had signs of addiction to online computer games. 19% of Facebook's 250 million users have admitted to being heavily addicted to gambling. Some authors believe that gambling addiction arises from online games, and, accordingly, is a type of Internet addiction. There is also an opinion that some people have problems not from the game process, but from inefficient time management and even from the stigma associated with computer games.

A number of researchers believe that some of the criteria used to assess the prevalence of computer game addiction artificially inflate the percentage of prevalence, are not reliable, are not suitable for clinical tests and need to be revised - their studies are often criticized for using symptoms that are suitable for drug addiction and ludomania, but not suitable for computer games as a form of pastime. Psychologist Christopher Ferguson states that studies focusing on the extent to which playing computer games interferes with the lives of gamers speaks of it as a relatively rare phenomenon - approximately 1-3% of the gaming population, while studies using more dubious criteria cite absurdly high 8-10%.

AT this moment Gambling addiction is not officially recognized as a disease. The international classification of diseases does not contain such an ailment. However, information about the imminent adoption of this term appeared repeatedly. Since 2007, the American Medical Association has been conducting research into the symptoms of a suspected disease. However, after a long debate, doctors came to the conclusion that at the moment, addiction cannot be recognized as a disease. They believe that the issue at hand requires further testing. At the moment, according to experts, gambling is not a problem for society.

There is an ongoing debate about whether video game addiction is a separate syndrome or a symptom of underlying problems such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Psychiatrist Gerald Block notes that the addiction to games is much stronger than to Internet pornography. British therapist Steve Pope, writing in the article Gaming addiction grips youngsters from the Lancashire Evening Post, stated that two hours spent on a console is comparable to taking a line of cocaine. As negative examples of addiction, he cites situations where gamers abandon friends, switch to unhealthy food, drop out of school, they have increased aggressiveness, a tendency to violence, and a number of other factors. The article caused a wide resonance in the press and was heavily criticized due to its biased nature and lack of any evidence.

So, according to the psychologist Ivanov M.S., role-playing games represent the greatest danger, since the very mechanics of the game consists in the “entry” of a person into the game, integration with the computer, loss of individuality and identification with a computer character. The researcher highlights his own criteria for "harmful" role-playing games: firstly, it is the strength of the immersion effect, and secondly, the absence of an element of excitement or a significant decrease in its value. It is believed that addicted gamers need psychological help, their problems are an unfinished personal life, dissatisfaction with themselves, loss of the meaning of life and ordinary human values. Other difficulties appear - reduced mood, well-being, activity; increased level of anxiety and social maladjustment.

Penny: Get to the point, I'm about to level up!

Leonard: If a person experiences dissatisfaction in real life, it is very easy for him to dissolve in the virtual world, where he allegedly achieves some kind of success.

Penny: La-la-poplar. So guys, Queen Penelope is online again.

Penny: Get to the point. I'm about to level up here.

Leonard:If a person doesn't have a sense of achievement in their real life, it's easy to lose themselves in a virtual world where they can get a false sense of accomplishment.

Penny: Yeah, jabber, jabber. Boys, Queen Penelope's back online.

The scientist also identified the dynamics of the development of computer addiction, dividing it into four stages: initially, the process of adaptation takes place (the stage of mild enthusiasm), then there comes a period of sharp growth, rapid formation of dependence (the stage of enthusiasm). As a result, dependence reaches a maximum, the magnitude and nature of which depends on the individual characteristics of the individual and environmental factors (dependence stage). Further, the strength of dependence remains stable for a certain period of time, and then declines and again is fixed at a certain level and remains stable for a long time (attachment stage). Ivanov calls the impossibility of a complete rejection of computer games, despite the realization of the futility of the game process, as a decisive factor determining addiction. The mechanism itself consists in “avoidance of reality” and “acceptance of a role”, that is, isolation from real problems and identification with fictional characters of virtual worlds.

According to the neurologist Baroness Greenfield, games are the cause of dementia, as modern means of entertainment lead to increased excitability of the nervous system. Over time, a person gets used to such a state, addiction occurs, as a result, the risk of developing dementia increases. As proof of his theory, Greenfield cites the growth in the number of trolls in social network Facebook - which, in her opinion, indicates the degradation of the mental abilities of the teenage generation. These claims have been criticized as unsubstantiated and speculative.

Douglas Jantal, in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, conducted a study on the impact of games on human health. About 3,000 children were under observation, every tenth child is addicted. “Children addicted to games had increased levels of depression, anxiety and social phobia, and their academic performance declined. When they got rid of addiction, these symptoms decreased to normal values, ”the doctor noted. In response to this work, the Software and Game Manufacturers Association of America stated that no concrete evidence has been presented, the methods are questionable, and the conclusions do not stand up to scrutiny.

Currently, a number of medical institutions and programs are being created and operating in a number of countries that provide treatment and prevention of gambling addiction. In England, on the basis of the Broadway Lodge rehabilitation center, a department has been opened that specializes in working with gamers. The twelve-stage program is designed for both children and adults. The South Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports has developed the Nighttime Shutdown program to combat gambling addiction, which affects more than 2 million users in the country. The essence of the ongoing activities is to close access to gamers under 19 years of age to MMOG-games for six hours a day. According to another program, the Internet connection speed is gradually reduced for those users who play MMORPG games for more than a certain time, which ultimately leads to the impossibility of the game process. In China, where, according to analytical data, about 13% of World Wide Web users are dependent on online games or the Internet, a summer rehabilitation camp was opened in 2007. The treatment consisted in the fact that for 10 days children and adolescents communicated with each other, a psychologist and nature. Another practiced method is the integration into computer games of a special system that prevents a game that lasts more than three hours. The longer the game time, the more abilities and skills the game character loses. The Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam plans to impose severe restrictions - providers and owners of gaming cafes will be required to block the ability to play online games from 10 pm to 8 am. "Local departments of the ministry will inspect online activity throughout the country and take action against organizations that violate this ban, up to the termination of their activities," said Deputy Minister Le Nam Than. This measure is aimed at improving the way of life of the younger generation.

Causes, symptoms and treatment of video game addiction

Dependence on computer games is one of the forms of psychological dependence, which manifests itself in a person in an obsessive passion for computer games. Such dependence is one of the forms of addictive human behavior, a way of avoiding the existing reality by transforming one's psycho-emotional behavior and requires competent correction.

Causes

Computer addiction in children has become epidemic. The average student spends at the computer from 2 to 6 hours. About 70% of American children spend their free time playing games with plots of cruelty and violence. In these games, killing is the goal and the main element of the game. Children confuse virtual reality with the real one, which is why more and more minors in America open fire with guns and pistols at school.

Any addiction or mania is the result of deep psychological problems. With the help of computer games, a person tries to get away from an exciting life situation or replace some missing element in his life (the attention of loved ones, social status, the absence of a loved one).

Possible causes of computer addiction:

• Various mental disorders (psychopathy). Pathological character traits of a person, lack of sociability, complexes and modesty often lead a person to Internet addiction. Some patients with the help of a computer realize their childhood fears and fantasies;
• Lack of communication. This problem is relevant for children and adolescents whose parents are constantly busy earning money;
• Intra-family conflicts. To get away from family scandals, some people are immersed in the virtual world, which further aggravates the situation and leads to divorce;
• social phobias. A person is afraid of real society, interpersonal relationships. Computer games allow you to get away from reality, to feel strong and significant. A computer for a person becomes an interlocutor, life partner and sexual partner.

Symptoms

The pathophysiological mechanisms of the formation of computer addiction and gambling addiction are the same. They are based on the stimulation of various pleasure centers in the brain. Both teenagers and independent adults fall into dependence on computer games.

This pathological state manifests itself in the form of a feeling of euphoria and psycho-emotional upsurge during immersion in the virtual world. The patient cannot plan his time spent at the computer. In order to overcome sleep and stimulate mental activity, he begins to use caffeinated drinks and other psychostimulants. For some adult gamers, beer and various fast foods become the main product of “food”. A person who is mostly immersed in the virtual world does not follow the rules of personal hygiene: he forgets to brush his teeth, comb, take a shower. He eats poorly, sleeps and leads a sedentary lifestyle.

If the computer is broken, the patient is in a frustrated state, may be aggressive with loved ones and people around him. Such a person begins to spend all his money on updating programs, computer consoles, new games. He does not think about his personal life, about work or study, his world narrows down to completing the next mission in the game.

As addiction progresses, a person cannot give up computer games, although he is well aware of their futility. He constantly leaves the existing reality and plunges into the virtual world, takes on the role of a certain character and lives his "computer" life.

The patient communicates with other people on various computer topics. Gambling addiction leads to an overload of the central nervous system, excitatory impulses constantly enter the human brain.

After some time, the patient has a decrease in mood, general well-being, social activity, increased anxiety and impaired adaptation in society. As computer addiction develops, adults develop dissatisfaction with themselves, the meaning of life is lost, and deep depression develops.

In adults with gambling addiction, libido decreases, various disorders in the sexual sphere occur. "Dependent" people, as a rule, have an unsettled personal life, are closed, taciturn.

Manifestations in adolescents and children

Computer addiction in adolescents, as a rule, is severe. They become angry and aggressive if their parents ask them to get away from the computer even for a minute. Signs of gambling addiction in children are the fact that they begin to skip school, lie to parents and teachers. Some underage patients beg or steal money to spend on their favorite computer game.

Computer games cause cruelty in children, because there you have to shoot and kill, and for this you are supposed to be rewarded in the form of points, bonuses and gifts. The immature psyche of a child is overloaded with game effects. In the mind of a modern child, virtual reality is no different from real life.

Computer addiction in adolescents adversely affects their health and academic performance. The child begins to drink and eat without leaving the computer monitor. At school, all his thoughts and desires are directed towards the anticipation of playing at home.

Adolescents with gambling abandon friends, begin to eat unhealthy foods, and abandon their studies. Many juvenile patients become aggressive, prone to violence. Some scientists argue that computer addiction in children leads to dementia.

Effects

Dependence on computer games adversely affects human health. Over time, his eyesight deteriorates, problems with the spine and joints appear. Many "addicts" suffer from headaches and insomnia. As a result of sitting at a computer for a long time, a person develops weakness, increased fatigue, and a decrease in appetite. Sitting at a computer for a long time leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases: angina pectoris and ischemic disease hearts.

Long-term use of drinks containing caffeine and other stimulants leads to exhaustion of the nervous system, arterial hypertension. Given that "dependent" people do not eat well, they develop gastritis and gastroduodenitis, a tendency to constipation.

Computer games in children develop those parts of the brain that are responsible for vision and movement. Gambling stops the development of the frontal lobes, which are responsible for training memory, learning, emotions.

Children who are addicted to computer games spend little time outdoors and do not go in for sports. Most often, these children have a pale appearance, "bruises" under the eyes, a poorly developed musculoskeletal system.

Diagnostic criteria

Before you seek qualified medical attention, you need to make sure that your family member has a computer addiction, and not just an excessive passion for video games. There are a number of criteria based on which you can differentiate the problem:

• The patient does not want to be distracted from the game and reacts aggressively to such requests;
• Lack of critical attitude to their behavior;
• The patient neglects his social responsibilities (study, work), does not participate in family affairs and his social activity is sharply reduced;
• The patient loses interest in the world around him, and experiences an emotional upsurge only during a computer game;
• Disregard for the norms of personal hygiene, behavior in society;

Apart from deviant behavior the patient has sleep disturbance, headaches, discomfort in the back. Also, due to the prolonged forced position of the hand, the development of carpal tunnel syndrome is possible.

If these criteria are met, the patient can be diagnosed with addiction to computer games.

Therapy Methods

You can not consider computer addiction as a completely independent disease. It is a consequence of more serious psychological problems. Therefore, it is important for a specialist to identify the root cause of the disease and deal with it.

To treat the consequences of computer addiction, psychotherapy, drug methods, and hypnosis are used. It is important to take a holistic approach.

With this dependence, psychiatrists use autogenic training, behavioral, family psychotherapy, psychosynthesis. Psychotherapy is aimed at correcting intra-family relations, eliminating various psychological attitudes of a person (isolation and lack of sociability), treating children's fears and sexual problems in adults.

Gestalt therapy methods are successfully used in adults. This is due to the fact that the passion for computer games is a way to get away from a previously unresolved problem. And these methods suggest how to "close the gestalt" i.e. resolve the situation.

Symptomatic drug therapy is aimed at treating insomnia, irritability, increased anxiety and depression. Adult patients with gambling addiction are prescribed herbal sedatives to reduce the excitability of the nervous system. These can be herbal tinctures, but most often doctors prescribe tranquilizers or antipsychotics. Sleeping pills are used to normalize sleep cycles.

Mandatory drugs in the treatment of computer addiction are antidepressants. They relieve psycho-emotional stress, normalize mood and improve overall well-being.

It is important to establish proper nutrition, which takes into account the already formed problems with digestion. The patient is additionally prescribed a course of vitamins and restorative medicines.

Stages of psychological assistance

Specialized assistance has a certain staging. This structure has been identified as the most effective in the treatment of computer addiction.

At the first stage, it is important to help the patient overcome internal resistance to treatment. This is a key point, without which further therapy loses its meaning. The patient must be aware of the problem, as well as the need for outside help to resolve it.

The second stage is aimed at determining the depth of the problem. The patient, together with the attending physician, must identify all the pitfalls that may interfere with social rehabilitation. The doctor's tactics in this case are supportive and guiding.

In the third stage, the doctor's goal is to prepare the patient for real action and change. There is a gradual rejection of computer games. The patient spends more time walking, doing daily activities. The doctor records his progress and encourages him.

Psychotherapy for this problem takes long time and requires delicacy and full understanding between doctor and patient.

Dependence on computer games is a real problem of modern mankind. Virtual games are addictive, attract attention, take away valuable time that just goes to waste. Is there a cure for video game addiction and how can you make it work? The answer to this question lies through understanding the psychology of those who are more involved in it than in reality.

• Who and why is at risk of being addicted to computer games?
• What are the negative aspects of psychological dependence on computer games?
• Why do people who depend on computer games have bursts of aggression and they make a transfer from virtuality to reality?
• How to completely and completely get rid of the addiction to computer games?

Who are you, dear reader? Concerned and saddened parent who is looking for information about children's addiction to computer games? A loving wife or a caring husband who has discovered signs of addiction to computer games in his soulmate? Or maybe you yourself feel and understand that something is wrong in your life, that you devote too much time and importance to computer games?

One way or another, one thing is clear: addiction to computer games exists, this is not fiction and not a far-fetched hype around a non-existent problem. For the players themselves, the game is the reality that leads to real problems. The game creates a world in which you can find an outlet, at the same time it interferes with life and seems to make a pariah out of a person - this is exactly what the player risks becoming after many years of dependence on computer games. And the symptoms that can be observed in the player are more than frightening even for him.

What to do? How to avoid addiction to computer games? Where to look for salvation? Is there a cure?

Before answering these questions, let's agree on one convention. We will not condemn a person who is addicted to computer games, but will try to understand why the player is so attracted there, to the virtual world. And it is through this understanding that we will be able to find answers to the above questions.

I'm on a trolleybus. Next to me, a boy, 15 years old, hovered in the tablet, with skillful fingers trying to pass the most difficult level of his game. The boy is focused on the process, his stubborn zeal for victory is surprising, his tension with which he approaches the game is fascinating - it seems that now, at this moment, his whole life depends on victory. And there is nothing around. And nobody.

I look at his screen over my shoulder and see - the boy lost. Once again, obviously. Although outwardly he does not express any emotions, not a single muscle flinched on his face, I literally feel his evil disappointment. But he does not waste time - he launches the same level in a new way. And again - into battle!

The guy seems to be falling into the game. This is life! Beautiful graphics, characters perfectly traced to the smallest detail, great response speed to the slightest movement with one finger - it seems that the player is God himself in this game.

But here the boy's mother gets into the game. She suddenly jerks him sharply by the shoulder, shouting in his ear - our stop, it's time to leave. It is at this very moment that the decisive episode takes place on the screen. Probably the one that the boy had gone through many times already. And each time, he lost. The one for the victory in which he, for sure, now, at the moment, is ready to give half his life and half his kingdom, if he had it.

The boy continues to play, but his mother pulls him, and the trolley bus inexorably starts to slow down. The player is unable to take his eyes off the screen, he tries at the same time, and play, and get up, and go to the exit. And, of course, there was confusion. The guy hit some wheelbarrow grandma, apples rained down on the cabin and rolled out into the already open doors. The grandmother groans, the passengers are perplexed, the guy and mother roll out of the trolleybus. And through the already closing doors, I hear my mother’s screams and lamentations that all the boy’s attention, his whole life is in this damn toy and in the computer, that he studies poorly and does not communicate with his peers, that he is a real hermit. Her voice breaks into a squeal, she literally drags a child who is taller than her head, by the collar and yells something. What, I can't hear it anymore.

Surprisingly, the boy never takes his eyes off the screen. He continues to play and does not seem to hear his mother. And she, although she threatens to take the toy from her son, does not do this, because she knows what an inadequate reaction can be in response to this action, including an aggressive one.

I feel sorry for my mother, she really wants everything to make her son happy. But even more I feel sorry for the boy, because he, too, just wants to be left alone.

Everyone played computer games. Through systems-vector thinking, it is easy to understand that those who spend time playing computer games for days are most often people with a sound vector. It is the sound engineers who have a whole set of characteristics, which makes them potentially addicted players.

For all people in the world who were born without a sound vector, the ordinary world is all life. Such a person with early age learns to communicate with others like himself, to distinguish between plants and animals, to benefit, to benefit, to create something of high quality, to build cities, to live in a state. For a sound engineer, the world around is illusory. The less a sound engineer has managed to develop, socialize, acquire social skills, the more illusory the surrounding world is for him.

Computer games often become a salvation, they replace the real world for a sound person, involving him in virtuality, as in real life. A life in which everything is different, in which one can truly (as it seems to the sound engineer) live. There the whole world is built around him, he decides what happens in this world. In it he is God and king, almost the Creator. Yes, and do not interfere with any bodily defects, such as smells.
It would seem, well, what's wrong with that. Well, a person plays a game for himself, well, let him play. He does not interfere with anyone with his actions. Especially when it comes to children. Someone plays real games, and this one plays virtual ones - what's the difference? In fact, there is a difference and it is huge.

A person with a sound vector lives all his life with a special division of the world: into internal and external. For him, as it were, there are two separate environments: one is his soul, what he experiences inside himself, and the other is the world around him. Already being small, he distinguishes these two worlds from each other, and reaches for understanding where the line between them lies. At the age of 6, he asks the questions “why was I born?”, “What will happen when I die?”, “Is there a God and what is he like?” And the world that is inside is very important and valuable for him, and the one that is outside - it is outside, unexplored and often hostile. When a small sound child is brought up correctly, instilling in him the morality of society, developing internal moral attitudes, barriers and principles are formed in him, it is they who allow him to live in society as an adequate person. But while he is small, while these boundaries do not yet exist, getting into virtual games, where the line between reality and the fictional world is blurred, he is more and more fixed in the idea that the outside world is just an illusion. The more he hangs out in games, the more socially unadapted he becomes. Living more and more in his illusion, he runs the risk of never getting any moral or moral restrictions, which means that he can afford everything that he wants at some point.

If for 20 hours a day, without interruption, firing a pistol at characters drawn to wrinkles, then a shift gradually occurs when the hated real world merges with the virtual one. There is a feeling that ordinary people on the streets are almost the same characters and you can express your hatred for them by simply pulling the trigger. A sound engineer who has lost touch with reality can do this. And news feeds from time to time explode with such terrible reports of mass shootings.

Plunging into virtual reality, a person with an unfilled sound vector falls into a trap. He ceases to strive to fulfill his role, that is, in fact, begins to degrade as a person, a socially useful member of society. While such a life suits him, it brings less discomfort. And at this time, this is what really happens: he stops studying, works poorly and becomes a burden, both for relatives and for teachers or employers. Everyone wants to get rid of him, they avoid him, and so he is gradually forced out of normal life. And this pushes him even more into the game, from which you never want to leave.

Adult developed person with a sound vector, with his head "gone" into the game, still has a chance to get out of it. After all, he runs there from depression, from his sound questions, and, having been filled, he can still return to a full life. But if a child initially does not develop until puberty, does not receive a moral inoculation from parents and society, lives in games, risks forever ceasing to distinguish between reality and virtuality.

How to get rid of, or save a loved one from addiction to computer games?

It is impossible to cure a person/child from addiction to computer games simply by taking away a toy or forbidding him to play. It is like depriving a hungry person of food, like taking water from a thirsty one. Of course, we understand that a computer game is a bad filler for a sound vector, like insipid oatmeal for a hungry person, but it is all he has. Nothing but aggression and deaf misunderstanding can be expected in response. Moreover, the ban will only increase the desire to play, and by doing so, we will push him even more into this very addiction. And if we also put pressure on the player, shout at him, force him to do something, strain him, then we seem to be pushing him into the virtual world with our own hands. After all, there is no all this swearing and stupid fuss, because there it’s good!

It is necessary not to take away a game from a computer game addict, but to offer something that will be an order of magnitude higher, better, more interesting. If you give a person more delicious food, he himself will refuse unleavened oatmeal.

Therefore, there is only one way to treat addiction to computer games - and it is not an easy one. The sound man can only be taken out of the game by giving him answers to his inner questions "why?" and why?" By the way, you can distract an addicted person from computer games in just a couple of minutes, simply by starting a conversation with him on the topic of the meaning of life and carefully listening to his thoughts on this matter. And he will definitely have a lot of them, and many of them are bad and depressing, which is not surprising for a depressed sound engineer. But by attracting his attention with questions, hooking him with a “bait”, making it clear that this answer exists, you can gradually pull him out of the pit of gambling addiction and lead him to another life.

Where to look for these very answers to the questions "why?" and why?" They lie in the understanding of human nature, the characteristics of all people, their lives, and most importantly, the very sound vector from which all these mental torments come. Yuri Burlan talks about this at trainings in system-vector psychology. He reads his lectures online, so that everyone can attend them, regardless of where they live. Free lectures are held every month, find out about the next dates or click on the banner:

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