Doctors have been talking about computer addiction for some time as a disease that requires treatment. It was also decided to include computer game addiction in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD11). Are there that many patients in Russia?
“Relatives of such patients come to us. Usually these are young boys, although there are also girls. Most often, such an addiction occurs during adolescence, since the personality is not yet formed. The percentage of people in which it occurs strongly depends on age and social conditions, quality of life.
Countries with a low quality of life will have a higher risk of computer addiction.
Vadim Gagin
From personal archive
– Strange … After all, in such countries there should be fewer computers, and the Internet is worse. Why so?
– To eat to work, Worldwide contest titled “Prevalence of Internet addiction and quality of real life”. There were cases evaluated from 31 countries in seven regions of the world. A meta-analysis found a global prevalence estimate of 6.0%. The highest prevalence was seen in the Middle East with 10.9%, and the lowest in Northern and Western Europe with 2.6%.
– Among those with computers or among the population?
– Among those with computers and constant internet access.
– 2% is too much. And 10% is a nightmare.
– Yes. Unfortunately, this data is quite old. Now, with the development of the internet, the numbers can go even higher. Also, the African region was unexplored there.
also there researchThe dependency figures in the Asian region have reached 25%. We also compared their risk of developing psychopathology (for example, depressive states, sleep disorders, etc.) with and without gambling addiction. According to the results of the research, the occurrence of psychopathology in computer addiction is seen much more frequently.
Why do more people develop addiction in countries with low internet and computer use?
“Because people in these countries are more comfortable in virtual life than in real life. In a computer game such a person can achieve success, become more fulfilling, realize his dreams.
For example, in China, where the diagnosis of “computer addiction” was born, there are a large number of rehabilitation centers, there is a restriction on the amount of time young people can spend online at the legislative level, all platforms where computer games are installed always ask for age, you must provide real usernames and mobile phone number when registering. So, there is a full-scale struggle with adolescent addiction.
How many Chinese teenagers are allowed to play?
— Chinese authorities banned children from playing video games for more than three hours a week.
They are only allowed to play between 20:00 and 21:00 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
– In Russia, there were cases of suicide when the mother forbade the child to play computer games. Are the Chinese authorities justified in doing this?
– They introduced such rules especially for young people, they are trying to prevent their development, since the risk of addiction is very high for them. As I understand it, on the backdrop of computer addiction in China, there have already been several cases with a fatal outcome, so they began to tighten the measures.
– Is computer addiction just a game?
– There is also a computer addiction associated with social networks: people are constantly updating the feed on social networks, they can even aimlessly search somewhere on the Internet for something that they may or may not be interested in, learning some new facts. .
– Why is this bad? How is this any different from reading a book, which was once equated with aimless pursuits?
– In any case, it also affects the person’s later lifestyle, mental, social and physical condition. It is one thing for a person to learn something new useful for his work, study, hobbies. Another is if a large part of the time on the Internet is flowing meaninglessly. I would not classify reading as an aimless activity.
Have you had such patients?
– Definitely. We have group sessions where we work with patients and computer addicts, as well as with gambling addicts who play for money.
Are these big groups?
– There are usually five to ten people in a group. They are formed after making an appointment with a psychiatrist according to age and addictions. A group of people with similar problems come together and we practice group psychotherapy.
Is the same study done in anonymous player groups (alcoholics, drug addicts)?
– Anonymous groups of players are led by people who have made a long-term recovery, not psychotherapists or psychiatrists. This is another matter. Our class is led by a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist in one person. The lesson lasts approximately 1 – 1.5 hours, once a week. Both therapist and patients talk. Without it, there is no way to achieve results. There is group chat.
— What is the most common story of a Russian actor?
– It began in adolescence, school performance decreased, past interests disappeared, there were fewer friends, they either disappeared or only those with whom a person actually communicated remained. Most of the time, the patients who come to us are not themselves but their relatives. This is a sign that a person is not just gambling, they are completely sick, because the person can still control the excitement, but there is no addiction. There is a fine line here. When the person ceases to control himself, his criticism of his situation disappears. For this reason addiction may be noticed by one of the relatives or close people. The actor himself will not notice this.
Do mothers usually come? What do they say?
“He spends all day in front of the computer. Sleeps, eats – and again the computer. Skipping school, being kicked out. Social life is almost nonexistent.
– Do girls addicted to computer games come?
“There are far fewer of them. About one girl for ten boys. There are also older people, but not more than 30 years old. In our country, the adult generation does not get along well with computers, but I think Forty years later, seventy-year-old players will come to us.
– And if we are talking about gambling addicts – those who gamble for money – do relatives also replace them?
– Usually yes. Loans of several million, when there are already large debts. However, unlike computer addiction, patients themselves can come here and say, “I have an addiction.”
— What is the portrait of a Russian gambling addict?
– It could be anyone. Women, well-off, old. There is no distinguishing feature here.
– Will Hermann from Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades” be cured now?
– Yes. Ludomania is included in ICD-10, we have been making such a diagnosis for a long time. We are not working on ICD-11 yet. So yes, he would be diagnosed with this and we could suggest that he be part of our therapy group.
Like any addiction, gambling addiction is treated with psychotherapy, and group psychotherapy is the most effective. Rarely do we prescribe psychiatric drugs in this situation.
Why does group therapy work?
– Because the same addicted people are sitting in front of the patient. For example, she can cope more successfully than him. This is an important moment for one to recognize one’s own dependency, support, and transfer of experience in front of others. All addictions are best treated in group psychotherapy.
— Are there support groups for relatives of gambling addicts in Russia?
– Yes. In such groups, they teach how to understand a loved one who begins to play or bet on events, how to respond to one or the other of his actions. We also have many Gambler Anonymous communities. They are in every district in St. Petersburg. They are free and a lot of people go there.
– Do they issue reward badges when they are out of the game for a long time?
– Yes. Control has also been improved. The curator himself answers questions as he is going through addiction. All this works.
– Why not create a pill for addiction?
Because work must be done with thought, and the pill will not change that in any way.
– Now there are really interesting games. It’s really impossible to get away from them. How can an ordinary person understand that a computer game is already an addiction?
– You need to set a certain time to play the computer. If it is constantly increasing, this is a clear indication of a developing addiction. If you have begun to notice that you are becoming more comfortable and more interesting in the virtual world, this is a reason to consult a psychotherapist.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.