Addiction Counselling London
Central London, Camden, Kings Cross, London NW1
Glen Gibson - Dip. Counselling, MA Psychotherapy, Dip. Psychotherapy
UKCP & mBACP Accredited Male Addiction Counsellor & Psychotherapist

Addicted To Games - Computer Games Addiction, Online Games Addiction, Video Game Addiction & Computer Gaming Addiction Help

Playing computer games can be fun, exciting - give us an adrenaline rush, and relaxing (especially when a brand new game comes along). Enjoying our online gaming, we can have a sense of control, achievement. Gaming can improve our wellbeing, get our brain working, replace anxiety when we get into flow state - in the zone. It can bring us stress relief and a sense of escape. We may have a sense of control, achievement. Computer games can offer us an infinite imaginary world of interactive adventures, be competitive in positive ways, playing inside the rules. Gaming can be our creative resource, creating all sorts of worlds for us to play in. Like a movie, the games can be so realistic. Playing online we can have a sense of freedom, autonomy, chatting and connection with other players, enjoy the social aspect, giving us a sense of community - our community. Attending gaming sessions means crossing borders, as if we belong, feel accepted, are part of a clique or a team, sharing with others (of different backgrounds, race, culture, ages, gender, sexuality, religion and include those with disabilities), and may struggle to replicate this offline. (Yet through gaming and understanding other people's motivations, reactions, etc., this can also help us understand and interact with others out in the world.) Playing computer games can be a place where we can be curious, in our own universe and a means of escape, be in a fantasy world at times. It can give us a structure, especially if we have ADD/ADHD. Yet our online gaming can also be a means of escaping or distracting from difficult emotions or experiences out in the real world and we may become too dependent on gaming. Our online gaming can bring out our competitiveness in ways we hadn't thought possible. Not only may other gamers put pressure on us to endlessly excel and achieve, but we too may do this. We may have become very competitive and perfectionist. We may be pulled in by trying to get the highest score, bring our level up, beat the game, win rewards. (And when the gaming is reward related a relationship developed between our dopamine levels and the reward system.) We can get satisfaction from our achievements online, which we struggle to do outside of our gaming world. We may have become hooked. We may kid ourself and others about the amount of time and money we spend playing online games (we can be detached from realising the financial transactions are about real money or get drawn into gambling through online gaming. Things may be out of balance. Inside we may feel out of control. Fixated on gaming, we may have prioritised our online gaming over and above everything else. It can be as if can't say "No" to this. We may have become very preoccupied with games and gaming (developing a computer gaming addiction, online games addiction, video games addiction, computer games addiction or PC games addiction - whatever label we give to it). Becoming so immersed in our role playing, we may be compelled to discovering more and more imaginary worlds as if we are in our own cocoon, yet we may also have numbed our feelings, which may also be a bit mind-numbing. We may have begun to give our virtual relationships more of a priority than those in the real world, hindering our advancements and achievements, which some of us may experience as alienating. Struggling to put our devices down, we may have developed a compulsive game obsession, video game dependency, as if it takes over our life. And by now we may see ourselves as a video games addict (or online games addict, online gaming addict, computer game addict, PC games addict, internet game addict, whatever we call ourselves). These types of addictions are often viewed as behavioural addictions. Our attention span may dwindle, and we may be seeking video game addiction help, computer gaming addiction treatment through video game addiction therapy and the gaming addiction counselling may also explore the types of video games we are attracted to, why do they speak to us.

Continuously playing online, so absorbed in it, excessively thinking about gaming can be like digital self-medication and we may have ignored or neglected our broader life, sacrificing real-world social activities. This may also include our emotional relationship (see also Stuckness, Staleness, Neglect & Apathy In The Relationship Counselling London), other basic human interactions (particular if we are in the autistic spectrum, may have Asperger's Syndrome). Living a digital life, we may have closed off, shut down inside, struggling to emotionally connect with ourself and others. We may hide what we do from others and escape from other challenges in life. We may even fail to look after not only others but ourself, our sleep, exercise, diet and even personal hygiene may take a back seat. Our concentration may diminish and our states of relating may be affected. Our mind can go blank, trance-like, tired or sometimes exhausted, we may ignore contact and attempts from others to do other things. We may have become slowly addicted to online games. And the World Health Organisation (WHO) now recognise computer gaming addiction in its own right. It can be as if we have abandoned ourself to gaming, struggle to nurture our feelings of loneliness, heartache in loving ways. We may vaguely promise to stop sometime in the future. Even when we are doing other activities, we may continuously think about our gaming, as if we can't switch off. We may have tried to stop turning to computer games yet been unsuccessful. It can be as if we become machine-like, similar to the very games we are drawn into. In our games addiction world we may have lost our ground, forsaken our sensual world of touch, taste, smell, etc. We may have become so attached to online gaming that we now find it hard to let go. What was once our "treat", a tool to relax, may have become a tool we can't put down, as if our urge to play has to be followed. Fixated on playing, compulsive online gaming can affect our mood and we can have a tendency to "zone out". Our mind may be spiralling, thoughts overwhelming. We may turn to computer games, video games as a means to respond to our stress or anxiety. Because we have been doing it for so long, we believe there is no alternative. When not playing video games we may become irritable, angry, depressed, empty, isolated or lonely inside as our social interactions, skills, contact with nature reduce and our sedentary lifestyle dominates (see also Addictive Element To Certain Attachment Styles). We may have become forgetful, procrastinating, lost our focus or connection to what else really matters to us, fear intimacy. Computer game addiction treatment, video game addiction treatment or game addiction therapy can be offered to those of us who believe we are now addicted to games or have a computer games addiction, now living a more sedentary, solitary, passive lifestyle. We may want to free up our life, be more active, utilise our free will, tune out of gaming, tune in to our other desires or areas of life, which include looking after our body, eating, drinking, exercising, resting, sleeping and giving our eyes natural light, breaks, taking more pauses and utilising reminders to do all this. Depending on situations we may want to bear in mind whether verbal or digital communication (which can lead to frustration, misunderstandings) is more effective, meaningful.

Counselling Questions Regarding Video Game Addiction, Computer Game Addiction, Online Game addiction We may have questions about whether or not we are a video games addict, is it possible to be addicted to games, e.g.:

• Addicted to video games - I wonder if I developed a video game obsession or video game dependency? Is it possible to have a video games addiction? If so, how can I get over my video gaming addiction? What are video game addiction symptoms? What video addiction help is available? What does video game addiction treatment include?
• Computer game addiction, computer gaming addiction - I have developed a computer games obsession - is there such a thing as computer games addiction? If so, am I a computer game addict? What computer gaming addiction help is available? What is the computer game addiction treatment?
• Online game addiction, online gaming addiction - do I have an online games addiction? Am I an online game addict? An is there such a thing as online game addiction? What is the treatment for an online gaming addict?
• PC game addiction - is it possible to have a PC games addiction? Am I a PC game addict? If so how can I overcome my PC gaming addiction?
• Have I a games compulsion, gaming compulsion?

Range Of Unhelpful Habits, Distractions, Addictions Counselling London

Alcohol Problem

• Binge drinking, alcohol problem, alcoholism, alcohol addiction, being an alcoholic

Internet, Computer, Technology & Communication "Addiction"

• Sex Addiction - Pornography Problem, Porn Addiction, Online Sex, Internet Sex & Cybersex Addiction, Masturbation Addiction
• Online Chat Addiction, Text Chat Room Addiction & Internet Dating Addiction Counselling London
• Technology Addiction & Gadget Addiction Counselling London
• Internet Overuse, Internet Addiction & Computer Addiction
• Mobile Addiction Counselling In London, Email, Text, Telephone Addiction, Nomophobia
• Social Media Addiction Counselling London
• Addicted To Games - Computer Games Addiction, Online Games Addiction, Video Game Addiction & Computer Gaming Addiction Help

Other Obsessions, Compulsions Or "Addictions"

• Stress Eating, Emotional Eating, Comfort Eating, Binge Eating Help, Compulsive Eating Counselling, Food Addiction Therapy
• Fitness, Gym & Exercise Addiction
• Compulsive Shopping, Compulsive Spending, Shopping Addiction & Shopaholism - Shopaholics, Shopping Addicts, Addicted To Buying, Online Auction Addiction, Credit Card Addiction
• Gambling Problems, Compulsive Gambling, Online Gambling Addiction
• Money Obsessed - Addicted To Money, Money Addiction, Money Obsession, Trading Addiction, Counselling London
• Work-Life Balance, Workaholism, Addicted To Work & Work Addiction
• Busyness addiction, addiction to activities
• Worry addiction
• Perfectionism Counselling London
• Addicted to beauty, glamour
• Approval addiction
• Addicted to self criticism, self-blame
• Addiction to fixing others, addicted to pleasing others
• Romance addiction, love addiction, serial yet uncommitted relationships, addiction to conflict, bad relationships
• Addictive Element To Certain Attachment Styles
• Caretaking, codependency
• Emotional affairs, limerence
• Emotional addiction
• Addiction to talking
• Addicted to gossip
• Addicted to dramas
• Addicted to anger
• Addiction to shame, self-blame
• Addiction to pain, suffering
• Addicted to sleep
• Procrastination
• Clutter, messiness
• Addiction to spirituality
• Addicted to meditation
• Religious Activities - Obsession With Religion, Religious Addiction

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