Residential treatment and rehab for gaming addiction
Gaming addiction treatment
Other addictive components include
Games are social
Loneliness is one of the leading causes of addiction worldwide. Video games provide kids who are struggling socially with a clear-cut social system. If they are good at the game, people will want to play with them. This is actually a very positive component of gaming, but it can set the stage for addiction if that child is struggling with a sense of isolation in real life.
excessive amount of cortisol
Studies show that excessive video game use can result in a child’s brain being stuck in a fight-or-flight response. As a result, their brain releases an excessive amount of cortisol (the stress hormone). To relieve itself from that stress, the brain seeks out excess dopamine in either more video games or other addictive substances and behaviours like social media or alcohol. In other words, an addictive cycle is being formed.
Achievments
Achievements will always feel good, which means they will trigger dopamine. If a young person feels as though they are lost or not achieving very much in their real life, games offer quick and easy measurable growth. The more they improve at the game, the more they feel as though they are moving forward. Of course, this isn’t in and of itself dangerous. But if that person begins to substitute these feelings for the dopamine deficiency in their real life, that sense of virtual success becomes addictive. The more time they spend playing games, the less time they have to achieve their real-life goals. As a result, they feel worse about themselves and need to spend more time playing games to feel good, leading to an addictive cycle.