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LoL Addiction

Creator: Blian March 19, 2016 9:18am
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Blian
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Guys,

I have a serious question and I am asking that on this particular forum because maybe one of you have already faced this kind of problem or know somebody who has gone through a similar issue.

Long story short a good friend of mine is totally addicted to LoL. He is not into any other video games but LoL and can play up to 14-16 hours per day, spending hundreds of euros on ultra rare skins and smurf accounts. It would be kinda okay if he could afford it but just turned out he hasn't paid rent for 3 months now and even fell out from the university and lost his job as well. I know the family since nursery school so trying to help the parents as he doesn't know he has a serious problem I mean he doesn't want to confess it and go to see a specialist. So we are kinda worried. He is 23 so can't be just taken to the psychologist.

If you have any comments or suggestion please let me know!

Thanks in advance!
Vynertje
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Addictions are difficult things to deal with. As you already said, as an adult he can't just be forced to do something against his will. I have someone in my family who's addicted as well (won't go into detail here but its not gaming related) and the only way something is going to change is once the person in question realizes he's addicted himself. Problem is that if talking to him (by you as friend or by his family) doesn't work, nothing may change until he's absolutely forced to (i.e. kicked out of his room). Do his parents/family/other friends know about his addiction? For example, once he gets kicked out of his room because he's not paying rent they could force him to seek therapy before they take him in again.
mastrer1000
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You could also talk to an psychologist and ask for advice, they prohably know what to do.
There are prohably also plenty of resources online for such things.
I AM NOT AFFECTED BY ELOHELL. NOOBS AND TROLLS NEVER RUIN MY RANKED GAMES.
I DON'T GET STUCK AND I NEVER GET ONLY 2LP FOR A WIN.

I AM UNRANKED.


also check out my Ryze guide
Vynertje
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You could also talk to an psychologist and ask for advice, they prohably know what to do.
There are prohably also plenty of resources online for such things.


Yes, in The Netherlands all anti-addiction organisations/institutions have online resources that give some helpful tips on how to deal with it. Should be the same for your country.
Janitsu
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MungoGeri
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The video game addiction is probably a symptom of something else going on, although the game addiction itself surely makes it more difficult for him to get better. In my case, my own video game addiction was my version of self-medicating through my serious chronic depression. Medication, therapy, and slowly reengaging with the world helped me get through it. And I still take the anti-depressant medication years later.

As far as what you can do, just tell him what you see factually without exaggeration or judgement, and let him know that you'd be willing to help find resources for him when he wants to get help. Otherwise, you just have to let him finally realize that he needs help. Just let him know periodically what you're seeing and let him know that there are ways he can get help. If that seed gets planted in his mind, then maybe at one point he'll have a lucid "good day" and decide to get the help he needs.
Toshabi
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Could be worse. He could have an addiction to furry pornography.
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i had the exact same problem with csgo , i would play 3 days in a raw non stop , without sleeping or even eating , and spending all my money , even the money for school on csgo , one time , wheni found that i had to pay a phone bill , 5000$, then i realised i had a problem.
to not talk about myself any longer , i want you to talk to him , just you and him, no one else , and tell him to look around him and how his life changed , for a year to another , make him see and realise what his life has become.
im sry my english is bad , but if you want more explanation on how to talk to him , i can give you my experience , pm me and we can talk on skype , i hope your friend will be ok.
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These are some serious signs of addiction! Check out the DSM-5 Diagnostic codes. How is his contact with family and friends?

He should go intro rehab, where they also focus on people with game addiction. If he starts the proces he can never game again, because it will trigger him to get addicted again.

Best of luck with your friend!
MungoGeri
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vinks wrote:
He should go intro rehab, where they also focus on people with game addiction. If he starts the proces he can never game again, because it will trigger him to get addicted again.


I worry about statements like this, because I think they focus too much on the symptoms rather than the root cause. That can result in "dry drunk" behavior when someone manages to break the cycle of a specific addiction but then falls into a different addiction because the underlying causes aren't dealt with. I definitely was addicted to playing video games but even if I managed to stop for a time, it just meant I watched TV, surfed the web or downed ice cream all day. The addiction hurts a person's ability to recover, but remember there was a reason the person got addicted in the first place. The person might need an escape from hard feelings, a desperate need for human contact (but lacks the ability to go out in the "real world" to get it), or their brain's chemistry is just plain out of whack and the brain finds the addiction's ability to release endorphins helpful. Whatever is going on, there's some kind of need that the addiction is fulfilling, albeit in a destructive way. One will never break a addictive cycle until those needs are identified and the root causes of the problems are dealt with.

In my case, looking back, I had serious chronic Major Depression issues related to some serious child abuse that I experienced when I was a child. When I was growing up in the 80's, I liked video games and TV for the escape they provided from my family (although I wouldn't have been able to express that at the time). When I got a computer with a modem, I got addicted to logging in to various local electronic bulletin boards (this was well before the World Wide Web was invented) in order to fulfill my social craving. I was too awkward to socialize with my classmates at school, but the message boards and simple bulletin board multiplayer games (e.g. Trade Wars) gave me a socializing outlet. It wasn't until I was a senior in high school that I actually said the words "I was a victim of child abuse" to myself but I thought the statement was a quaint technical thing and denied how much it was affecting me.

Meanwhile, my depression got worse and worse. I was accepted to UC Berkeley and did well for a couple years, but ultimately my depression got worse and I got to the point where I was playing video games all day. Eventually, I dropped out of college (I would find out later that I was one class short from graduating), and my work life was a series of quite good jobs where I would be a star for about six months and then my work quality would slide to the point where I would eventually get fired.

Finally, an assistant pastor at my church (that I attended off and on) noticed me and asked about my situation. He offered free weekly pastor counseling sessions, and they were helpful a little bit at least by getting me out of the house and giving me something to do. After a few weeks, I finally mentioned the abuse I'd experienced (but in a dismissive way). He was wise enough to not dismiss it and also wise enough to know that he was out of his depth. He got me a referral to an excellent professional therapist who agreed to see me at a reduced rate. Cutting the story short, after years of intense therapy combined with some helpful antidepressant medication, I went back to school and got my degree and have had a lot more success with my life and career. And yes, I can still play video games. I just make sure that they don't interfere with my work, life, or sleep schedule. Now I play the games because I enjoy them rather than because I need them.
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