Currently we are witnessing the continuous improvement of technologies, something that benefits us enormously. However, Some of these technologies, such as video games, are entertainment that many young people use and, if used incorrectly, can cause an addiction problem.
Be careful, this does not mean that the simple fact of using them directly leads to an addiction, but it does mean that you have to be careful. These types of tools that allow us to spend our leisure time are used by many of us, however, There are people who are more likely than others to develop an addiction to them: young people.
This part of the population spends a lot of time in front of the screen, be it a computer, a mobile phone or a video game. And they are more likely to develop an addiction to new technologies. For this reason, it is essential that they have tools to prevent it.
Video game addiction can be approached from many different perspectives, you just have to know how to look carefully.
The DSM-5 recognizes video game addiction
Pathological gambling or problem gambling, although it was previously recognized as a problem to be treated, has been included in the DSM-5 in its latest edition.
The fourth edition of the manual classified pathological gambling as an impulse control disorder that did not contain subcategories. But now in the DSM-5 a new heading is established that includes addictions without substances, and Video game addiction is one of these behavioral addictions.
The reason for being classified as such arises because these addictions are experiencing rapid growth in recent times. There are more and more people, especially young people, who fall into an addiction in which the addictive object is not a substance, but a behavior.
It is for this reason that It is essential to have as much information as possible about behavioral addictions above all, to new technologies, a group to which video games belong.
Is there treatment?
If we had to define video game addiction, we would do so by saying that it is compulsive consumption or the uncontrollable need to use them all the time.
If this need cannot be satisfied, it generates significant discomfort in the addict. In general, the fact that the teenager is always in his room can be an alarming sign. Of course, we insist that just because they are used there does not have to be a problem.
But there is something that needs to be taken into account: what separates addiction from what is not can be a very small step, and that is why it is essential to pay as much attention as possible to detect the signs of an addiction. And if you see that the addiction exists, you can put yourself in the hands of specialists in their treatment.
@professional(2054529, “Are you interested in attending therapy?”)
Step by step, without hurry but without pause
The first step to overcome video game addiction is exactly the same as in the case of any other. It is necessary to recognize and identify that the problem exists.
The next step is find the help that is necessary for the person. It is essential to find professionals who have experience in treating behavioral addictions and who know how to treat the person. They will not only be able to provide personalized treatments, but they will be able to provide guidelines to the addicts themselves and their families so that they can continue working day by day to overcome that addiction.
On the other hand also It is possible that the degree of this addiction requires specific and specific treatment. with medications, but that will largely depend on the case we are dealing with and whether there is any disorder associated with video game addiction.
In any case, it is very important that if you have a child who you suspect may be suffering from a video game addiction, you help them work on overcoming it in a calm and serene way. You must make her see that it can be achieved with work and with the support of her closest circle.