Gaming addict son losing touch with reality

QUESTION: My son, 20, is a university student. He was a brilliant student during his high school days and was on the honour roll.

While in Grade 12, he got hooked on online gaming, spending long hours on his laptop in his closed room.

His academic performance has been dismal and he seems uninterested in continuing his studies.

He doesn’t do any chores at home nor is going to work. He has no activity or friends except the long hours spent online.

My wife and I have spent hours advising him and pleading with him to no avail.

Can you suggest a counselling session? He takes no responsibility.

— Desperate Dad

ANSWER: Start with getting information and counselling for you and your wife, to bring more to your approach to your son beyond your obvious frustration and worries for him.

I say this because you cannot force him as an adult to get counselling.

You can refuse the conveniences and ease with which he’s able to avoid all responsibilities, but that’s a harsh road to send him down — leading to eventually forcing him to move out — which does not easily achieve a positive turnaround, and can worsen the situation instead.

Instead, I recommend you call the registered psychologists’ association in your area and ask for names of those who specialize in addictive internet gaming among teens and young adults (unfortunately, yours is not an uncommon story).

Note: In psychiatry, the diagnostic manual for mental disorders considers “Internet Gaming Disorder” for further study, and focuses on gaming over the Internet as opposed to gaming which may be offline or online.

By meeting with a specialist, you’ll gain insights to the addiction and what strategies have proved successful in helping people overcome them.

Though he hasn’t acknowledged it yet, this is your son’s problem, not just yours.

Some of the characteristics associated with compulsive internet gaming are excessive use despite negative consequences, lying to others about it, using the gaming preoccupation as an escape, and resultant relationship difficulties or loss of relationships.

Your son is missing out on important years of pursuing a route to becoming an independent adult with a balanced life of work, socializing, meaningful relationships and a healthy mix of activities.

Once you’re more informed about obsessive internet video gaming, the specialist you see can also recommend how to approach your son in a way that can lead him to recognize for himself the limits he’s currently putting on his life.

QUESTION: I had problems with my baby daddy, so one of my male colleagues was there for me.

Over time, my baby daddy and I got separated and I fell for my colleague. He’s 27 and has a girlfriend who’s 24. I’m 23. He and his girlfriend don’t have a baby.

Now, I’m six-weeks pregnant with his baby. I love him and he’s supportive.I’m just afraid that I’ll have another baby daddy who’ll run away.

— Pregnant and Worried

ANSWER: Your colleague proved himself as someone responsible and caring. Tell him your fears.

Ask whether he intends to be involved with this baby as you need a partner to raise your kids.

If you don’t get a clear answer, learn from your experience so far:

You’re a young single mom whose babies will be depending on you, so must trust yourself first.

Get to a doctor or birth control clinic and learn to practice safe sex and birth control.

Rule your heart with your mind: The babies are your priority.

TIP OF THE DAY

Parents need to seek information and counselling about strategies to re-direct their addicted video-gaming teens and young adults.