Tag:

Withdrawal

Possible Depression Due to Video Game Deprivation

by Daniel J. Tomasulo, PhD, TEP, MFA, MAPP September 9th, 2022

written by Daniel J. Tomasulo, PhD, TEP, MFA, MAPP

Until a few months back I used to play GTAV at my friend’s house without my parent’s permission, this went on for three years and then I told them. They didn’t get that mad but told me I couldn’t play it anymore. The problem is that now that I never play it anymore I feel a very strong need to play it and since no other game can replace it I feel unhappy and unfulfilled. When I actually write it out the first time it sounds really pathetic but it’s actually quite a big problem. I wasn’t very happy with my life before but video games was an easy way to cope with other things (when I say cope I don’t mean through extreme violence like in GTA’s case, more like a person who really likes soccer and uses that). The reason my parents won’t let me play it is because of the mature content but I’m not interested in the sex and drugs and the violence is unrealistic enough not to affect me at all. To be honest I don’t really feel anything special when for example killing people in video games. I’ve done a lot of research and I like to think that I know more than most people about psychology and I’m very sure that I’m not a psychopath nor narcissist. An example from the game is this one scene involving torture which I found pretty hard to get through. I’m also quite intelligent for my age and has scored 121 on an IQ test, I’ve also got really good grades and stuff so I think that that’s maybe why I’m not affected by violence I know is fake. I’ve also already done pretty much everything in the game and seen almost everything in it in movies and tv series, so I kinda feel like I’ve seen everything and that all potential damage is already done. My parents have also said that you shouldn’t take chances and that I may get affected even though I didn’t before. That may be but I’ve actually begun to feel really depressed and sad most of the time and I know that there’s no other way to fix it. I think that’s because it was one of the things I enjoyed doing the most and now I can’t anymore. I would be so thankful if you could help me. Thank you!!! (From Sweden)

Withdrawal symptoms from internet gaming is a disorder that is being studied and reviewed as this article explains. While there is, as yet, no conclusive treatment or agreement on it, it sounds like you are experiencing a reaction that has come exactly from stopping. There isn’t an easy protocol I can direct you to for treatment, but I do have a suggestion. First, let me say that I think your parents are doing the right thing by trying to curb your use because the more well-known information does indicate it may be harmful. Yet I am impressed by your courage and concern about the impact it has had on your own well-being.

I’d advocate for an experiment. Take a period of time that you and your parents could agree to, a week or two, and work out a compromise of playing the game for a minimal amount of time, perhaps a half-hour a day. Experiencing playing the game at some minor level of time engagement might have an impact on you. If it does, then we know there has been a withdrawal effect. The key here is for you and your parents to be working together for your best interest, improving communication with each other, and testing out ways to help.

If you use it and feel better, then I think we follow a recovery model. Find the absolute minimum of time you could play it to prevent the withdrawal reaction from getting activated. Then find a way to keep it at that minimum — or wean off of it slowly.

I wish I had something less experimental to offer, but the current state of the science doesn’t offer anything conclusive beyond experimentation.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan

September 9, 2022 0 comment

Panic Attack/Antidepressant Withdrawal or Something Else?

by Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW December 11th, 2021

written by Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW

Hi! I’m a young teen, and I have depression, that I suppose is kinda severe, General and Social anxiety. Around 2 years ago I was put on anti depressants, which have worked pretty well. Around a year ago, I abruptly stopped taking them without really telling anyone. I’m not really sure why, but I did. This was around the holidays, and I was on vacation with family friends in a vacation house owned by some of their relatives. Now, it was a beach house, and, being the middle of winter and family meant that it had not been cleaned beforehand. I was originally sleeping with my friend, but moved to my mom’s bed. My father passed away when I was 9, which caused some underlying anxiety to get worse, along with the typical grief and depression. I slept ok for the first night, but on the second night, I could not relax. It was storming, and an outside swinging door was banging on the wall. This put me on edge. There was one or two old stains on the sheets, and because of that, I started picturing bed bugs or whatever in the bed. (Not hallucinating, just imagining). I then started to get the “bugs crawling on you” feeling, and started sobbing and babbling nonsense. I tend to do that when I get panicked. After around 15 or so minutes, my mom gave me my prescribed lorazapram, and I calmed down and went to sleep. The worst part was when I was on the 5 or so hour drive home. We have a minivan, and I like to sit in the way back to have more space to spread out. My younger sister, 9 at the time, was sitting in front of me. I’m not sure how it started, but for what seemed like most of the drive, I was having a panic attack. But it was different. I also was hitting my sister, hard enough to hurt her, screaming nonsense, and basically having a tantrum. We live in a historical area, and while we passed signs for places I had been, I started yelling at my mom to go to the places. I really have no clue why. It was horrible. I was basically curled up in a ball, screaming and hitting my sister for at least an hour. I really can’t remember much. I’ve had other episodes like this, but not this bad.

The problematic episodes you have described occurred almost immediately after abruptly stopping your antidepressant medication. That might explain your symptoms. One should never abruptly stop taking medication. There are a variety of dangerous reactions that can occur with the sudden discontinuation of antidepressant medications. If you wanted to stop taking your medicine, you should have consulted your prescribing physician.

After discontinuing antidepressants, many people experience physical changes and mood disturbances. People often feel irritable; it can affect their sleep, their balance, their ability to concentrate, and so forth. Discontinuing medication can be difficult. It’s common for people to stop taking their medication when they feel better. When they stop taking it, many of their symptoms return. They fail to appreciate that it was likely the medication that had led to their improvement.

It was a mistake to stop taking your medication without consulting your prescribing physician. I would recommend telling both your parents and your prescribing physician about what has happened. You should also consider adding counseling to your treatment regimen. Counseling is the ideal place to learn stress management and problem-solving skills. Please take care.

Dr. Kristina Randle

December 11, 2021 0 comment

Why Can’t I Finish Things?

by Dr. Marie Hartwell-Walker July 16th, 2021

written by Dr. Marie Hartwell-Walker

From a teen in Rwanda: i have been unable to finish off what i just started. like: reading a novel or a certain book, writing a research paper or learning new things… like i suddenly lose interest, courage or motivation to be fascinated by things which fascinated me in the past

i have been thinking it may be side effects of withdrawing from addiction (not to mention it) or may be an attention deficit disorder?

I wish you had given me a little more information. With so little, I can only give you the most general comment.

Yes, withdrawal causes lots of unpleasant and sometimes surprising symptoms. Much depends on what you are addicted to, how long you have been addicted, and what supports you have as you withdraw.

Addictions, in general, change your brain chemistry. Often addiction interferes with concentration, memory, and motivation. It can therefore look like ADHD. When in doubt, check it out, of course. But I’m guessing that the addiction is the issue, not attention deficit.

Addiction can also decrease someone’s tolerance for unpleasantness and pain to the point that they avoid situations where they might be uncomfortable. Over time, it’s possible for someone who is addicted to be convinced they don’t have what it takes to manage the stress and discomfort of getting through recovery and managing the ordinary difficulties of life.

I wonder if what you are experiencing is that avoidance of discomfort. Having been used to a way out of stress through addiction, you may no longer trust your skills for managing feeling bored or stuck or unable to understand something. Rather than persevere, you drop out. Not finishing does make you feel better because you can always tell yourself “If I did keep trying or if I did finish, the results would be great!. Of course, you’ll never really know. But sometimes people think that not knowing if you’ll fail is better than trying and finding out,

I hope you are getting support for withdrawal. Again, depending on what you are addicted to (and for how long), the effort to get clean and sober can be more difficult than you imagine. You probably need, and definitely deserve, the counsel and support of a trained substance abuse counselor and maybe a program led by others who share in your struggle.

I urge you to find out what recovery groups hold meetings in your area. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t comfortable the first time you go. Sometimes, the make-up of a group simply isn’t a match due to the program method or even such things as the time of day the meetings occur. If that’s the issue, try out a few different groups until you find one where you “click”. Sometimes the discomfort is due to not wanting to face that you really should be there. If that’s the case, hang in there. Talk to members about how to tolerate and stay attentive while you get accustomed to the philosophy, routines, and membership of the group.

Withdrawal is only the first phase of recovery. There’s more to it than that. You also need to learn why you are vulnerable to addiction and how to avoid relapse. Recovery takes courage, and patience, and commitment.

I wish you well,

Dr. Marie

July 16, 2021 0 comment