Today’s technology keeps you climbing levels, rescuing captives, and creating worlds for as long as you can stare at the brightly colored screen and grip the controller.
But lately, it may seem that all that’s being controlled is you.
Games aren’t supposed to steal your time and wreck your relationships.
They aren’t supposed to use your imagination and their mind numbing graphics to draw you away from reality and flesh and blood friendships again and again.
You know it’s gone too far.
So, why don’t you just get up, turn it off, or play for an hour and then walk away?
Because deep down you know this isn’t fun and games anymore.
You really don’t want to miss what’s happening in that virtual world. You don’t want to let the faceless comrades and adversaries behind the countless avatars down. Even if it means letting your kids or partner or boss down.
It all seems so important, so urgent. You can’t stay away.
Your gaming is a problem.
It’s time to get a handle on this. Gaming addiction is a real thing.
It is as real a compulsive disorder as gambling addiction or internet addiction.
You’ll need to identify it clearly, accept that you have a problem, and take action to recover.
It is vital that you become more mindful and truthful with yourself. Look at how you spend your time. Hours and hours of time. Self examination is the first step to redeeming some of that time and identifying clearly what’s “fun” and what is not.
Fun and games is gaming within limits:
Video gaming should be a short term activity. Despite what the sites tell you, moderation is more fun in the long run. Anxiety and stress really are lessened by gaming when you give yourself limits. Gaming is fine if you can sit down for a little while and, alone or with friends, enjoy a temporary recreational activity and give your mind and body a break. Gaming should be a fun escape not a way to hide from problems or responsibilities.
Gaming to the exclusion of everything else is not fun and games:
Symptoms of gaming addiction are far-reaching and increasingly problematic as gamers can literally become immersed in a visually, physically, verbally, and more experiential digital universe. If you are effectively neglecting people, work, and even your own need for self-care, you may need to seek professional help. Gaming shouldn’t feel like a job or something you have to do.
Check out these signs and effects of gaming addiction adapted from a comprehensive list compiled by the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery:
Emotional Symptoms of Video Game Addiction:
- Feeling restless or irritable when unable to play
- Lying to friends or family members regarding the amount of time spent playing
- Isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming
- Preoccupation with memories of previous gaming sessions and anticipation of the next one
Physical Symptoms of Video Game Addiction:
- Fatigue
- Poor personal hygiene
- Migraines due to intense concentration or eye strain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by the overuse of a controller or computer mouse
Long-Term Effects of Video Game Addiction:
- Ongoing cycles of hunger and fatigue can lead to sleep disorders or weight and diet issues.
- Perpetual isolation leads to so much time alone that eventually no relationship survives, and loneliness compounds the need to escape, exacerbating the addiction.
- Financial consequences accumulate quickly as players divert funds to gaming sites, equipment, and high-speed Internet connection in an attempt to stay competitive.
- Educational and occupational repercussions. Addicted gamers simply have less time to advance academically or pursue career goals.
Recent studies report 6 to 15 percent of gamers are addicted the past time.
Your desire to seek out the “fun” of the high and the rush of the experience can be so intoxicating that things outside of the game distract you from the fact that you’re in serious trouble.
If you realize that video games are causing you to lose your grip on your real life, no amount of virtual winning will make up for the time wasted and relationships damaged. Reach out for help sooner rather than later. A qualified therapist will help you separate fun and addiction, so that you can finally leave the screen for real-life adventure.
