Game Addiction Clinic Swamped

Via the Gamers with Jobs Press Pass, an article on The Australian site claiming that the Dutch gaming addiction clinic is swamped with fearful parents and glaze-eyed children. From the article: "Although experts are still debating whether excessive game playing counts as an addiction, Mr Bakker has no doubt that the symptoms are the same. 'If we see a car burning outside, we don't sit around wondering what to call it,' he said. 'It is not a chemical dependency, but it's got everything of an obsessive-compulsive disorder and all of the other stuff that comes with chemical dependency.' Tim, a 21-year-old from Utrecht, said he had hardly left his bedroom for five years because he was so obsessed by his computer games. "

Re:Nothing like FUD...

[Goaway]

Good job getting a political dig into a discussion about something happening in a completely different country!

wha?

[MrSquirrel]

I may be 21 but sometimes I feel like an "old fogey" -- what happened to self control?! This isn't crack or nicotine or anything physically addiction, it's a video game. I play a LOT of video games when I have free time, but all it takes to stop is a little thing called will power. I don't understand why so many people can't just put down their damn controllers. You know, while they're in the game clinic, they should at least ship me their game library.

Game addiction is real but not a big deal

[paladinwannabe2]

I personally have met someone who was addicted to World of Warcraft- he stopped going to classes to play, would fall asleep at his chair while his characted rested, and unless he's changed since I graduated, has probably flunked out of college by this point.

However, for all that, I don't think that gaming addiction is all that common- compared to alcholism [wikipedia.org] or compulsive gambling [wikipedia.org] the number of gaming 'addicts' are trivial. Also, gaming is less physically harmful than alcohol or drugs, and much cheaper to indulge in than compulsive gambling.

I suspect that the same people who are susceptible to compulsive gambling are also the compulsive gamers, so research on the larger, more important issue (compulsive gambling) might also help compulsive gamers.

Re:Where are the parents in all of this?

[Volante3192]

I'd think that throughout the history of mankind, parents have had times when they thought "I wasn't there when I should have been." It's impossible to always be there. Those that understand this and are able to instill a sense of responsibility into their children can at least rest easier when they can't be "there."

Life is full of mistakes, problems and other nasty things and the only way we'll ever progress is if we learn from them. That's the most important lesson anyone should learn, ever, and as long as we keep passing the buck around, we'll never get out of this vicious circle; in fact, things will only get worse.

Unfortunatly, the thought of the populous seems to be "keep them coddled and safe and sheltered until 18" at which case they're instantly full grown adults with complete knowledge of right and wrong in the world...

Re:Game addiction is real but not a big deal

[Miniluv]

There's more and more research emerging to support the hypothesis that any addiction to a substance without physically addictive qualities (i.e. crack and its ilk) are all rooted in the same dopamine reactions. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1669601/p osts [freerepublic.com] is a short synopsis of a story I read in long form in Chicago magazine about a woman who took a drug that affected how her brain handled dopamine and ended up with a massive gambling addiction. Stopping the meds brought back her original problem but allowed her to almost effortlessly quit gambling.

All of these non-chemical addictions seem to have the same core symptoms. People do something that makes them feel good. They do it often and begin to notice other things don't feel good anymore, then they notice they need to do this new thing more and more to keep the good feeling coming. Just because our brain makes a chemical doesn't mean it won't acquire a tolerance to it.

Re:wha?

[Anonymous Coward]

Most people seem to think that all an addict needs is willpower, however this is truely not the case. When a person has lost control, whether it be drugs or some kind of activity (i.e. gaming), attempts at self control almost always (not saying ALWAYS) fail. This will vary depending on the addiction, but generally holds true. This is because the activity itself isn't the addiction, but instead it's the desire for the result(i.e. mood change). Gotta give up the "life-style" to help kick the addiction. In fact, willpower is usually part of the problem with addicts as they can often justify any type of behavior. Most addicts don't really realize it's a problem at all (I have a great job, lot's of money, a wife and a family, no legal trouble, physically fit, etc.) However, usually friends and family will see things differently.

Unless of course my psych professor was wrong. But come on, professors are never wrong, right?

Financial incentive for this "addiction"?

[elrous0]

Am I the only one who wonders if there isn't some ulterior motivation behind these people coming forth and claiming this "addiction?" Reminds me of the unusually high numbers of "back injuries" in the U.S. in certain neighborhoods and regions (also usually the same places you'll find high concentrations of meth labs).

Are these "addicts" getting the Dutch equivalent of disability payments for this bullshit?

-Eric

Re:Where are the parents in all of this?

[antifoidulus]

Its funny to keep in mind that a lot of parents of older children(teenagers and above, the kind that get addicted to gaming) who are so over-protective of their children were themselves "flower children" of the 60s and 70s. Protesting the Vietnam war, having lots of anonymous sex and getting high on drugs that they couldn't even name all at the same time. Then they go full force the opposite direction when they became parents....Fascinating

Today's "counter culture" sucks pretty much. I mean, look at the very few songs that protest the Iraq war. For the most part, they...well..suck. They totally lack subtlety and real, human emotion. They are just a bunch of screaming. Now go look at the Vietnam protest songs, I like them better than most music today in any genre.
What the fuck happened?

Re:Where are the parents in all of this?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not that simple for some parents, some parents are simply never around, that and there are other factors.

In other words the root problem is lack of parental guidance... a child isn't something you pop out and then ignore. And since we're talking about video games (not say drugs or gangs) I doubt the reason for not being there is being a single mother working two jobs.

i.e. many children threaten suicide if they are kicked out, what are you to do if you're the parent?

Had done something when the problems first appeared instead of considering your little f*** up to be an angel? Had taken the kid to a psychiatrist while they were still a kid? Showed enough interest in them to know there is a problem? Actually tried to know something about raising a kid before popping one out?

Excessive gaming = covering other problems

[master_p]

Sometimes when a teenager or young person plays computer games excessively, there is another problem hidden underneath. Usually when a young boy (not that females are not affected, but the majority of the cases are male) stays in and plays computer games all day, it is because he finds it easier to beat the game than confronting society and his problems.

My advice to parents is to pay attention to their children and what the messages their children send. It is really important to be able to tell what's bugging your kid and deal with it.