When to seek help for video game addiction

Watch Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT 's video on When to seek help for video game addiction...
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When to seek help for video game addiction

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Parents need to consider that there is a point where they are going to need help. That point is, generally, when they feel like they've lost control of either their child or the video game situation. That can be different for each parent, but when you can't remove your child from the video game, you'll say, "Times up," or whatever other limit, and they'll just continue to play. That's sort of the early signs, but when they are an hour, two hours, three hours passed, and they are just refusing to do anything. Parents aren't just shutting the game off or whatever limit they have in place, or should have in place, that's the time to get help; when they've lost control. That can come in the form of a therapist that has some specialty in this area. There's a risk going to just any therapist who doesn't have experience in this. You need to seek out. There are enough of them out there that has experience or training in internet addiction. That's when they need to get help. When they've lost control.

Watch Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT 's video on When to seek help for video game addiction...

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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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