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Online gaming and gambling have become increasingly popular in an increasingly technology-focused and post-pandemic world. The internet has been growing and becoming more popular since the day of its invention. Gaming and gambling have become increasingly accessible since their introduction to the internet. Starting an online game or joining an online gambling site is as easy as an online search. This is a double-edged sword, however. Making gaming and gambling readily accessible to the public via the internet has made it easy for us to feel connected to and have fun with others without having to leave the comfort of our homes. That easy access also means it’s very easy to overindulge in these kinds of activities, which can lead to a behavioral disorder.
Gaming and gambling online can be a fun, exciting, and social activity, and it is for most people who participate. These online activities can have a negative impact on our mental health if they become too consuming or overly present in our everyday lives. Online gaming addiction, also known as internet gaming disorder, occurs when an individual has reduced or no control over their gaming habits, creating an inability to function normally in their daily lives, including personal, social, educational, and occupational responsibilities. Online gambling addiction occurs when an individual’s gambling habits make them unable to complete daily tasks, including personal, social, educational, and occupational. These two addictions are similar in how they can take control of a person’s life and impede them from completing their daily living tasks.
Online gaming and gambling can be used as outlets for stress or as fun activities in moderation. These activities can turn into addictions when they start to take over more and more of an individual’s time until that person is no longer able to function or participate in their life as they normally would because they are so consumed in the “rush” of online gaming or gambling. Online gaming or gambling addiction is not a choice to indulge most of the hours of your day into these online activities, but rather an uncontrollable urge to keep gambling or gaming beyond reasonable limits.
Online gaming and gambling addictions have profound and long-term consequences. These addictions can create problems in relationships, may lead to financial problems or bankruptcy, cause an individual to lose their job, and can cause various other mental health issues.
CTRLCare is a mental health treatment center in Princeton, New Jersey. Contact us today to learn more about our treatment programs.
Online gaming and gambling, like any fun activity, is perfectly fine in moderation. These activities can become problematic when it becomes all-consuming or all you can think about. Online gaming and gambling addiction, like any addiction, stems from the reward center of the brain. When you win in an online gaming match, or hit it big on an online gambling site, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine (the happy chemical) into the brain. Dopamine is closely connected to the pleasure and motivation center of our brains, and our minds naturally want to collect more dopamine.
When we win in an online gaming or gambling match, it releases a hit of dopamine, and our brains naturally want to create that release of dopamine again. This means that your mind gets a little reward every time you win in an online gaming or gambling match. Online gaming or gambling addictions can occur when an individual gets too caught up in chasing that “high” of winning. They may become overly obsessed with chasing that dopamine release that comes from the victory of an online gaming or gambling match. Even though it is statistically impossible to win every single online gaming or gambling match, the brain has learned that it can successfully get a dopamine reward from winning these online games, which can lead to an overwhelming desire to indulge in these online games.
There is no one cause or source of addiction, including online gaming and gambling addictions. While research suggests that there are genetic factors, environment, and personality play a role too.
Contact the CTRLCare Wellness team at (609) 8066-5194 to see how CTRLCare in Princeton, NJ, can offer you relief from online gaming and gambling addiction today.
We work with most major insurance plans that offer out-of-network benefits. We offer a free verification process so you know your options when seeking mental health treatment in Princeton. Our team will let you know what works best for your individual needs.
Signs and symptoms of Online Gaming Addiction can include:
Signs and symptoms of Online Gambling Addiction can include:
Learn more about all our programs and services and how it can help you or a loved one overcome mental health and technology wellness challenges.
To discuss our programs in more detail, contact our CTRLCare Wellness Team.
Treatment for online gaming and gambling addiction is effective and accessible at CTRLCare in Princeton, New Jersey. CTRLCare is a premiere behavioral healthcare facility in Princeton, NJ, that specializes in treating problematic online behaviors, like online gaming and gambling addictions, especially in teens and young adults. They utilize evidence-based therapies, such as art and music therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Family Systems Therapy, that are proven to help get behavioral addiction disorders under control so that you can get back to living and thriving in your best life. CTRLCare offers comprehensive and personalized care through licensed clinical professionals that aim to treat the whole individual: mind, body, and spirit. Offering Intensive and Enhanced Outpatient and Family treatment programs, CTRLCare believes in finding the best fit for you on your journey of wellness and recovery. CTRLCare specializes in social media addiction treatment and offers clients an individualized treatment plan with licensed professionals to help them on their journey to recovery.
Focused on evidence-based therapies and integrated wellness programs, the unique, hybrid approach at CTRLCare Behavioral Health is designed to meet the needs and goals of the individual. For personalized treatment that addresses the mind, body, and spirit, contact CTRLCare Behavioral Health today.
