Video game addiction in ADHD children

If your child spends long hours playing video games and sitting over his electronic devices , you might be worried about their health  as they are addicted to it .

This addiction is commonly as the gaming disorder. The “Gaming disorder” is real, and has now been recognized  as a disease in the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). 

Gaming disorder is not just for kids – it can be experienced by gamers of all the age groups : from children, young teenagers , to mature adults.

The condition generally is not defined by gaming too much, or the number of hours played, but rather it’s how the gaming habit interferes with a person’s daily life.

Up to 25% of people who play video games report symptoms of addiction. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for video game addiction, especially when playing games reinforces the properties of disorder .

Warning Signs

Some kids with ADHD  spend too much time in front of there device screen playing video games. Being a parent try to Work with your child to agree on rules about how long and when they can play. Also, be careful in checking that the video games are not replacing other activities kids should have, like social interactions, time with family, physical activity, etc. Make sure homework and other household chores are done before they pick up the controller or tablet.

Signs that your child needs to ease off the gaming habit  include:

• Give Fits or throw tantrums when asked to stop playing
• Emotional Outbursts when losing
• Staying up all night or very late for playing
• Lies about how much time is spent on gaming

Constant Video Gaming releases dopamine, the same brain chemical that can get you hooked on things like alcohol and other drugs. 

Signs your child’s gaming habits are harmful include:

• If he starts Spending less time with family and friends and more time alone with the game. 
• Has a Obsessive thoughts about gaming
• Poor grades on school report cards
• Loss of interest in other activities they once enjoyed like playing with friends, eating favorite food 

If you are worried about your child’s gaming addiction and his health , this below listed classification will help you identify whether they have a serious problem and if you need professional help for treatment .

If you think your child’s gaming is a problem for him and his life , you can talk to paediatrician or a mental health professional.

So what should you expect from professional treatment?

The are two common forms of treatment  which includes  : understanding the gamer’s situation; the other focuses on learning new behaviours for the treatment .

1. Treatment can often include various therapy sessions with an addiction counsellor. The sessions may take long  form of individual sessions, group sessions and/or family sessions. Each session dynamic has a different focus on ones health. 
2. The second most common treatment  is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This  takes place in addition to counselling sessions. CBT is based on the premise that thoughts determine feelings and it is most commonly used to treat many psychiatric disorders, such as substance use disorders, depression , hyperactivity, impulsivity , and anxiety. CBT teaches the gamer different ways to think, behave, and respond to stressful gaming situations without losing the control .
3. Other medical treatments proving to have some success includes the art therapy and exercise therapy.
4. Many Researches  on suitable medication is also continuing.

Tips to manage your child’s gaming addiction 

Overcoming the addiction of video games, is like all other addictions, can be a difficult process. While most gamers will not like to be diagnosed with gaming disorder, but a child’s gaming habits can cause significant distress for parents. They may be concerned their child is spending too much time sitting over video games which is leading to an unhealthy and  unbalanced lifestyle.

Here are some tips to supporting more healthy approaches to gaming for children :

Try to Encourage sport and physical activity. As any physical activity can increase blood levels of serotonin and have a positive effect on mood and symptoms of problematic gaming addiction 

Talk to your child : you can discuss about what they enjoy about gaming and why they want to game regularly. The answer from your Childs perspective will help you identify if there are others issues they may be experiencing and using gaming as an escape you can help them. 

Find other hobbies. Start a collection of some sort of other activities like do some gardening, painting etc. Something else to keep your Childs  hands and mind busy. 

Don’t stop cold turkey. Leaving a Video games, unlike other addictions, takes up a hell lot of time. Stopping altogether suddenly can leave a huge void in your life and cause you to relapse. The goal is to slowly curtail how much time you spend playing.

Play in moderation.  You can set  a specific number of hours (or minutes) for your kid to play per day. You can Set a countdown on your phone. Once that timer goes off, ask them stop playing.

Eliminate the systems you own. Between console, handheld, and  many other gaming systems, there just isn’t enough time in the day to play at all of them .  Instead try having only one system to play games . This will keep your child  focused, without feeling the need to play games on each and every system.

Take a break every hour. For each hour of play , ask your child to stand up, walk around, etc. for a few minutes. Make them understand that It’s unhealthy to sit in front of a screen for hours at a time without a break.

Try Include your family. There are a lot of enjoyable  games that families can play together. It will not only allow you to continue playing, but it will include your family in your hobby. Just remember to teach your children the moderation, and if you have to, limit their game time ask them patiently . 

Seek help. There can be an underlying issue that causes such  addiction. Seeking a mental health professional if needed is not a bad thing and is nothing to be ashamed of. You can talk to your primary care physician about it as well and then go for appropriate treatment .