Game addiction

Gaming is one of the most popular pastimes amongst young people. They can play for hours whenever they get the chance. And many parents question whether their child’s gaming behaviour can still be viewed as “normal” or whether a real problem is emerging.

Game addiction is a growing problem. More and more young people with this addiction are treated in clinics. Studies estimate that 10 percent to 15 percent of gamers exhibit signs that meet the World Health Organisation’s criteria for addiction.

Does my child suffer from a game addiction?

A young person is addicted to gaming when he/she plays a lot and fails to reduce this. Even if he/she experiences first hand that gaming leads to problems, such as broken friendships, poor school results or serious fatigue. Instead of decreasing, the youngster will increase game times even more. When limiting play or even when removing the console, aggressive behaviour can be displayed.

How to recognise a game addiction?

The life of a young person with an alcohol addiction is dominated by alcohol. A young person with a drug addiction does often nothing else than using or thinking about drugs. For people with a game addiction, the process is not much different. All day, they are busy with games or thinking about it. We see more and more young people with a gaming addiction entering our clinic. Young people who were consecutively playing games 8 up to 15 hours a day and arrive at the clinic totally neglected by themselves.

The Risks of Gaming

Problems for young people who are gaming too much:

• Loneliness
• Shortage of sleep
• Social fear
• Fights
• Negative self-image
• Aggression
• Depression
• Run away from reality
• Poor work/school results
• Not taking care/bad hygiene

School:

• Call in sick
• Absence
• Not doing any homework
• No energy to study
• Going to bed too late

Social life:

• Hardly any friends, except online
• Fights with parents
• Online meetings to game
• Stop sports or all other hobbies
• Isolation (in the bedroom)

Types of Games

There are many different games: role playing games, shooters, sports games and sandbox games for example. They all have in common that they consist of one or more addictive elements, such as daily challenges, reward systems like loot boxes or tools that let other gamers know that a friend is playing online. Below you can find some frequently played games, where the internet is often seen as the place to meet.

• World of Warcraft
• Fortnite
• League of Legends
• PlayerUnknown's Battleground
• Call of Duty
• Grand Theft Auto (GTA)
• FIFA Football
• Final Fantasy
• Minecraft
• Halo
• Runescape
• Roblox

Treatment of a game addiction

At Yes We Can Youth Clinics we help teenagers and young adults to overcome their game addiction and to live and function in society in a pleasant way. We help young people with an addiction to slowly demolish the wall they have built around them, to leave their destructive life behind them forever and to face a bright future. Yes We Can Youth Clinics strives to reduce any medication that the teenager or young adult already receive to zero or as little as possible during the treatment.

Contact us

Yes We Can Youth Clinics can effectively treat teenagers and young adults who are suffering from a wide variety of mental health issues. If you have any questions, any at all, you can always contact us. We cannot stress enough that we are always there for you, whether you sign up for a treatment in our clinic or not. 

You can reach us by phone from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (GMT +1) via phone number: +31 (0)85 02 01 222. After business hours – weekdays after 6:00 p.m. and on the weekends – your call will be forwarded. Please note that it might take longer than usual to answer your call. If we cannot answer the call right away, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as possible. You can also fill in our contact form.