What Treatment is Available for a Gaming Addiction?

Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed gaming a bonafide addiction which means many teens will most likely need to seek help to stop. At this time there are not many treatment centers out there who are equipped to administer to the needs of teens who struggle with a gaming addiction because of the newness of this mental health condition. As of now, there are a few ways to get help for your teen's gaming addiction that could make a difference.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities

The focus of this treatment is to provide teens with a team of mental health professionals that are dedicated to understanding the addiction and what tools the teens will need to stop compulsively playing their games. Using a 30-day program to unplug can allow them to center on the issues surrounding their addiction and become more productive.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy is the method that most families will proceed with when finding a therapist who is highly knowledgeable with gaming addiction. The onset of therapy for teens who game compulsively will put major emphasis on the intervention, the behavioral changes that have occurred, and how the reward system in the brain is affected from the gaming addiction. Talking about the addiction in a therapy session can put more attention on the solution that the teen needs to comprehend. A therapist can also look at the teen's family dynamics to incorporate what the parent's role moving forward should be.

Wilderness Therapy

Getting a teen out into the wilderness can be instrumental to help the teen to learn about themselves sans technology as electronics of any kind are banned for the time they are there. Instead, taking hikes to the top of a mountain, learning how to organically start a fire, and exploring dark caves are just a few ways that teens work together in wilderness therapy to make a difference in their recovery. This therapy presents a teen with the ability to improve their confidence amidst nature, understand how to develop healthier relationships based on their appreciation of nature, and set goals towards the prevention of their gaming addiction. With all these activities that are offered, growth becomes the focal point of this therapeutic approach.

With the scarcity of treatment options that are offered to teens with a gaming addiction, finding one that is suitable could start with a local therapist pointing you in the right direction or getting information from a school counselor who should already know your teen. The point is not to give up on finding the gaming addiction treatment your teen needs because the solution is out there.

If you or an adolescent you know needs to get help for drug or alcohol abuse, Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center can give you the guidance that you deserve. Establishing a strong network of family and community can reinforce practices for living substance free.

Call us today to start living in your recovery: 662-598-4214