The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Video game addicts face hard recovery
Depression and mood swings are symptoms of addiction.
George Spears can’t remember a time when he wasn’t addicted to video games. The memories of being kicked out of high school and college because of his addiction still haunt him.
“And I do mean addicted,” Spears said. “I’m sure there are many opportunities in life that I would have had, had I figured this out sooner.”
Spears, along with 29-yearold Zachary Rudd and 18-yearold Marcus Coalson, recall losing hours and sometimes days to excessive gaming.
For Rudd, gaming took over his life and his studies at Georgia Tech.
“Eventually, I dropped out and that’s been hard on me,” Rudd said.
Coalson said while some use alcohol to escape, he used games.
All three found help for excessive gaming at Warneke Professional Counselling in Marietta. Founder Andrew Warnecke told Channel 2 Action News consumer advisor Clark Howard he’s seen multiple clients dealing with issues from gaming or withdrawal from gaming.
“I see a lot of depression, I see a lot of mood swings, even mood swings where a parent says, I think my kid is bi-polar,” Warnecke said. “Kind of like alcohol or drugs do, it makes you feel good in the moment. But that world quickly fades.”
Channel 2 spoke with several mental health professionals worried that companies are developing highly addictive games, a concern that the industry believes is overblown.
“I think what we have seen is society catching up to what gamers always knew: This is an extremely fun, socially satisfying way to spend one’s time,” said Georgia Game Developers Association executive director Andrew Greenberg.
He said finding the right work, life entertainment balance is key. “We don’t want to take any areas to an extreme. We want to have a fulfilling life in all of these aspects.”
Last year, the video game industry brought in over $43 billion in revenue, according to the Entertainment Software Association. Over 164 million American adults play some type of video game. More than entertainment, the industry employs over 200,000 people throughout the United States.
Specialized addiction recovery
Psychotherapist Hilarie Cash believes game companies bare responsibility for making ones that are highly addictive. “They know perfectly well what they are doing,” said Cash.
Cash co-founded tech addiction rehab facility Restart 10 years ago.
She told Channel 2 the problem isn’t new.
“Ever since the mid-’90s, I’ve been specializing in internet addiction,” she said.
Patrick Murphy, 21, traveled from his home in New Jersey to Bellevue, Washington, where Restart is located, for treatment. Murphy said he used to deny being addicted to video games, but knew he had a problem long before he hit rock bottom.
“I spent $16,000 in three months on video games and tech-related things,” Murphy said. “I had serious thoughts of ending my life.”
After his mom confronted him about his gaming, they began looking for a place to get help and found Restart.
“The program puts a lot of emphasis into showing you that there’s other things to do other than video games,” Murphy said. “It shows you how to practice daily life … and what avenues you can take to not fall into your old patterns of self-destruction.”
Cash told Channel 2 the recovery process for individuals dealing with a gaming addiction is much different than someone struggling with substance abuse.
“These guys have a tougher job because they’re gonna have to use technology and they’re gonna have to learn how to use it well,” Cash said. “They need to do that without falling back into the same addictive patterns.”
Gaming addiction often masks deeper problems, Cash said..
“After they’ve gone through their detox period, which lasts anywhere from two to four weeks, then we get to see what’s there,” she said.
Disagreement over extent of problem
Earlier this year the World Health Organization announced it will be adding “Gaming Disorder” to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
According to the WHO, the disorder affects only a small number of people who engage in gaming activities.
Greenberg was surprised by the WHO’s decision and said there are concerns about misusing the word addiction.
“We can certainly talk about bad habits. We can talk about compulsive behavior be it my overeating or dieting or whatever, but we don’t classify these as addictions,” he said.
A 2017 study on adults in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Germany found addiction and related issues impact at most 1% of gamers, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
Dr. Anthony Bean, a licensed clinical psychologist and video game researcher, said games can be helpful in a therapy setting.
He encourages parents to engage with their children.
“Be conscious of what your kids are playing,” Bean said.
Patrick Murphy, who finished gaming addiction treatment at Restart in September, said he wishes someone had asked him what was wrong.
His goal now is to moderate his gaming behavior. “The thing is for me is I used to bury my emotions. My goal coming here was to be able to feel again.”