Video games have become a regular part of daily lives. Today’s teens spend time gaming every day. While video games can be fun and engaging and even help teens connect with others, gaming can be addictive for some. Compulsive video gaming is usually a symptom of process addiction and underlying mood disorders or unprocessed trauma. While people may joke about video game addiction, it’s a form of addiction that can lead to other addictions and substance abuse. The best way to help teens with video game addiction is through a gaming addiction treatment program.
If your teenager is showing signs of video game addiction, now is the time to get help. Call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery today to learn more about process addiction and teen video game addiction. Our North Carolina clinic can help you and your son. Call us now at 866.300.5275 to learn more and enroll in our gaming addiction treatment program.
What Is a Process Addiction and How Does it Relate to Video Gaming?
Process addictions are characterized as repetitive, compulsive behavioral patterns. For gamers, this means obsessive video gaming, which might mean gaming that disrupts eating, personal hygiene, or schoolwork. It also keeps teens from activities they used to love. Today, an increasing number of teens develop process addictions to video games, social media, and other technology. Video games process addiction can cause withdrawal symptoms when they can’t access video games. This situation may seem strange, but video game withdrawal can be as psychologically intense as drug or alcohol withdrawal.
Process addictions become addictions by distracting a person from emotional or psychological pain. Video games offer dopamine rewards each time someone levels up, designs a new character, or enters a mythical world that allows them to forget their own lives.
Is My Teenager Addicted to Gaming?
Most teenagers who play video games play more than their parents would like, but this doesn’t always mean they have a process addiction. However, if your teen shows the following signs, it’s time to get help. Signs of teen video game addiction include:
- Obsessive playing
- Talking about gaming incessantly
- Neglecting hygiene
- Ignoring friends and family
- Feeling they can’t live without video games
- Changes in sleep and eating habits
- Nightmares
Video games provide an escape whether or not a player has a process addiction. For many teens, the digital fantasy world of video games can provide stress relief. They can also cause harm. Violent video games can increase violent tendencies. In addition, obsessively playing violent video games can be signs of underlying mood disorders and unprocessed trauma that needs professional treatment.
Gaming Addiction Treatment and Help for Teens in North Carolina
If your teen is playing video games and showing changes in mood, behavior, and overall wellness, it’s time to get help. If your teen is struggling with a process addiction, know you are not alone. The team at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is here to help. Our rehab programs treat process addiction like gaming, social media, internet addiction, disordered eating, and substance abuse for teenage boys. Our picturesque North Carolina campus allows teen boys to disconnect from their digital lives and reconnect to themselves in nature. With equine-assisted and adventure therapy, the adolescent boys at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery build resilience and find what truly matters to them.
Get Help For Your Teen at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Now
If you’re worried about your teen’s gaming, don’t wait. Call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery now. Process addictions are often warning signs of deeper emotional and psychological trauma in need of healing. Reach us today at 866.300.5275 to learn more about our holistic healing and video game addiction treatments in North Carolina.
