Other addictions related to video games

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Other addictions related to video games

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A lot of parents wonder if there is some connection, if they are addicted to video games, are they more likely to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. The studies out there are limited, as well as mixed. In truth, individuals who have a penchant or a proneness to addiction may have what we call, a drug of choice. They may choose video games over drugs or alcohol, or some other addiction. There is not a strong correlation between the two. I think a parents fear that if they cutoff the video game addiction, will they then just take up drugs or alcohol. I don't think that has been studied well enough. I don't see that, with my pragmatic and practical experience in dealing with troubled kids. They will usually find something to become obsessed about to take over their life, to avoid pain or disappointments or whatever things they are avoiding in life; but there is not necessarily a physiological link to addiction. I lot more study needs to go into it. Generally, I approach it as a case-by-case analysis of, if you take the video games away or take away the addiction, what goes in place of that? You can't have an empty slate there. You have to have something in place of that, hopefully, positive and productive. Hopefully, they have something to slide into place of that.

View Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT 's video on Other addictions related to video games...

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Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT

Clinical Director of CRC

Dr. Rick Meeves has spent the last 16 years working with adolescents and their families. He currently serves as the Director of Adolescent Clinical Services for CRC Health Group, the nation’s largest provider of addiction treatment and related behavioral health services.  Rick has helped families deal with the rapidly expanding access to video and electronic media. As a practitioner he has seen teens lock themselves in their rooms, playing video games for days on end. He has also seen teens who became addicted to online gambling. Rick has seen parents who have accepted this behavior as some acceptable alternative to staying out all night or using drugs or alcohol. He has helped families re-establish healthy patterns and use of electronic gaming and has established healthy patterns with his own boys.

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Transcription: 
A lot of parents wonder if there is some connection, if they are addicted to video games, are they more likely to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. The studies out there are limited, as well as mixed. In truth, individuals who have a penchant or a proneness to addiction may have what we call, a drug of choice. They may choose video games over drugs or alcohol, or some other addiction. There is not a strong correlation between the two. I think a parents fear that if they cutoff the video game addiction, will they then just take up drugs or alcohol. I don't think that has been studied well enough. I don't see that, with my pragmatic and practical experience in dealing with troubled kids. They will usually find something to become obsessed about to take over their life, to avoid pain or disappointments or whatever things they are avoiding in life; but there is not necessarily a physiological link to addiction. I lot more study needs to go into it. Generally, I approach it as a case-by-case analysis of, if you take the video games away or take away the addiction, what goes in place of that? You can't have an empty slate there. You have to have something in place of that, hopefully, positive and productive. Hopefully, they have something to slide into place of that.