My dear daughter,
Now you know how to recognize and avoid addictions.
They hijack your brain and your life.
Why are we prone to addictions?
There is something in our brains which is called the reward system. Over millions of years our species, as well as most of our previous species, evolved to have enormous pleasure when exposed to something badly needed for survival, such as high-calorie food, sex; anything that would trigger a higher rate of serotonin release or absorption by the neurons in our brains.
The pleasure and fulfillment feeling prompts us to seek those experiences over and over again. It worked well during most of our species’ existence because some resources were very scarce. It was difficult to find a good meal, high in calories, sugar, carbohydrates or fats. When one was found, it was difficult to foresee when the next one would be available.
If the reward system becomes unbalanced, with pleasure stimuli being more readily available, there is a higher risk of addiction.
In my case, videogames were not just a form of escapism. When I played, it was easier to become hyper-focused. Nothing else existed in my mind, just the game and its goals. To a person who has dealt with OCD and general anxiety for most of his life, this was like the ultimate sedative. I could forget about everything and be completely at peace. Surely there were other forms of achieving this state, such as practicing karate or studying a complex math problem, but the video game was sitting there and I just had to turn it on. Like I said, companies provide plenty of extras to hold our attention for longer periods.
To the point that some games became an obsession themselves. World of Warcraft began to fuel my OCD with daily quests. I liked doing all the side quests and organizing every single item I found in Baldur’s Gate in boxes and I’ve replayed many times trying to achieve the perfect party configuration. In other words, there were times I was playing just to feed my addiction, it wasn’t even a pleasing or calming experience anymore.
And there are always new games – larger worlds, more complex characters, more options, better graphics, new mechanics. It never ends and. Unless you become a successful e-sports “athlete” (which is statistically unlikely), it leads nowhere.
Love,
Dad
Aspergers Dad 