young man playing video gamesThis is a popular question we hear a lot.  “Is my son addicted to video games /computer games?  How can I tell?  What do I do?”  According to dictionary.com, the definition of addiction is as follows:  “The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming… to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”  Is it possible to be addicted to video games?  You bet, just like people can be addicted to drugs, food, sex or gambling.  Addiction in any form will eventually cause problems and begin to effect all areas of your life, to include your physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. In order for us to create and maintain a life of happiness, meaning and purpose we need balance.

Playing video games is not necessarily a bad thing as long proper boundaries are put in place to prevent it from becoming habit forming.  Studies have shown that video game addiction is indeed real and growing. It’s effects not only center around the age of adolescence but now extend well into adulthood.  As a result no one is completely safe from its influence including parents who have lost their jobs, some even receiving prison time for child neglect, all due to video game addiction.

Here are some warning signs to watch out for.  For young adults or adolescence, you may begin to feel as if they spend the entire day in their room.  A gradual lack of interest in visiting friends, getting out or attending social gatherings may soon develop.  Studies show that this kind of behavior will eventually limit social skill development and the ability for these adolescence to function appropriately in normal social settings down the road.  Other warning signs include fatigue (due to lack of proper sleep), poor grades, lying, or agitation and cranky behavior.

At Forte Strong strong we understand the severity of your situation. We help your struggling young adult regain the balance that is missing in his life by incorporating a multifaceted approach that replaces bad habits with healthy ones.  A few ways we do this is by reinforcing the body’s natural sleep patterns, adopting physical exercise, introducing fun social activities and exploring healthy alternatives to playing video games.  As your son discovers a variety of positive ways to fill the gaps that video games were falsely providing we begin to reintroduce video games into his balanced lifestyle as a fun, non-abusive option to our recreation.

 

 

 

About The Author

Brook Price dedicated himself to helping others early in his life. He grew up in Sunny Orange County California, then joined the Marine Corps at the age of 21 serving five and half years as a helicopter crew chief and then as chief accountant. His journey with this type of work began when he volunteered as a Young Marines Instructor during his time in the Marines, helping kids get off the street, improve their lives and develop as a leader. After his tour Brook left the Marines to pursue a career in experiential therapy by attending Southern Utah University where he majored in outdoor recreation with a minor in psychology.

Brook has seventeen years experience working for a variety of different therapeutic and transitional programs across the nation. His thirst for knowledge drove him to learn and study successful therapeutic models and programs across the country, most notably Outward Bound. Brook has experience working with therapeutic, residential, military, wilderness and transitional programs for adults and adolescents.