Gaming Addiction

How we treat Gaming addiction?

We’re here to support you if you’re concerned about your gaming habits. At HARP Private Rehab, we’ll work with you to understand the underlying causes and help you develop the psychological tools needed to break free from the cycle.

What is a gaming addiction?

Gaming addiction happens when the urge to play video games becomes uncontrollable, even when it starts to affect other areas of your life. Like any addiction, people often turn to gaming as a way to cope with difficult emotions, past experiences, or stress. The game itself is not the problem, but the way it helps people escape their challenges. Over time, this can lead to dependence, where gaming becomes a way to avoid facing what’s going on in their real world.

At HARP Private Rehab, we focus on understanding the root causes of your gaming habits. Rather than focusing on the game itself, we aim to uncover why you turn to gaming in the first place. Our priority is to help you manage the underlying difficulties that lead to addiction, giving you healthier ways to cope. Through personalised care and support, we’ll work together to break the cycle and help you regain control of your life.

What are the signs?

Signs and symptoms of gaming addiction include:

• Preoccupation with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next session.
• Getting lost in the game and staying up all night or spending more hours playing than you realise or intended.
• If in a multiplayer game, feeling excessively angry when your team loses or if you need to stop playing.
• Minimising the amount of time you spend playing with loved ones.
• Continuing to play games even though it means you will miss an important deadline or event.
• Feeling stressed out and unhappy when playing but feeling unable to stop.
• Not being able to quit or even play less.
• Not wanting to do other things you used to like.
• Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel calm or content. Feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play.

What makes video games addictive?

Games are social:

Loneliness is one of the leading causes of addiction worldwide, and video games can provide a sense of connection for those who feel isolated. For kids struggling socially, games offer a clear social structure where they can bond with others and gain recognition for their skills. While this can be a positive aspect of gaming, it can also lay the foundation for addiction if the child is already struggling with loneliness in the real world.

Excessive Cortisol:

Research shows that too much time spent gaming can keep a child’s brain in a constant state of fight-or-flight. This leads to an overproduction of cortisol, the stress hormone. In an effort to alleviate this stress, the brain seeks out dopamine either from more gaming or other addictive behaviours, like social media or alcohol. Over time, this can create a harmful cycle of dependency.

Achievements:

Achievements in video games can feel incredibly rewarding, triggering dopamine release. For young people who feel lost or unaccomplished in their real lives, games offer an easy way to experience progress. While this isn’t inherently dangerous, it becomes problematic if they begin to substitute virtual success for real-world achievements. As they spend more time in the game, they focus less on their personal goals, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy. This, in turn, pushes them to play more, further reinforcing the addictive cycle.