symptoms for computer gaming

Psychologists discovered that those addicted share the same symptoms. Since addiction is very common nowadays the symptoms were split in 2 major categories: teenagers and adults symptoms. Keep in mind that these are the most common symptoms.

Teenager’s Symptoms. The most common symptoms are:

·         Defensiveness (meaning that when confronted or asked about his time spent gaming, a person may become defensive. Denial is often an indication that something is wrong, especially if the person seems unconcerned that friends and family feel neglected or left out of his life).

·         Another symptom is the Downplay time spent. It's common for someone with addictive, computer-related behaviors to downplay the amount of time she spends in front of the TV or computer. The person may make excuses, saying she "needs" to be online, or there is an event going on, or may outright lie.

·         Lack of Control. A person who is addicted, or at risk of becoming addicted to gaming, is unable to control the amount of time she spends on the computer. She may go online with the intent to spend 15 or 20 minutes, but will keep extending the time until several hours have passed.

·         Preoccupation. Someone who is addicted to computer, video, or Internet gaming often exhibits an unusual preoccupation with the game or computer when he is away from it. The teen could seem distracted, irritable, or disinterested and may talk about the game almost constantly.

Adult’s Symptoms.

·         Spending significant sums of money for online services, computer upgrades, or gaming systems;

·         Withdrawing from friends, family, or your spouse to the point of disrupting family, social, or work life;

·         Experiencing feelings of anger, depression, moodiness, anxiety, or restlessness when you’re not gaming;

·         Lying about how much time you spend playing computer or video games;

Like I said both teenagers and adults share same symptoms. The first symptom is they feel really happy when they are online or when they are playing games, but as soon as they have to stop, they get angry or upset. They get up in the middle of the night to log on because they are having a hard time sleeping. They think about going online or playing when they are supposed to be focusing on other things, like doing school work or having dinner with their family.

Addiction has his toll. Social and Physical consequences will show, some of these consequences are:

·         Sleep Disturbances. The term "sleep disturbances" covers several sleep-related disorders, including insomnia, narcolepsy, and parasomnia (i.e., night terrors, sleepwalking or talking, and nightmares). Sleep disturbances are caused, in part, by overstimulation of the brain. However, some people can't get a good night's sleep simply because they think obsessively about the game they're playing.

·         Migraines. Migraine headaches typically start in one spot and slowly spread, getting more painful as they progress. In severe cases, the pain can be so extreme that it causes the sufferer to vomit. Light and noise can cause excruciating pain. Someone who plays video games for extended periods of time is more prone to migraines because of the intense concentration required and the strain put on the eyes.

·         Poor Personal Hygiene. An addicted gamer is not going to take the time to properly care for himself. Showers, face-washing, and brushing hair and teeth all get put on the back burner. It simply becomes less of a priority, if it's a priority at all.

·         Addicted gamers spend so much time playing that their personal relationships get neglected and sometimes disappear altogether. Among addicted gamers who are married, up to 50 percent report a strain in their marriage as a result of their addiction.

·         An addicted gamer who loses sleep because he's playing so much simply doesn't have the energy to invest in relationships. Lack of sleep may also make him irritable and difficult to be around.

As we can see there is nothing good in being addicted. Our lives only get worse, from personal health which is getting worse every day of our addiction (migraines, sleep disturbances, neck pain, wrist pain) to our social life (losing friends, family members, even suicide). This is a serious problem and should be treated accordingly. In fact I created a product that helps people get over their computer addiction and regain their lives back. You can have a look here  www.escapewow.com.