If you don’t already know the answer to this question, you need to find out. But do it quickly! Game addiction is a serious problem that can seriously affect your life in major ways.
In this article we’ll look at what game addiction is and how to identify it, as well as the different warning signs that indicate you may have become addicted.
Clean ERSJ has some more information on how to stop playing games.
We’ll also examine just how addictive games are and why they’re so hard to resist for many people.
What Is Game Addiction?
To understand what game addiction is, we first need to examine why a person would play a particular type of game.
The fact is that games can be fun because they release certain chemicals into your body that produce a variety of positive effects, such as relieving stress or increasing focus.
These pleasurable emotions can then encourage you to keep playing the same game over and over again, despite the fact that you’re not enjoying it as much as you’re used to.
Therefore, if you find yourself experiencing regular withdrawal symptoms when you play less frequently, there’s a good chance that this is simply an indication that your brain has become accustomed to being on “auto-pilot”.
How to Tell If You’re Addicted
There are a few major warning signs that can help you spot game addiction before it gets out of control. These include:
- Regularly playing despite negative consequences. For example, your job is falling apart, your social life is falling apart or you’re falling behind in school.
- Failing to make time for other activities, such as work or studying – This can cause you to get fired from your job or get poor grades.
- Spending more time on games than you plan to – It’s very easy for this to happen when you get involved in an exciting game with amazing graphics and gameplay features that seem endless.
Here are some points on how to stop playing games-
1. Don’t play to escape reality
Whether you realize it or not, the majority of video games are designed to simulate real life. This is why they can be so addictive – because they provide an intense sense of escapism that can feel almost identical to reality.
But if you’re playing games after you’ve faced an upsetting situation in real life, then this is a very obvious sign that things aren’t going well.
If you’re stressed, angry or upset about something, the last thing you want to do is get lost in another fantasy world where nothing bad has happened.
2. Play by your rules, not anyone else’s
Your video game addiction will always be strongest when you’re playing with other people. This is because games are designed for group interaction – they encourage teamwork and cooperation, which can make you feel like you’re part of a “family” again.
The problem here is that many of these games are very addictive due to the fact that they keep testing your skills – this allows you to see how good your friends are at playing the game.
If one of them performs better than you, then this can cause the same thing to happen as with an online game – it encourages you to play more and more until you catch up with them!
3. Don’t play to escape your life
If you find yourself playing games when you’ve already decided that it’s not worth getting up in the morning, then the chances are that there’s another part of your life that’s much more important.
While this is common for many young people, it should be avoided if you’re an adult who might benefit from better sleep patterns – especially if you’re experiencing problems with your job or money.
4. Get out of the house
One of the main reasons for game addiction is that you’ve no other options in life, so it’s even more important to avoid this in your adult years.
Even if you’re single and don’t have children, there are still plenty of fun things to do when you get bored – go out with friends, take up a new hobby or go on holiday.
If you find yourself struggling to cope with boredom when your friends aren’t available, try planning your day in advance so that it’s packed with things to do.
For example, leave a gap between two social events on specific days of the week so that you have more to do on other days.
5. Take a break on a regular basis
The key to avoiding game addiction is simply to give yourself a break from the games every so often. This is because too much of anything can be bad – even if it’s something you enjoy.
If you like playing games, then make sure you space them out over the entire week rather than getting lost in them once or twice per day.
