Bipolar disorder and gaming addiction

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scaredmother
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Bipolar disorder and gaming addiction

My son has recently been diagnosed with bipolar 2. He is also addicted to Halo 3.

Does anyone have any information or support people we could exchange info with. His

doctors just say that the gaming is a bi-product of the bipolar 2.

lizwool
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Hello scaredmom,  My son

Hello scaredmom, My son was ADD and then he became addicted to Everquest. Since I started this organization in 2002, most of the excessive gamers I talked to also have ADD. I did not ask them if they were bipolar. We have seen that excessive game playing can be a symptom of serious underlying mental/emotional problems and that both issues need to be addressed. I am glad to hear that your doctor recognizes that excessive gaming can be part of the problem..... Liz

Liz Woolley

Gamersmom
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It depends on the symptoms

It depends on the symptoms and the timing. What was he like before he started gaming? Has his personality changed in a big way?. I saw significant symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder develop in my son while he was gaming. The faded away when he stopped. Sometimes it's hard to know which came first.

"Small service is true service while it lasts.  Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one

The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,

Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun." -------William Wordsworth

Solei
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Welcome to OLGANON, My heart

Welcome to OLGANON,

My heart goes out to you, scaredmom.

I am a recovering online gamer who also suffers from Mental Illness.

Bipolar Disorder II was my first diagnosis at age 26. I had been addicted to online games for 2 years at that time, was going through a messy divorce for which I was unprepared maturity-wise, and was in a job I disliked.

In retrospect, I am disappointed that I personally did not seek out cognative-behavior therapy before seeing a diagnosis for medication.

However, my gaming mentality at that time wanted everything fixed quick -- just like in gaming world...

At one point, due to that diagnosis, I was on 11 different psychiatric meds. Depakote for the moods. Ambien for the sleeplessness. Lexapro for the depression. Seroquel for the severe anxiety. Klonopin, also for the anxiety. Provigil to combat the fatigue from the Lexapro. Topomax to help with the weight gain from the Depakote. Adderall for ADD symptoms my psych. saw. And the rest, I have forgotten.

I am now 32 and free from online gaming. I am happily married and in a job I love. I am only on 2 medicines to help with my mental illness. Two years ago a wonderful psych who I "clicked" with diagnosed me as having Major Depressive Disorder rather than BPII.

I am on an antidepressant and an antianxiety. I also see a therapist every week. I can not stress enough the importance of talk therapy. Sadly, I never gave therapists a chance as I just wanted to medicate myself and have that be a "cure" all. Popping 11 pills, at that time, was easier than rewiring your brain.

I have no idea which canme first, mental illness or gaming addiction for me. In the teenage years, I was more sensitive than other girls... but my parents always just thought I was just being myself and that I'd "grow out of it."

I believe that illnesses like bipolar and depression do not manifest strongly until young adulthood... your mid 20s. How old is your son??

Thinking of you,

Solei

-6 Years Free of Online Gaming-

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Scaredmother, I agree

Scaredmother, I agree completely with everything said above. My son had no mental disorders of any kind. After 2-3 years of online gaming, that completely changed. He was diagnosed as severely depressed, ODD (oppositional defiant) and ADHD. I can remember my husband, on more than one occasion, noticing quick changes in his mood from melancholy to euphoria and questioning whether or not he might be bipolar.

In some cases, the mental disorder exists before the gaming. In others (as in my son's, who has been game-free and med-free for close to 4 years), the mental disorder was created by the gaming addiction. It is clear that he has no current problem as he is happy, healthy and engaged in all aspects of life. He is also about to enter his 3rd year at a challenging university and has done well enough to maintain a partial scholarship.

Whether the mental disorder is pre-existing or created, it seems clear that compulsive gaming does nothing to improve that. You won't be able to know which case holds true for your son until he has been game-free for a period of time.

bgh
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I've battled depression for

I've battled depression for about 30 years. Many of our members have similar experiences. Research on gaming suggests that young people with psychiatric or learning disabilities may be more likely to suffer the negative consequences of their pastime.

The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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scaredmother
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thank you so much for your

thank you so much for your answer. Josh is 20 years old and was a top student/athlete

full scholarship student who started gaming at 12 years of age and it has escalated the past

three years. He dropped out of school last November after successfully completing his first

year but unable to concentrate, suffering depression and finally a complete manic spending

spree and major theft episode that threw him over the top. All of this behaviour was completely out of

character for my intelligent, studious ,kind, even tempered, mild manner son. The only

problem we have ever had with him has been excessive gaming...Halo 3. He had been

travelling to the States competing in online gaming competitions and felt he had a good

chance of making "big money" as a pro gamer. I think his manic breakdown came after

a convention when they may have been smoking pot to relax after gaming and taking ritalin or aderall to help them stay up to game. After he was diagnosed he was put on

Valproate and

Seroquel to stablize his moods and over the past few months the his dosage has been reduced

for the Valproate and the Seroquel discontinued. He has now started gaming again and we

are back to trying to regulate the amount of time. He is still suffering from insomnia and

refuses to believe the gaming and incessant movie watching is creating a problem for

his bp. His doctors are telling us to be patient....very hard to do since they are not living

with this and watching their child's personality change daily. He is doing therapy but only

every 3 weeks and so far has had only one session. Because he is 20 we are not able to

get any info on how that is going etc.

Solei
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Hello, I have been on both

Hello,

I have been on both medications your son is taking. The Depakote (Valproate) made me gain weight rapidly, but it did help with the fleeting thoughts and spinning mind. Seroquel wasn't great for me as it made me too sleepy to function, almost like a sedative. Every medicine works differently for each person. I do hope these are the right combination for your son.

I am praying for your family.

-6 Years Free of Online Gaming-

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Scaredmother, your case

Scaredmother, your case sounds so very much like ours. I'm not in any way suggesting that your son isn't suffering from depression, anxiety and inattention right now. But it also sounds like the gaming may have contributed greatly, if it wasn't primarily responsible, for the decline. My son was on meds for a year and a half, and it seemed to help (though not much) while he was still gaming. Hopefully, your son will get some temporary relief and if/when he stops the gaming, he'll find that he doesn't need the medications to manage in everyday life. Once our son had been game-free he couldn't get off the meds quickly enough to suit him.

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One last thing. When we took

One last thing. When we took (tried, anyway)the ability to game away from our son for the first time, he had a major breakdown and threatened suicide. That prompted an immediate, emergency visit to a psychiatrist, who said that our son gamed to escape depression. Of course, we initially blamed ourselves for not recognizing it and dealing with it sooner.

As time went on, we reflected on his life prior to games and realized that he had never exhibited anything out of the ordinary until his gaming became excessive. As a matter of fact, he was always a top-notch, gifted student, all-around great kid, and loved to be with friends and play sports. Due to the way things have turned out, we have since realized that the gaming was an unhealthy escape when he was no longer able to play sports due to an injury. The gaming caused the depression, rather than the other way around. We are certain of that, since he is once again a top-notch, gifted student, all-around great kid, and loves to be with friends and play sports.

lizwool
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Hello scaredmother, My son

Hello scaredmother, My son was also an adult - 20 years old - when he became addicted to EQ. I had taken him to MANY professionals about his gaming and personality change, and was told I should be glad he was not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They also refused to let me have input in his treatment plan, because he was an adult and I was not his legal guardian. We struggled with the affects of the gaming through the year and a half that he played (I am not sure if you know, but he did end up committing suicide). I could not get him committed because he did not threaten me or himself, although I now know that any type of threat like that can be a reason to bring a person to an emergeny room and than have him/her committed to a psych ward, for his/her or your own protection.

When someone is in the depths of their gaming, they may not "want" to stop. It is their "drug of choice" and they "have to have it", just as if they were addicted to drugs or alcohol. As far as I am concerned, today, in this country, gaming is the legal, acceptable "drug of choice".

Keep fighting for your son! If I had known than what I know now, about gaming and that he would die because of it, I would have taken a sledge hammer and smashed his computer.

Liz

Liz Woolley

bgh
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Current meds: 300 mg

Current meds: 300 mg Welbutrin XL, 300 mg Seroquel

The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
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scaredmother
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does anyone know anything

does anyone know anything about becoming a pro gamer??? Would the training for that

be considered addictive/ing?? My son's doctors are really clueless about all of this

and I am feeling out in left field. HIs mood disorder has totally changed the way he plays

and there is so much up and down and excitement and distress...it is very hard to live around

and I am starting to feel very anxious and depressed. Thank you to all who have responded

it sure helps to have somewhere to go in times of need.

Gamersmom
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If the training involved in

If the training involved in becoming a pro gamer is hours of gaming, someone with the tendency to addiction would have a problem. The training itself is not addictive, but it does expose those with addictive susceptibilities to prolonged exposure.

Lots of doctors are clueless about this addiction. Ask if there is anyone in your community who specializes in gaming addiction, or just ask professionals who specialize in addiction in general.

"Small service is true service while it lasts.  Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one

The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,

Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun." -------William Wordsworth

JoeD
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Becoming a pro game is like

Becoming a pro game is like becoming a pro basketball player. Of the millions who think they'll make it big, only one or two do. The number of people who make any money, let alone a livable wage, is minuscule; of course those are the ones people focus on.

Of course ignore the fact that those people must have insane health issues for the 15+ hours of gaming a day.

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Dear S.M., I am curious to

Dear S.M.,

I am curious to know who is talking to you about becoming a "pro gamer." Is it your son? Do you have any independent confirmation that this might actually happen? You mentioned that he has traveled to the U.S. before to participate in gaming competitions, were these events for which he was paid or just for fun?

I will admit to considerable skepticism about the concept of becoming a "pro gamer." It would seem to me that, just as with the chances of becoming a pro athlete of any kind, it's hardly a realistic probability for the vast majority of people. Even assuming that a "pro gamer" can make enough to live on, it's like playing professional football or basketball or hockey... there are a whole lot of folks who play, and only the very tippy-top of the pyramid, skills-wise, actually support themselves doing it. Then, too, is the gigantic uncertainty involved with something like this - for someone who is mentally and emotionally fragile, it would seem that the last thing you'd want them doing is getting involved in a high-pressure, high-stakes, and unpredictable endeavor like trying to make a living on the "gaming circuit."

When we have heard before about teenagers or young adults "training" to become a "pro gamer," it is almost always in the context of the person (a) wanting to justify immense amounts of time spent playing and (b) a delusion on the person's part.

Given your son's psychiatric history, my thought would be that his skills and talents would be better directed toward a different future.

Jane in CT

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It's like my dream of

It's like my dream of becoming a food critic. I just want to get paid to eat all the time :)

Joe

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I've seen films on

I've seen films on "pro-gamers". They spend their real life getting to the top, and ONE loss, they are out! Pro-gamers have coaches who direct them in their lives, so they don't become depressed. They do not have "side-affects" from their gaming. It is just an activity they do to make money. If someone is an alcoholic (alergic to alcohol - it affects them in a negative way) it is wise of them NOT to be a bartender. Same with your son. The gaming is affecting him in a negative way. He cannot play and function normally. I would suggest he look at that so he can understand why this "choice" probably will not work out for the best for him.

Liz Woolley

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scaredmother wrote: My son
scaredmother wrote:

My son has recently been diagnosed with bipolar 2. He is also addicted to Halo 3.

Does anyone have any information or support people we could exchange info with. His

doctors just say that the gaming is a bi-product of the bipolar 2.

Not knowing your son, it is impossible to state anything for certain.

However, from personal experience, I have found myself experiencing bouts of depression together with some mood swings and apathy whenever I was gaming. However, whenever I free myself from gaming, I become my stable and healthy self again very quickly.

So I would certainly believe that gaming is more likely to cause mental problems than mental problems are to lead to gaming. And in any case, stopping gaming will at least improve the symptoms in the long run if it doesn't cure them altogether.

It seems to me that physicians today are not quite aware of the degree to which excessive gaming can transform your mind. As a non-physician I would certainly have denied it is even possible if I hadn't gone through it myself (and it took me a loooooonnng time to admit it was real).

JoeD
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I've suffered from

I've suffered from depression and anxiety issues for decades, long before gaming issues, however after a short while the excessive gaming certainly made it worse.

Also, it may be coincidence, but as I started to work out the issues that were some of the roots of my depression, I was finally able to leave the gaming.

Joe

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How did u free yourself from

How did u free yourself from online game?

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Hi Sam, Here is one cent on

Hi Sam,

Here is one cent on that. Addicts with any mental illness such as depression, bipolar I and II, schizophrenia, ADHD, or/and obsessive-compulsive disorder should consult with their doctors (psychiatrist preferred) about their medications because often gaming made everything worst on the top of their existing conditions (chemical imbalance in the brain which includes Dopamine, Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and Gamma Aminobutyric Acid are all responsible for the above mental illnesses). I would not be surprise to see a high risk of suicidal attempts in this population. I would be very cautious if one of my families is going through this. In addition, the recovery road seems almost impossible without physician supervision. And most often, it will takethe whole interdisciplinary team (Psychologist, Psychiatrist, family members, support group, online OLGA community, and others) just to care for this individual. Given this individual has the desire to get better.

Maggie.

It's good to have goals and dreams, but while you're waiting for things to change, waiting for promises to come to pass, don't be discontent with where you are. Learn to enjoy the season that you're in--Pastor Joel Osteen

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What Maggie said ^^. I'm

What Maggie said ^^.

I'm Bipolar and have a couple of other little issues, hehe, and it's challenging. I doubt I could have done it without medication AND therapy. And friends. And OLGA. And a flexible work schedule. And a sponsor. And recovery buddies....

http://www.olganon.org/?q=node/31600

I am a recovering computer game and gambling addict. My recovery birthday: On May 6, 2012 I quit games and began working a program of recovery through OLGA No computer games or slot games for me since December 12, 2012. No solitaire games with real cards since June 2013.

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Becoming the character in a

Becoming the character in a violent video game while living in a fantasy world

Not all Video games are considered to be bad for us, but the violent video games that kids play today are now to realistic and have become addictive. Kids are losing a grip with reality while playing violent video games, living in a fantasy world, becoming the character of the game, and spending over 59% of their day trying to kill or be killed. Looking at the effects that violent video games have over our children verses the effects when playing nonviolent video games need more studies completed to find out the adverse short term or Long-term effects the games are having on our kids. It seems that players are "sucked" into the video game and become oblivious to their surroundings and much less inhibited to share their emotions other than the outburst they are having if the game is not going their way.

I had a chance to observe the effects of video games first hand with my 16-year-old son for the past 4 years. He has Asperger's Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Mood problems. While playing one of his video games by himself he will get very upset when he could not beat the level, or he had been killed, or even if the controller would die on him. He would start losing a grip with reality and throw down his controller and screamed at the TV screen. He would say things like why are you doing this to me, "I hate myself", or even "I wish I could die".

I was very shocked by this reaction and was not quite sure how to handle the situation. This game had brought a 16-year-old boy to tears, right in front of me. "Certainly, video games can make some people go nuts.

The extent and long-range consequences of these behavior changes after one has turned off the video game takes hours to go away. Multiple studies have reported that playing video games can significantly increase heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. If studies show that heart rate is increased when playing video games, then it seems that the brain is responding to the video game as if the body is in real danger. Does repeated exposure to this "false" sense of danger have an effect on what the brain then perceives as real danger? Video games do affect the players in some ways, since it appears that players are so wrapped up in the game that they forget their surroundings and begin to see the game as a real quest.

Studies have shown that playing video games can increase heart rate and blood pressure, as well as decrease prefrontal lobe activity while the person is playing the game. This could account for changes in the player's mood and cause him or her to become more aggressive or emotional. However, the extent of these effects on the body once video game playing has ceased are preliminary and not yet fully confirmed.

Mr. Bobby L Porter btes@msn.com

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Opinion

I've been a gamer all my life, along with my sister, and she has bipolar disorder when I'm not. I may suggest this link: http://www.olganon.org/comment/267051#comment-267051

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