Dependence on the computer consequences. Computer games: a form of leisure or a dangerous phenomenon? Signs of computer addiction

There is an addiction to virtual communication or types of addiction typical for adults: shopping on the Internet, auctions, online casinos, studying information pages, watching movies. All this is nothing less than games taking people out of reality into the virtual world. Computer addiction develops in 58% of cases per year, in 25% - within six months, in 17% - after a year of active use of a computer.

Computer addiction is an obsessive need to use a computer and the Internet, accompanied by social maladaptation of the individual and psychological symptoms. A dependent person is characterized by an inadequate perception of himself and the world around him.

The American psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg coined the concept of "Internet addiction", but preferred to use another term - "pathological computer use". This is a broader term, it is still used today. This concept includes all possible situations of using a computer, and not just or online games.

There are three stages of development computer addiction:

Familiarity with the Internet and interest in its capabilities. Their application to your life.
The gradual replacement of the main areas of life by the computer: working on the network (some people even know how to make money on games), buying and selling things, ordering food, virtual tours, etc.
Almost complete or complete escape from reality into the world of the Internet and the computer.

Regardless of the pronounced signs of dependence or the characteristics of the behavior of the individual, it is customary to focus on losses in real life rather than time spent at the computer. And losses usually occur in the area family relations, daily duties, sleep and rest, sports, communication and walks with friends, reading printed publications, hobbies, sexual life.

Risks

Game or computer addiction in adults threatens, including divorce. Often there are financial problems such as unreasonable spending on a computer and the Internet (upgrading a computer and paying for Internet services), on the basis of taking loans and getting into debt (especially true for casino games).

Loss of access to the Internet or failure in the game can cause a person to have a state that entails nervous breakdowns and emotional disorders. Deaths due to chronic sleep deprivation have been reported.

During real communication and social interaction a person learns and gains experience and knowledge. With computer addiction and the accompanying social isolation, a person loses the ability to interact with people. A person can communicate and assert himself in a circle of similar addicts, but in other respects he becomes insolvent. For him, such categories as reflection, self-identification disappear, the ability to put oneself in the place of other people and imagine how others see the individual himself is lost.

For those people whose profession is related to working at a computer (programming, writing articles, creating videos and photos, etc.), addiction borders on workaholism, that is, one addiction turns into another and vice versa. It is not necessary only to play at the computer in order to be divorced from reality. In terms of health consequences, all types of computer addiction are equally harmful.

Features of computer games

Most of the games are built in such a way that a person looks at virtual space through the eyes of the hero, that is, there is a maximum identification with the character. It is this entry into the role that causes the loss of connection with reality and with one's true "I". Gradually, a conflict develops between the I-virtual and I-real.

Signs of Addiction

Signs of pathological computer use in adults include:

good health or euphoria during the time spent at the computer;
inability or unwillingness to stop working or communicating on the Internet (in real world there is nothing more interesting, more valuable or more important);
a systematic increase in the time spent at the computer (growth of tolerance), the impossibility of planning a session at the computer, respectively, and other elements of life;
unsuccessful attempts or unfulfilled desire to control the pastime at the computer;
a lot of time is spent not only on work or play itself, but also on computer-related activities (search for programs and browsers on the Internet, increasing computer power, distributing information into folders, communicating on thematic forums);
neglect of family, friends and work;
feeling empty and out of work at the computer;
lie or concealment of real activity (activity at the computer);
ignoring physiological needs, skipping meals or irregular meals;
sleep disorders;
neglect of personal hygiene;
using a computer, despite a pronounced deterioration in health, problems in the family or professional sphere, care of loved ones.

In addition, Internet addiction will be hinted at:

traction check every minute email or a page on the network, a profile in the game;
anxious expectation of a new access to the Internet, which happens, for example, immediately after work and against the background of ignoring the household duties of the individual and physical needs;
complaints from others that a person spends too much time on the Internet;
complaints of others (family members) that a person spends a lot of money on the Internet (many modern games require investments).

Physiological symptoms include dryness and redness of the eyes, blurred vision, muscle cramps and pain, joint problems, headaches, and back pain.

Two features serve as diagnostic criteria: computer use causes distress; causes damage to the physical, psychological, family, economic, social and interpersonal.

The fact that we are talking about the problem of dependence is also evidenced by the withdrawal syndrome, which is observed from a couple of days to a month after the individual has stopped "communication" with the computer. Withdrawal symptoms include:

psychomotor agitation and anxiety;
obsessive thoughts about what happened during this time on the Internet;
finger movements imitating computer activity (voluntary or involuntary);
fantasies about what is happening on the Internet or what awaits a person when he returns.

Symptoms disappear as soon as a person returns to their previous computer activities.

Personal characteristics of addicts

It has not yet been established exactly what is primary: personality traits or computer addiction, that is, the question is open whether the computer causes the following personal changes or these features are prerequisites for the development of computer addiction:

perseverance and perseverance in achieving goals;
high ;
disregard for social norms;
developed abstract and creative and a penchant for;
focus on the process of activity, and not on the result;
coldness and unemotionality in communication;
lack of empathy;
conflict;
lack of responsibility.

It should be noted that these features are considered not only in the context of gaming or network addiction, but also in terms of dependence on a computer for the sake of self-realization, self-development. If we assume that these traits are primary, then it is not surprising that computer addiction arises - in real life, it is difficult for a person to fully socialize with such a very contradictory set. Then a person finds a job on the net, friends on the net, education courses on the net, etc.

Often the development of addiction is preceded by the individual's open opportunity and ability to regularly replenish knowledge and learn new ones, which serves as a source of self-esteem. Along with this, there is an unexpected awareness of the personality of its own intellectual potential, new interests and hidden abilities or forgotten talents.

Causes of Addiction

There are several prerequisites for pathological computer use:

low, tendency to depression;
inability to plan free time and life;
dependence on the opinions of others;
feeling of insecurity, and incomprehensibility;
the hardships of work, study, family, that is, dissatisfaction with one's life;
search for new sensations and feelings, something new;
the desire to get support, to be understood and accepted, the opportunity to speak out, the desire to get rid of real troubles;
the desire to stand out from the crowd and improve their computer skills, to become a "guru" in the world of technology and the Internet.

How to fight

Whatever activity a person does at a computer, if we are talking about addiction, then the goal of such activity is the same - escape from reality, creating the illusion of safety and security, restoring balance and inner harmony. How more people mired in the computer world, the weaker become his ability to volitional regulation.

Thus, getting rid of computer addiction involves a complex work, starting with determining the specific reasons for avoiding reality. These problems are individual, but all addicts are united by a weak ability to adapt, impaired, the desire to avoid solutions and avoid problems, low.

To deal with the problem, you need to remove the roots of computer addiction:

Eliminate the discomfort experienced by a person in Everyday life, that is, to increase resistance to and stress resistance.
Work on increasing responsibility and determination. As a rule, computer-addicted people are endowed with increased sensitivity to life's difficulties, they are not able to withstand the blows of fate, they deny their own importance in the development of life.
Achieve a change in mental state and mood from negative to positive. That is, to find activities interesting for the individual in the real world and form.
Work on overcoming.

It is impossible to cope with the problem of addiction on your own - the patient himself has an altered consciousness, those around him rarely have the appropriate competencies. For determining true reasons desire to escape from reality and their study, I recommend that you contact a psychologist for a personal consultation.

Prevention

The purpose of prevention is to help the individual realize responsibility for own health and life, to make the individual informed about decision-making and its consequences, as well as about the risk of the computer world. Preventing computer addiction is easier, it is within the power of every person. Prevention of gambling and computer addiction involves:

The formation of media culture and the development of personal resistance to the aggressive influence of the computer environment (more on this in the article).
To hone practical skills and abilities, they are suitable for increasing psychological stability, reducing the level of anxiety, increasing self-confidence, correcting self-esteem, and overcoming difficult life situations.
Self-realization and satisfaction in the real world, respect for oneself as, following one's interests.
The ability to express and regulate their emotions, relieve stress.
Improving self-organization skills. Start small - make a plan for the day and stick to it.
The ability to relax and turn off the computer in time. At first the computer becomes a means to an end, but gradually it becomes an end itself. Set your limit day stay at the computer, translate it into something meaningful just for you. If the work is related to the computer, then indicate the daily earnings, which will be enough. If you are fond of networks and games, then translate this into the damage that they cause - you missed dinner with your family, you do not have time to read a book. At the stage of prevention, you can still cling to it; at the stage of dependence, no “translations” will help.

The main rule for the prevention of gambling and computer addiction is to live the life that you yourself want. Of course, there are generally accepted social norms that must be followed. But where you have the right to choose and vote (work, relationships, hobbies, self-realization), you need to use it.

And, of course, it's important. People run from themselves much more often than from reality. Actually, this is why reality does not develop as we would like - there is no love for oneself and understanding of oneself.

AT modern world new technologies and achievements, a person constantly deals with various information systems. The computer has become an integral part of life for each of us, some use it for information purposes, others for communication and hobbies. Of course, a personal computer acts as an assistant, performing cognitive and communicative functions. But when the time spent near the computer exceeds allowable norms, a person becomes socially isolated and is only interested in the virtual world, it makes sense to talk about computer addiction.

Among all types of computer addiction, the most common addiction to games. According to statistics, approximately 5% of people around the world suffer from gambling and need psychological help.

Psychology of gambling addiction

The gameplay itself is a natural activity, the game is present in human life from birth. Everyone plays: football players on the field, a child in kindergarten, actors on the stage. But with the advent of computers, a lot has changed, a cyber game is fundamentally different from a regular game, as a person is immersed in a different world that does not look like reality.

Computer gambling is an escape from reality into cyberspace, a change in mental state, obsessions and thoughts. A person obsessed with computer games begins to confuse the virtual world with reality; in severe cases, cyberspace becomes the main environment for existence.

gambling addiction

In terms of its symptoms, gambling is similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. Symptoms of gambling addiction:

– pastime at the computer for more than 5-7 hours a day;
- outbursts of aggression on the comments of others about gambling;
- inability to distract from a computer game;
- eating at the computer;
- isolation from social contacts and society as a whole;
- agoraphobia;
- depersonalization;
- neglect of personal hygiene;
- the use of psychostimulants;
- communication on topics exclusively gaming topics;
- identification with the main character, complete dissolution in the game;
- a state of euphoria during the gaming process;
– investment Money in the game process or on the equipment for games.

Physiological symptoms of gambling:

dry eyes; pale skin, anemia;
back pain, curvature of the spine; headache; insomnia;
exhaustion, starvation (in severe cases - dehydration);
acceleration of metabolism;
increased heart rate and pulse.
Exists a large number of varied computer games, which are interesting in their own way to gamers, but network games are the most dangerous for the psyche. At first, a person simply identifies himself with the hero, then there is a complete dissolution in the virtual world and a departure from reality. People live in cyberspace: they fall in love, make friends, quarrel, and the emotional coloring of relationships online is much brighter than in real life.

In the psychology of gambling addiction, there are several important aspects:

- loss of sense of time;
- a constant sense of novelty;
- a distorted perception of one's self;
- change of consciousness; antisocial character;
– feeling of virtual power;
- change in the volitional aspect.

The addicted gambler is so engrossed in the game process that he loses his understanding of the passage of time and the concepts of “here and now”. Consciousness gradually ceases to distinguish the real from the virtual. There are cases when people addicted to computer games played for several days in a row, without sleep and rest.

Addiction to computer games

Gamers (translated from English as “game”) can play the same game for several decades, as they are constantly updated (graphics change, new ones are invented interesting stories). There is a so-called feeling of novelty, when the game not only does not get bored, but every time is perceived as something unusual and interesting.

Computer game addiction erases personal boundaries, a person ceases to live his own life, the virtual existence of the hero becomes dominant. Some gamers even changed their name in the passport to a game nickname, changed their appearance in order to most resemble their character.

In gambling addiction, a distortion of consciousness occurs, the real world is perceived with difficulty, in contrast to virtual reality. The cognitive sphere of the gamer suffers to a greater extent: attention is scattered, thinking is slowed down, memory is distorted.

A person with a computer game addiction becomes " social disabled”, thinking becomes autistic. Gamers stop going to work, visiting crowded places, communicating with relatives and friends. Computer gaming addiction is often accompanied by a fear of large crowds and open spaces.

In the game, it seems to a person that he can achieve everything, his self-esteem is high and his intellectual abilities are at their peak. In reality, everything looks different, the person becomes powerless: elementary hygiene procedures become difficult to perform.

Ordinary human activity is carried out with the help of volitional efforts, the motivational sphere and the main goals set. In virtual reality, on the contrary, actions take place without volitional motivation, by inertia. The player seems to be under hypnosis, his mind is programmed to complete the game. Often such people during the game process have a glassy look “to nowhere”, they do not hear the speech addressed to themselves, they do not notice anything around them.

Computer game addiction consists of 4 main stages:

1. slight interest;
2. passion;
3. addiction;
4. affection and complete dissolution in the gameplay.

Most often, children and adolescents are addicted to computer games due to the immaturity of mental functions and greater suggestibility. However, there is currently an increase in cases of gambling addiction in adults. A tragic case is known when a 30-year-old man, after spending more than 4 days in the game, died of cardiac arrest. Sharp outbreaks of gambling addiction in adults are most traceable during the period age crises life failures and chronic diseases.

Addiction gamers experience the following changes in the psyche:

- the level of anxiety increases;
- there are fears, panic attacks are possible;
- increased aggression and irritability;
- there are signs of deviant behavior and sociopathy;
- increased propensity for violence and murder;
- increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

Statistics and shocking data

Teenagers, in particular boys, are most prone to gaming addiction to computer games. According to a survey conducted among American schoolchildren, 50% of girls spend more than 5 hours a day playing computer games. Boys, on the other hand, spend more than 7 hours in the game daily, and their number is close to 80%.

gamer

The largest percentage of gamers live in Japan and China. There is a case when a schoolgirl played network game more than three days and died of dehydration. One Russian man spent almost a million rubles on a network game and sued the manufacturer for "virtual theft of funds." One American youth became so fascinated with the virtual world that on right hand, in which he held the mouse, clamping the carpal tunnel, a large intractable tumor formed.

Often computer games are a catalyst for the development of innate psychopathology. One of the horrific incidents that shook the whole of Europe happened quite recently: a schoolboy addicted to computer games shot his classmates and teacher. The boy's mental health was normal before the game, and after several months of gambling, he showed symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. There are cases when avid players of the aggressive genre became maniac killers. A resident of Louisiana during the week killed several people, as they seemed to him monsters from his favorite computer game. An eight-year-old boy living in the United States killed his nanny by playing a fairly well-known crime game.

Gaming addiction to computer games can leave a heavy imprint on the human psyche. The personality becomes antisocial, aggressive, uncontrollable, and eventually completely degrades.

Tevenko Alexander Vladimirovich

Computer gaming addiction: the main signs

The article contains answers to questions. What is computer addiction? What is the danger of computer addiction? How is computer addiction formed? The main signs of computer addiction. This applies to computer game addictions - addictions to computer games.

Target - reveal the truth and avoid mistakes will cost you dearly. Those for whom computer addiction is not just words know how difficult it is to save their loved one, sometimes impossible. The materials are based on facts confirmed by personal experience and other people. The topic is voluminous, navigation by sections is below.

Read it in full, because there is no unnecessary information here.

What is computer addiction?

Computer addiction- a special kind of relationship between a person and a computer. Specific emotional attachment of a person to technical means.

Another name for the phenomenon is gaming addiction.

Being a behavioral addiction, computer addiction is accompanied by a behavior model in which:

broken or completely no control over game behavior- a person cannot or it is difficult for him to stop playing on his own or be distracted by other activities;
video games have a higher priority before any other interests or daily tasks;
continuation or escalation (increase) of gaming activity, despite the negative consequences that have already arrived. Relationships within the family deteriorate, academic performance “rides”. Some lose their jobs or miss out on opportunities career development but continue to play computer games.

A person strives to fill all his free time with a computer: games, social networks, watching videos, and so on. The key word is "strives", because in this moment there may be circumstances that prevent you from doing what you want and enjoying computer games to the fullest.

School and parents “interfere” with children, adults with their children, work and commitments. Such factors can restrain a gamer from a breakdown only at the initial stage of the development of the problem.

If the interference disappears, a person can easily get lost in the virtual world, and it will be very difficult to get him out of there.

Quite capaciously and terribly, the term "addiction" was described by the American Addiction Association:

chronic disorder of the brain, motivation, memory and related systems. Dysfunction in these centers leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. It is expressed by a pathological desire to possess the object of dependence.

Any addiction is accompanied by:

inability to abstain;
deterioration in control over behavior;
craving for the object of dependence (breaking);
reduction for the dependent person of the significance of the problems that arise. It leads to the fact that problems are either solved for a long time, or not solved at all;
difficulties with interpersonal relationships, an unhealthy emotional reaction in the event of an attempt on the object of dependence.

This is true for video game addiction.

Gambling addiction can manifest itself with different strength(degree of severity). Can change its state: go into remission ( temporary attenuation of signs of addiction) or provoke a relapse.

If a former gamer returns to the games after a break, this often leads to the so-called computer gaming binge.

We believe you know the meaning of the word "binge".

According to official medicine, without treatment or participation in rehabilitation measures, addiction progresses and can lead to disability or premature death.

What is the danger of computer addiction?

Computer addiction is what gradually reduces the presence of a person in the real world to zero. Optionally, a person will stop going out to Fresh air(but also often happens).

A person addicted to video games loses the desire and ability to change the reality around him.

Gradually, the motivation to live real life disappears.

Social roles, responsibility for their decisions - all this will be eclipsed by the computer.

A person addicted to a computer loses the most valuable thing in life - time.

Video games were conceived as a form of entertainment. That's what they are - a form of entertainment. Computer addiction leads to the fact that the importance of the computer is overestimated, and a person, instead of using the gadget for its intended purpose, adjusts his life to him.

Gradually, a distorted view of the fullness of life is formed, in which everything comes down to having fun (read, play).

Any free minute should be spent on the game - that is, on entertainment.

A sane person understands that life does not consist of entertainment. But the computer gamer does not understand.

Another danger of computer addiction lies in the misunderstanding of its nature and the reasons why it was formed.

At a certain stage of development of the problem with it very hard deal.

A person fights on his own or his relatives help him - it does not matter. People don't know with whom they have to fight.

Even modern medicine does not fully understand what is happening and how it can be treated. Thinking that there is nothing wrong with this, people do nothing until the moment when it becomes impossible to tolerate such behavior. The alarm is raised not by the gamer himself, but by his relatives.

How is computer addiction formed?

Three reasons why computer addiction, as a phenomenon, exists in general:

Computer games are designed to make a profit. To fulfill their obligations to investors, companies make a product that, least must be enjoyable and captivating.
Lack of knowledge about the potential dangers of video games. Misunderstanding of the conditions in which it is revealed.
Lack of control over the time spent on computer games.

The formation of computer addiction is due to the lack of time control.

Parents do not attach importance, considering the computer as a harmless and even useful toy for children. Children are under the supervision of a digital "nanny".

If we stop monitoring the time spent on computer games, the process will start.

An interest arises, then a passion appears, which gradually turns into a need or attachment to games.

There are many factors that can become "catalysts" of computer addiction: stress, disappointment in yourself or your partner, failures in life, and so on. They are somehow connected with negative experiences in real life, which makes it less attractive than the virtual world.

Do not confuse them with the causes of the emergence and development of computer addiction.

Mentioned factors are not primary causes, but often help to form addictions.

The most common mistake

There is a computer in almost every home. He won trust. Many see no reason to worry about its frequent use for entertainment.

Society is at a stage where excessive fascination with the computer or the Internet is not perceived as a problem. This is the result of propaganda working to popularize the gaming movement. Funded by companies producing computer games.

The purpose of propaganda is to introduce the maximum number of people to computer games.

But.

Computer addiction is a ticking time bomb. When it will work, no one knows.

To understand where we are heading, it is enough to look at the experience foreign countries who have been fighting computer addiction for several years.

Official medicine recognizes computer addiction as a mental disorder. WHO has already done this, it remains to wait for the entry into force of the new edition of the classifier of diseases and update the domestic lists of diseases.

Research into the phenomenon of computer addiction will be conducted more frequently and more substantively. Based on the experience of the USA, Japan, South Korea, China. These countries faced this phenomenon earlier than ours.

Did they manage to cope?

What is happening abroad causes mixed feelings.

Already created medical centers for the treatment of various types of computer addiction. The centers are working, people are being healed and returning to normal life. Of course, not all and not always.

But they didn't solve the problem. The popularity of computer games, as well as the revenue of development companies, continues to grow.

Reminds me of the smoking problem. People know about the dangers of tobacco and possible consequences his smoking. They are aware of the high risk of developing a strong addiction to smoking. Despite this, every person has free access to poison (albeit from a certain age).

There are many anti-tobacco campaigns launched around the world. But practically no one has taken real and effective control measures (apart from increasing the cost of cigarettes, restrictions on sales and labeling on cigarette packs).

The maximum that can be achieved is to oblige video game manufacturers to label their products with warning labels. "product may be addictive" .

So far, computer games are marked only with an age mark (0+, 12+, 18+).

Summing up foreign experience.

The magnitude of the gulf between the availability of video games and treatment for computer addiction is interesting:

many games free or cost a little money g (800-1500 rubles).
treatment from computer addiction costs 60 to 100 times more than the game itself which led to addiction.

As a result, people who are trapped are left alone with their problem. Everyone can afford a video game, but not everyone can afford treatment in a modern center.

The main signs of computer addiction and some misconceptions

There are dozens and even hundreds of different signs computer addiction. Many are an indirect signal that there is a problem. According to some tests, you can identify one form or degree of computer addiction, according to others - not to detect it. It confuses people's minds.

Popular misconceptions

Myth 1. Computer addiction is not a mass phenomenon.

Truth. There are over 2 billion gamers in the world. According to World Organization 3-4% of them struggle with computer addiction. This is more than half of the population of Russia! And how many do not realize the problem or do not have the opportunity for treatment?

Myth 2. Video games are helpful.

Truth. If we consider separately game mechanics, games really can improve some indicators: the speed of reaction, decision-making and a number of others. At what cost?

It takes time to develop any skill. It needs to be taken from somewhere. If more time is spent developing some skills, others will suffer proportionately.

Computer literacy and computer games have nothing in common, except for the word "computer".

As a means of entertainment, computer games are just as useful as spending time in nightclubs.

Myth 3. Computer addiction can develop only in the case of mental pathology. healthy person it is not a threat.

Truth. Any addiction can be accompanied by pathological factors.

Computer addiction can be an irritant for the manifestation of signs of other mental pathologies. Even WHO experts have defined computer addiction as an independent clinical disease, the existence and development of which does not depend on other mental disorders.

Myth 4. Computer addiction does not exist, this is an exaggeration of the media.

Truth. There is no evidence that computer addiction is far-fetched, except for the opinion of a single person or group of people. This opinion is more often shared by gamers who defend their hobby.

Some means mass media they really attribute all possible sins to computer games, which whips up a moral panic. This is the place to be, we do not approve of such news. But this does not address the reality of the problem.

Signs of computer addiction

Time spent in video games

Perhaps, knowing the amount of time a person spends playing video games, determine the presence of an addiction? Most often, if a person spends a lot of time playing games, this is the first signal. But this is not always the case.

What is a lot and what is a little? A vague concept, the idea of which can vary significantly.

A number of scientists even define 1 hour of playing time per day as a lot. Therefore, relying only on time is not worth it.

If the actual playing time is relatively short, it is not always possible to relax and exhale.

Instead of the number of hours spent playing games, it is better to find out what is the meaning of this man .

Considering the phenomenon from the standpoint of free time, computer addiction begins when man looking for free time to play, instead of playing in your free time.

Depersonalization

Depersonalization - medical term, which denotes a disorder of self-perception. Own actions perceived as from the outside. Being in his body, a person for some reason does not control it.

When consciousness is captured by games, real life ceases to bring pleasure, becomes boring and monotonous.

Feeling this, the gamer tries to increase the playing time or find new games to fill his life with positive emotions.

It will take a long time before he realizes that computer games have changed his perception of the world.

We make plans, and life makes its own adjustments. It's interesting when you don't know what to expect. Computer game addicts do not expect anything unusual from their every morning. They know how their day will go.

Control over life is gradually weakening, the gamer feels like just an observer, as if he is in the passenger seat of a car. The car is moving along the road that he did not choose.

You can try to take control, but the car is already moving and traveling at high speed.

That's what depersonalization is. Life just passes by. An unpleasant and terrible feeling, there is little comparable to anything.

I often heard from my friends that their friends, young people, husbands spend a lot of time at the computer, playing various games. Then it seemed to me, what a trifle, it means that they cannot interest a man in something else. Such a problem seemed to me far away, happening to someone else, but not to me. How wrong I was. My husband also began to "hang out" all his free time in on-line games. First misunderstanding, then resentment against him. Until I realized that it was a kind of disease, an addiction. It needs to be disposed of urgently. How I cured my husband's gambling addiction - I share my experience.

How to identify gambling addiction in a person - signs and symptoms

For starters, I turned to a psychologist to better understand the signs and nature of gambling addiction. There were quite a lot of them, they were all painfully familiar to me. Besides, they are well traced, it is easy to determine the pathology in a person .

So the signs are:

Before the game - revival, gaiety, the desire to quickly finish things in order to immerse yourself in a parallel reality as soon as possible. Behavior, actions scream that he is in some kind of ecstasy, anticipation of the game.
During the game - all emotions are aggravated, excitement is high, emotional condition improves dramatically.
If you need to exit the game , someone distracts him, demands attention, then quickly gets annoyed, anxiety appears.
The futility of trying to limit time held in games.
At first, there is an episodic craving for a computer , but it is replaced by a system.
Constant Promises tie up a gamer, spend more time with the family are not crowned with success.
The game as a way to get away from problems , loneliness, anxiety, bad mood.

Psychologist after consultation advised give your husband a little test to determine dependency. There are few questions in it, however, it will best show whether there is an addiction, and what to fear.

1. The frequency of games on the computer

Daily.
In one day.
When you're bored and there's nothing to do.

2. Number of hours spent playing games?

From 3 hours or more.
Maximum 2 hours.
Up to 1 hour.

3. Can you exit the game if necessary?

I can not.
Depending on the situation.
No problem.

4. How often do you spend your free time playing games?

Always or most of the time.
Sometimes.
Rarely.

5. Did the games interfere with attending important events?

Yes, it often happens.
Yes, there have been several times.
No, it was not.

6. Do you have thoughts about games when you are busy with your usual activities?

Regularly.
Sometimes.

7. The role of computer games in your life?

Significant.
Important enough.
I can live without them.

8. Do you sit down to play as soon as you get home?

Is always.
Sometimes.
No, I don't sit down.

Option "a" - 3 points.
Option "b" - 2 points.
Option "c" - 1 point.

8 to 12 points There are no significant symptoms of addiction.

13 to 18 points – there is a possible dependence.

19 to 24 points - most likely a gamer.

Why my husband is addicted to games - I find out the reasons for computer game addiction

I could not even think that my husband would have a computer obsession. Like spending a lot of time together, common interests, trips to new places. But this is how it happened, now it is necessary to take only the most decisive action in the fight against this deviation.

The psychologist told me what could be the causes of computer addiction. The main thing is to understand why a person goes headlong into the gaming reality . With that out of the way, in most cases you can help get rid of from addiction.

The most common reason - individual personality traits, character . For example, people who are touchy, vulnerable, depressed, have low self-esteem, and are prone to stress usually get away from problems by immersing themselves in a computer. They are comfortable and convenient there, no one bothers them, no one pesters them with stupid questions. They are there find a place to live . It's a comfort zone that you can't get out of on your own. Such people may have difficulty building interpersonal relationships in a team, at work. In a similar way, finding no other way (but often just not having the desire to change something), they escape reality resulting in a dependency.

What is good parallel, network reality? The answer is on the surface - everything is simple there. There is a task a whole range of tools is offered for the solution . And even if an error occurs, it will not lead to negative consequences , for example, disapproval of superiors, abuse of loved ones.

Reason two - non-acceptance of oneself as one is, because of this, a feeling of loneliness and misunderstanding on the part of relatives . In this regard, a person is haunted by a feeling of tension, emotional exhaustion.

Another reason is closely related to childhood and the form of education. . There are two options here - overprotection or excessive demands . Two opposite moments, but they have a huge impact on the psyche, not for the better.

In the first case - a dependent person, his parents did everything for him, he himself cannot take a step. The game is simplicity in action, and a foregone conclusion of the result.
In the second variant - self-esteem is so low that the way out is in the computer, where you can become a winner as many times as you like, asserting yourself through fictional stories.

It often happens that a person is not interested in the reality that is happening to him. . “I’m bored, nothing good is happening, nothing to do” are typical thoughts of an addict who is looking for thrills in the networks. He does not understand that nothing will change from such whining. To do this, you need to make an effort -, more interesting, go to a neighboring city, go to a concert . No, of course, it's easier to sit at the computer and goggle in tanks. And in this case, the game is a way to fill a boring world.

What can be attractive in the game? For me, a person who uses a computer to view the news and work with the necessary information, nothing.

But for the gamer, this is a whole list of advantages:

Having your own world , which is only available to him.
Lack of responsibility for actions and mistakes.
Complete immersion and escape from reality .
Multiple possibility of correcting errors .
Possibility make decisions independently and influence the outcome.

This is exactly what gamers miss. And in order to get rid of addiction, relatives and friends have to make great efforts, spend a lot of time, make a lot of attempts to change a person's mindset . It's hard, incredibly expensive. emotional point vision, and sometimes financially. But it's worth it loved one regained a taste for life , not to the computer, but to the real one.

What to do if a person has a gambling addiction - popular methods of treating gambling addiction

There are many treatments for different types of gambling. . From the usual help of a psychologist and psychiatrist to non-traditional ways, such as visiting Buddhist temples.

I will only talk about those that help not only in advertising, but also in real life:

. The goal is to eliminate psychological conflict, socially reintegrate the patient. But the main condition for effective assistance is the consent of the patient to conduct sessions, the desire to cooperate with the doctor. Imposition, pressure will only have the opposite effect, aggravate the situation.
group therapy . Everyone probably knows what it is. One psychologist and a group of people who want to be cured. They communicate, each tells his story, opens his emotions, discusses problems. This is a good opportunity to open up to people, not be afraid to show who you really are. Because all those who came, one might say, are in the same boat - the boat of psychological, emotional dependence. But here, too, the main point is the desire to correct the situation, to return to normal life. If there is no desire, there will be no result.
Hypnosis . I know one person who really helped this method. But those who offer hypnotic services are mostly charlatans swindling money. So it is difficult to find a really able and knowledgeable person.
Medical treatment . Medicines can only serve auxiliary element to the main treatment. So, for example, various
dietary supplements improve sleep, relieve anxiety, normalize the psycho-emotional state. Vitamin and mineral complexes are suitable, but it is better to consult a doctor before taking them.
Coding . I can’t say anything, many clinics offer similar services, characterizing the method as awareness of the destructive effect of addiction, as well as those situations that may arise as a result of it.