The story of a video game enthusiast who played up to 16 hours a day

Computer games have been integrated into popular culture for nearly half a century.

Since we are fascinated by the early 1970s arcade games, such as Pong and Space Invaders, our love story is only growing. over the years.

Now, most households have a console or PC where people can spend hours diving into fantastic worlds online, while others are able to access apps playing to the touch of a smartphone.

But sometimes this form of escape can pbad from a harmless amusement to a serious problem, affecting people's relationships, livelihoods and even mental health.

"I fell in love"

Jamie Callis, originally from Barry, sought advice for his addiction to the game when he began to slip out of control.

The 21-year-old man said that he would spend up to 16 hours a day on his PC at the height of his addiction playing multiplayer online role-playing games

"When I I was four or five years old, I remember sitting on my father's lap playing video games. " on games like Halo and Call of Duty – but when I was 13, my addiction really started properly.

"I was playing a game called Roomscape for more than 16 hours a day. I just remember falling in love with it, because there were so many skills involved.

"One minute, you'd cut trees, and the next you'd kill something or go on a quest. I was so absorbed by it. It allowed me to escape to a different world. "

Jamie said that he soon developed his own" virtual family "with which he would spend hours chatting online.

" On One of the Servers He there were at least 30,000 people playing [in one go] and there were more than 150 servers ranging from 2,000 to over 15,000. "

" You had clans of people, and that's where you would really have a & # 39; family & # 39 ;. You can talk to people in general, then add them as friends and have private conversations.

"Some days, I had private conversations with about 30 different people while I was playing at the game."

First realized that his game took his life when he took his A-Levels. But he admitted to doing very little to fix it at first.

"My whole teens were busy with my family's constant concern, but I did not really see it until I was 16 or 17 years old. "It affected my grades, my social life, my relationships with my family that I have just started repairing now."

"Yesterday it was the first time I could sit alone"

Just two months before his 19th birthday, he said that he had tried to get rid of the "cold turkey" and completely shut down computer games, which led him to sink into depression.

"It was very hard. I could not walk through the city without putting on headphones because I did not want someone to talk to me

"I was going into clbades shaking college because I was Jamie, who said he spent thousands of pounds buying games and add-ons to reach higher levels, said his entry into the university was his savior.

"Things have improved a lot. I now have a large group of friends with whom I frequent, I go to the movies and I travel, "says the student from the University of South Wales, who is now living in Treforest

"I would say that video games have no more effect, but what he's done is to realize how I can become addicted to a lot of different things.

"I was counting on the dopamine you get by playing these games."

"

" Governments and businesses themselves must take this problem seriously, "he concludes.

"These companies understand the psychological effects of these games on people.

"What we really need is to impose age restrictions on these games and apps because their impact on the brain is the same as the games and apps." l & # 39; alcoholism. 19659035] (Image: iStockphoto)

Earlier this year, the world's World Health Organization (WHO) ranked computer game addiction as a mental health disorder for the first time.

She clbadifies an addiction under three specific symptoms:

What do the experts say?

Eytan Alexander, founder of the UKAT addiction said: "Just because someone plays a few hours a day does not mean that they have an addiction." However, coupled with other signs and symptoms of gambling addiction might indicate that the person has a problem. 19659002] "It is important to observe the player when he is NOT playing the game, as this will allow him to identify whether he is addicted or not. If the person is irritable, agitated and socially isolated, she could be addicted. "

An online marketplace called Bark.com reported that more than 5,000 people in the UK have sought professional help for gambling addiction – 30% Kai Feller, co-founder of Bark.com said, "We were shocked by the number of people who sought help for gambling addiction in the past year."

"It seems like it's a modern problem, working with our counselors, it's obvious that parents are struggling to see the signs.

"What is apparent is that it's like any other addiction, except that children are at greater risk of suffering from it. "Our counselors advised parents to be wary of their child's behavior this summer, especially with games like Fortnite, where he is the" in "to do. [1 9659002]" Any parents who are concerned can ask for help Professional and advice, whether it's hiring a counselor or going to your GP. Gambling addiction is not something to be taken lightly and can have a devastating emotional impact. "

The NSPCC also warned that computer games can make children vulnerable to grooming online. 19659002] A spokesman said: "Gambling addiction can affect both the development and well-being of children, while at the risk of being manipulated by potential abusers using digital platforms. to contact vulnerable youth directly

"We know that in 2017/18 there were 274 badual communication offenses with a child in Wales. And the Internet is increasingly used as a gateway to marry and abuse.

"The NSPCC advises parents to help their children play online safely, including learning how to cut, block, or return equipment in games and maintain a conversation about gambling.

"We also partnered with O2 to provide other counseling to parents using the TEAM principle (Talk, Explore, Agree and Manage)."

• Anyone wishing more information on gambling addiction can visit www.ukat.co.uk/gaming-addiction
• The NSPCC Share Aware guide gives tips for staying safe online while its parent Net Aware guide provides information on social networks, applications or games that children use
• The NSPCC & # 39; s online The hotline is available at 0808 800 5002
• Children and Youth contact Childline at any time at 0800 1111 or access online help on childline.org.uk.