Dear Kiara,
I work. I eat and ingest. I engage in gaming. I snooze. And I do it again.
Every. Just one day.
While the first three are essential, gaming is not one of them. But it certainly feels like that. And I frequently give up on other crucial facets of my life so that I may focus on gaming. That is to say, I frequently play late into the night and occasionally skip meals and work. Mostly, it’s one specific game. I’m not sure if there is such a thing as video game addiction, but I would say that it seems like one. I am powerless to stop. I want to keep going. I’m aware that my fixation with video games is unhealthy, but I still feel helpless to control it.
How genuine is game addiction?
Stephen!
Hi Stephen!
I appreciate your writing. It’s odd that despite claiming that you “don’t want to stop,” you still felt the need to write to me.
I could write a book—and many people have—about what exactly qualifies as an “addiction.” Our society did not view cigarettes as addictive until quite recently.
Addictionologists distinguish between drug and “process” addictions when describing obsessive or repetitive behaviors, and I would consider myself knowledgeable about this subject. We’re still in the early stages of addiction awareness, I feel, so, in the end, we’ll realize it’s all a process. For the time being, consider gaming an addiction to processes. Recently, the World Health Organisation came to this conclusion, but American psychiatry is still hesitant to do so.
Recently, the World Health Organisation came to this conclusion, but American psychiatry is still hesitant to do so. Read more about it if you’re interested.
The intense ambivalence about wanting to keep going, as though the desire (you imply) is internally conflicting, is one of the indicators you provide as to whether this is an addiction. Perhaps you should stop, but you don’t want to; perhaps you should, but why? Gaming can help to relieve the anguish of this circular ambivalence.
Addiction treatment requires striking a careful balance between candor and tenderness while maintaining the highest level of authenticity. This entails avoiding “formulas,” making an effort to communicate in the other person’s language and encouraging or igniting the other person’s desire to develop, even when doing so requires facing terrible unknowns. I can do this with them, but I am unable to do it for the patients I see in therapy.
I’ve noticed that although some people require some time to get ready to cease their addictive behaviors, others are prepared right away. Others might not require a psychiatric assessment. Some people might require further help, such as recovery meetings. Others don’t respond well to recovery groups, thus more regular therapy sessions (or additional assistance, such as dialectical behavior therapy groups) may be necessary.
I hope this is useful, and once more, thank you for having the guts to ask your question. I am aware that you have the option to alter it. I would wager that you have the inner resources to pursue a more expanded way of living if you have the sensibility to notice something is wrong. Addiction poses a risk because its numbing effect might cause us to lose sight of time and missed chances.
Thank you!
Kiara
