"I lost my job and my family because of the electronic games"

01:00 p

Saturday, March 16, 2019

London – BBC

"Electronic games played in all my thoughts, even when I was not playing."

Sean, a pseudonym, described his obsession with electronic games, which has taken him to the point of losing his family and his work, in his account presented by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire program.

"There is a significant increase in the number of people seeking treatment," said Matthew Bryce, chief therapist of the addiction treatment group in the UK.

The group treated the usual forms of addiction, such as drugs, alcohol and gambling. But recently, the number of people wishing to deal with an addiction to online gambling has increased from four in 2014 to 22 in 2018.

He basically hung up on individual shooting games, so he spent 48 hours in front of the computer.

"In the advanced stage, I have to play all day, every day," he said.

"I considered my children a mess because they wanted a little of my time, so that I could not give them my time and my love, I remember screaming at my partner's to get away from children of me. "

The more Sean's family lives, the darker the game.

"I was late for my work and the games so invaded my life that I lost my job and my family, my house and everything else."

Sean realized that he had to change, even went to a sanatorium and received treatment for a month.

He has rebounded a few times, but he has been recovering for fourteen months now. The desire to play "never goes away, and all I can do is plan from day to day, a success so far".

Treatment centers

Experts say that playing for hours is not a problem in itself. But it becomes a problem when it becomes an obstacle to life and has negative consequences.

The World Health Organization (WHO) included gambling addiction in psychiatric illness last year.

But the British Health Service has not yet provided any addiction to electronic games. A trial clinic in London has been launched to deal with gambling addiction until the approval of the value committee.

The addiction treatment group says that many are seeking treatment in private sector services.

The ability to play on tablets and phones is one of the main drivers of gambling addiction.

"Super incentive"

Many treatment providers have confirmed a significant increase in gambling addiction.

Adam Cox, one of the therapists, said he met many people seeking treatment each month.

Lilian (a pseudonym), aged 18, told one of her patients that the games had taken her life since she was playing on the phone six months earlier.

She felt "shamefaced and shy" and isolated from her family and friends, and she overcame her room. "Sometimes I'm very tired because I'm going to play, and that's reflected in my mood and concentration."

"I hope I will not rely on games to settle for and that I will use the time lost to do something worthwhile."

Cox said that addiction is usually caused by "lack of challenges and relaxation" in the midst of life.

At first, Lilian was asked to cancel the games. Its reloading on the device is therefore a long and complex process when you want to play.

In three weeks, Lillian stopped playing. And keep the tips mentioned by Cox, such as thinking about the experiences you lose in game time.

"I feel like I'm not wasting my time and I can do a lot of things," she said.