The Best Treatment for Gaming Addiction in Switzerland

The Best Treatment for Gaming Addiction in Switzerland

Gaming addiction is a condition that requires special treatment. Even if you notice the initial symptoms of the disease in time, unfortunately, you cannot help the gamer on your own. Only professional treatment for gaming addiction can overcome the dependency that arises from deep psychological issues.

A person suffering from this addiction feels an internal and unsatisfactory emptiness that can only be filled through gambling. It is a kind of adrenaline addiction.

This type of illness has serious consequences

  • including social maladaptation

  • distorted perception of reality

  • loss of control and respect for others

Possible causes of gaming addiction

  • include various mental disorders (psychopathy)

  • specific human characteristics, vulnerability, and shyness, which often lead to the development of such dependencies.

  • Many people use games to fulfill their childhood fantasies and fears.

  • Lack of communication is a significant issue, especially among children and teenagers whose parents are constantly working.

  • Intra-family conflicts can also drive people to immerse themselves in an imaginary world, exacerbating the situation.

  • Social phobias, where a person fears interpersonal relationships and real society, lead individuals to escape from real life, feel important and powerful through computer games.The computer becomes a companion and friend for them.

Gaming addiction does not occur immediately; its development occurs in several stages, each characterized by specific signs and changes in the gamer's behavior.

  • Preparation Stage: Increased vulnerability to gambling develops during this stage. Personal qualities such as low self-esteem, inability to control emotions, aggressiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, increased anxiety, depression, and a tendency to immerse oneself in an imaginary world contribute to the development of gaming addiction in adults and children. 

  • Victory Stage: During this stage, the individual forms a perception of the game for self-realization and sometimes for material gain. The mind begins to darken, and even a small victory greatly arouses interest.

  • Failure Stage: Individuals dependent on gambling find themselves trapped in a closed cycle of certain events. They spend all their free funds and are even inclined to borrow money. Complex financial situations and constant losses intensify fear, making the player angry and irritable.

  • Desperation Stage: Due to the systematic desire to play gambling games, a person loses interest in everything else. Problems arise at school or work, the social environment changes, and the psychological state does not allow normal existence in society. In this state, people may break the law, sell their property, sell valuables, and take loans.

  • Hopelessness Stage: At this stage, the patient realizes their dependence and understands that there is almost no chance of hitting the jackpot, but they continue to play. The predominant desire is to experience familiar emotions during the game, which is a manifestation of psychological dependence.

Treatment for gaming addiction

involves various options of group and individual addiction psychotherapy. Psychotherapy directions include behaviorism, rational, prolonged suggestive, psychoanalytic, and bibliotherapy (book therapy).

A clinical psychologist or psychiatrist can help you understand why there is such a strong desire to play and teach you how to cope with life problems that can exacerbate these urges.

The specialist will then teach the person to control their thoughts and impulses related to gambling. It is difficult to say how long it will take to learn self-control, but generally, people who have recently developed an addiction recover faster than those who have been addicted for a long time.