Gaming Addiction


The Best Way to Treat Gaming Addiction




When it comes to treating gaming addiction, most will recommend similar treatments that are used for other addicts beginning with a detoxification, treatment and follow up after care. Of course many will not go for treatment and attempt to do it on their own, most will be unsuccessful as well. Online gaming addiction is an obsessive compulsive behavior that manifests itself just like a drug or alcohol addiction. The best way to deal with any type of addiction including the relatively new exposure of gaming addiction is through cognitive behavior therapy which teaches the addict how to replace the negative behavior with more positive behaviors that are not damaging to them or their family. Even gaming addicts display the typical patterns of any other addict. Their behavior becomes the focal point of their life to the point that everything else gets put on hold; relationships, jobs, self-care, all in the name of the game. Actually, many people who have an addiction to MMORPGs will not even leave the room long enough to go to the bathroom for fear they will miss something in their demented world of fantasy. Once a gaming addict requires help, which could be through an intervention from the family or possibly even seek help on their own, the standard treatment would be a detoxification process followed by treatment which would include group as well as individual therapy. These are conducted by psychiatrists or psychologists that specialize in the area of addiction and use the cognitive behavior therapy to replace the rush from the fantasy provided through the game to real life rushes from everyday life. Gaming addicts have to be taught how to deal with everyday stressors because it is thought that perhaps they became addicted to the games to escape them. It can become much easier to transform ones self into believing that they are living in the World of Warcraft than having to deal with the problems that everyday life can throw your way. In comparison, the gaming addict runs to the game for relief in a stressful situation where the drug addict runs to the drug. Both are their way of escape. This is what therapy can teach them, how to deal with that stress in a different and healthier manner. There is also some efforts being made in other countries that are dealing with MMORPG’s and attempting to compromise with an effort to reduce the power of the character in games after a couple of hours, similar to and including the World of Warcraft. This attempt is a plan that would result in the gamer unable to conquer and destroy which would cause great frustration but would also cause them to lose interest in the game for a while. The problem with that is, just like with any type of addiction, addicts find a way to beat the system every time and would be able to do so by merely setting up two different systems with different account accesses. The best news is that gaming addiction has been recognized as a national problem and help is available to those who are willing to stand up and ask for it.