The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s connection.
-Johanna Hari
Gaming Addiction
The difference between overuse and addiction can be a challenging line to navigate. In both cases, working with a qualified professional can help reduce compulsive and addictive behaviors in order to develop a healthier relationship with yourself and your loved ones. To some degree, we all use different behaviors, people, or substances to numb reality. However, if you continue to allow yourself to avoid your emotions, then you will not find better ways of dealing with them, and you will have to face the unintended side effects that come with escaping reality.
People with excessive gaming seek treatment at a much higher rate than with other types of technology addiction. Gaming can include games played on computers, phones, gaming consoles, tablets, etc. Many people who identify as a “gamer” also stream videos of other people gaming, spend excessive amounts of money on related purchases, and engage in researching or listening to information about gaming. All of these activities further their gaming compulsivity. Side effects of gaming addiction can include a decrease in sleep, a decline in social skills, a worsening attention span, and more mood dysregulation. Video game creators have also become very adept at persuasive design making their users even more vulnerable to overuse and addiction by masking as meeting our psychological needs for autonomy, connection, and competence.
How you spend your time and who you surround yourself with largely determines who you are and what your future will be. To become the person, you want to be, it is important to prioritize what you want to give your attention to and let go of unwanted distractions and compulsive behaviors. To support this work, I am well versed in treating the common co-occurring conditions that tend to accompany internet overuse/addiction, including anxiety, social anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and academic challenges. From digital detoxes to finding replacement activities — I’ll be by your side helping you develop a healthier relationship with technology. My experience working with addiction and overuse has also made me well-suited to also support partners and families affected by their relationships with loved ones who struggle with compulsive behaviors and/or codependency.
