There are different levels of addiction and all types of people can be affected. Some video game addicts only binge and others are full blown addicts. No matter the case it is still a serious problem.

In this article we will outline the following.

• Video Game Addiction Warning Signs
• Video Game Addiction Statistics
• Video Game Addiction Treatment.

Note: You will find some helpful information in this article, but it is always important that you seek professional treatment for any type of addiction.

Video game addiction is becoming an increasingly difficult problem with the youths in America today. It can affect the everyday life and social situations of children. Video game addiction can hinder a child's learning skills, cause real life problem solving to become more difficult, and cause a child to spend far less time with family and friends.

If you find your child showing symptoms of video game addiction it is important to intervene and address the problem promptly. If left untreated the problems that come along with video game addiction can have long term detrimental circumstances.

Video game addiction can cause an older person to have the emotional disposition of someone much younger. It can also cause someone to skip meals, school and even work.

We have compiled a list of warning signs that you can look for in your child or loved one. There maybe other signs that are also important and should be considered if you suspect your child or loved one of being addicted to video games.

Symptoms & Warning Signs of Video Game Addiction -

• Playing for hours and hours
• Spending less time doing other activities (sports, playing, outdoor activities)
• Becoming more anxious or depressed
• Hiding the fact that they are playing
• Making increased references to video games
• Lying about doing homework or chores
• Thinking and believing they can solve problems by implementing something seen in a video game.

Some experts say it is hard to show statistics in video game addiction. As of 2007 the American Psychological Association (APA) had not defined video game addiction as a mental health disorders. Although, it is said that video game addiction has been purposed to the ADA for inclusion in their next published edition of DSM.

Video Game Addiction May Have Claimed Life

China has taken further steps to define the statistics of video game addiction. This all came to light after several stories were published on a 26 year old man dying after a 50 hour long video game marathon. The stories did not specify what game(s) the 26 year old was playing and also noted that the man was also obese.

Even though this story failed to explain why the marathon played a roll in the mans death the Chinese have taken it very seriously and are investigating the problems that are associated with video game addiction.

Harris Poll & Stanford on Video Game Addiction

In 2007 a Harris Poll reported on youths addicted to video games. The poll showed 8.5% of youths (between the ages of 8 - 18) in the US could be classified as video game addicts. While another 23% of youths would say that they are addicted to video games.

These results are merely a rough estimate. Until the APA has defined what video game addiction is exactly no one can say what constitutes video game addiction.

Stanford University School of Medicine in 2008 held a study that concluded that video games do show to have addictive characteristics. Allan Reiss MD and colleagues published their study in 2008.

Reiss says that males are two to three times more likely than females to become addicted to video games. The study showed that the part of the brain that creates rewarding feelings is more active in men than in women during game play. This may help to unlock some of the mystery behind game addiction and binge gaming.

In 2005, more than 230 million video games were sold and an unknown poll shows 40% of Americans play console or computer games.

You can read more on these studies by following the links below.

Although the ADA hasn't defined video game addiction this hasn't stopped organizations from trying to combat the effects of video games on potential addicts. These treatment centers are dedicated to providing help for people in need of addiction treatment.

It is always best to catch addiction in it's earliest stages. The sooner a problem is addressed the better the chances are to correct the problem. This is true with video game addiction or any other addiction you may find your child or loved one struggling with.

Don't ignore the problem and think it may go away. You must take action and steps towards a health recovery. It is important to your child's future to correct whatever is wrong in their life. This will make for a happier child as well as home.

You can read more on treatment of video game addicts by following the links below.