Let’s Talk Gaming & Mental Health - Internet Gaming Disorder

 In this episode, we explore the unique challenges of internet gaming disorder.  Join Randi Owsley, LMSW, and Jessica Bullwinkle, LMFT, two licensed psychotherapists with over 23 years of experience in women’s mental health, as they discuss the signs of gaming disorder in women, the power of mindfulness and self-care, and practical steps toward recovery. Whether you're seeking emotional balance, coping skills, or a supportive path to healing, this episode offers hope and tools for transformation. 

In your journey to understand and address internet gaming disorder, discover a wealth of coping skills and tools tailored to your needs. Explore mindfulness practices designed to promote healing and inner peace amidst the digital world's challenges. From online therapy options to cultivating joy beyond gaming and creating healthy screen habits, empower yourself with resources that nurture your mental wellness and overall well-being.

In our upcoming episodes, we are committed to delving into essential topics that resonate with women navigating the complexities of mental wellness and gaming. From exploring mindfulness practices tailored to address internet gaming disorder to sharing inspiring recovery stories from women who have overcome similar challenges, we aim to empower you with valuable insights and practical guidance. By shedding light on creating healthy screen habits and breaking the stigma surrounding gaming disorder in women.

FAQs
What is Internet Gaming Disorder?
How does Internet Gaming Disorder affect women specifically?
What are the signs and symptoms to recognize Internet Gaming Disorder?
Can Internet Gaming Disorder impact mental health?
Are there treatments available for Internet Gaming Disorder?
How can I support someone struggling with Internet Gaming Disorder?
Is there a way to prevent Internet Gaming Disorder?
What should I do if I think I have Internet Gaming Disorder?
Can lifestyle changes help with managing Internet Gaming Disorder?
How is Internet Gaming Disorder diagnosed?

#MentalWellnessJourney  #ProtectYourPeaceNow #EmotionalWellnessMatters #FindYourInnerCalm #PrioritizeYourMentalHealth #InternetGamingDisorder #GamingAddictionRecovery #MentalHealthMatters #DigitalDetox #MindfulGaming #GamingAndMentalHealth #WomenAndGaming #FemaleGamersUnite #WomenEmpowerment #SelfCareForWomen #HealingForHer #TherapyForGamers #MindfulnessForGamers #SelfCareForGamers #OnlineTherapy #MentalHealthSupport #EndGamingAddiction #MentalHealthAwareness #ResilientWomen #BalanceOverBurnout #EmotionalWellness

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Transcript

Randi: 0:14

Welcome back to the women's mental health podcast. I'm randy. I'm And I'm Jess. And we are two licensed psychotherapists, and this is a safe space where we talk about mental health, well being, and strategies for coping with life's challenges. And how all of this is normal, and you are not alone. Today we're diving into a modern mental health issue that's been gaining attention in recent years, internet gaming disorder. This might be something you've heard about, especially if you are someone you are close to enjoys online gaming or platform gaming, computer, Xbox, Roblox, whatever it is, you can find us and more resources on women's mental health podcast. com. So have you ever had these thoughts? What is internet gaming disorder? How

Jess: 1:00

does internet gaming disorder affect women specifically?

Randi: 1:03

What are the signs and symptoms to recognize in internet gaming disorder? Can internet gaming disorder impact mental health? Are there treatments available for internet gaming disorder?

Jess: 1:14

How can I support someone struggling with internet gaming support? I can't say that. Internet gaming Disorder. IGD. IGD. Is there a

Randi: 1:22

way to prevent this? What should I do if I have IGD? Can lifestyle changes help with managing your internet gaming disorder? And

Jess: 1:33

actually, how is it in diagnosed? How do I know if I got this or if I can diagnose my husband with this? Yeah Sorry, especially my end. Yeah, right

Randi: 1:43

even though it's It's surprising because it feels like gaming is very, is very male dominated, but there are more women gamers than there are men. Yep. Internet gaming disorder, or as we're going to call it, IGD for our sanity, is defined as a mental health condition, where someone has difficulty controlling their gaming habits and this leads to a significant problem in their personal life, their social life, or their professional life.

Jess: 2:14

If you can't go to work because a new like game just dropped. That's maybe

Randi: 2:19

an issue. Yeah. Or you're ditching your girlfriend and cancelling your date or, ignoring your family because

Jess: 2:27

I will say though when things do drop I understand that people say I'm gonna take the day off and I want to play this game. Yeah,

Randi: 2:33

if it's communicated, right? That's different if it's planned if it's not like disrupting and throwing off like you have a major Presentation due And then you're like F work, right? I

Jess: 2:42

totally forgot that. I want to do this instead. So the American Psychiatric Association Consider is it a condition requiring further research? It's still kind of a new thing, Because obviously gaming is still kind of a new thing while the World Health Association Organization or who has classified it as a recognized disorder called gaming disorder, which is interesting because I was like, huh, a gaming disorder. It's about time,

Randi: 3:08

I'm right. I was excited to see that it was included because I feel like it's relevant to our society and today's age, but still needs a lot of research on it.

Jess: 3:18

It does. So the main symptoms include an ability to stop gaming Despite negative consequences, neglecting personal responsibilities and using game time to cope with negative emotions. So neglecting personal responsibilities would be like, you're not showering anymore, you're not picking up your kids, you're not taking care of yourself or paying your bills because

Randi: 3:40

you're addicted to your game. Yeah. So it's called internet gaming disorder because it specifically involves gaming that happens online or. on your phone or on your Nintendo, it could be Nintendo switch, Xbox, PlayStation, your PC. And so whether it's through your console or your computer or your cell phone those things happen. Unlike offline games, Online games often include social elements like multiplayer, games, co op gaming, in game rewards, and continuous updates like patch updates and things. If you, I'm going off, my family is, are gamers. And

Jess: 4:19

I'm laughing because I hear my family is, are gamers all but me. And so I hear them talking at, they're talking about, Oh, I sold this and I got this. Oh, that's cool. And I think it's something real. Sue me, listen to me. I just, I just totally just diminished it. I think it's something real for, to them is totally real. And they're like, Oh, I just sold this and I got that. And I got a million dollars. And I was like, Can we do that in real life, please? Right.

Randi: 4:41

My husband starts talking to me. He has a team, he games, they stream, they record. Anyways, it's very intense. And so I've not been a gamer for 40 years. My husband just built me a gaming PC. So I have started to and finding understanding, okay a little bit, but still anyways, I'm always like he'll talk to me about this stuff and I'm like, that happened at work? And I'm like, exactly. Oh wait, never mind. This is your make believe base and friends. See, listen

Jess: 5:09

to this, but there are people that those really are their friends and they really talk, they've got, Kalamazoo 432 or whatever it is, is there a good friend that they hang out and play with? Oh, I'm like, who's

Randi: 5:20

Kalamazoo? No,

Jess: 5:21

just whatever their game or name is and that's who they play with. Play with and that's who they you know, they associate with and some people that's really their friends, right? So we're not trying to diminish it or make fun of it. Oh, no, like I just don't really understand it

Randi: 5:35

I've well, I mean we have community groups and Facebook groups and stuff like that just and I met through one, I

Jess: 5:40

just met one of my Facebook friends last week Look how old I sound I know she's my Facebook friend and I

Randi: 5:46

feel like Finally met her and then I met her daughter the week after

Jess: 5:49

and then

Randi: 5:49

so I feel like it's more normalized now than it used to be. But the problem with the nature of online gaming is that it's all, it's 24 seven, it's always accessible. So this creates an environment where, gaming can spiral out of control, especially if you are already struggling with emotional regulation, or, Stress that is bringing you down and you're using that as a form to dissociate and escape yes It's okay to a minimum But if it's at the maximum have you ever read ready player one or watch? Oh, yeah So it's yes the world's kind of destroyed everybody's inward in the virtual world and they want to live there 24 7 which is understandable when our world is going to shit much like it is right now but in some ways it's normalized to find that escape, but we still need to balance it with real life. It's happening around us.

Jess: 6:39

we touched on it just barely, but how is it affecting us as women and how is it affecting our mental health? So it's often associated with men and teenagers. We joke our husbands or, teenagers who aren't going to school. But women are also significantly affected because We do play games now. Mm hmm. I don't really but other people you play games I know I asked you one day what you were doing. You're like hanging out with my husband gaming Yeah, I was like, all right, cool. Cool. I mean I played

Randi: 7:06

for a night with my kids the other night I play a game called once human which is like a survivalist game and but it also has like decorating and stuff in it So I'm like Look, I made a walk in closet! And then I also have an AK 47 that I shoot at zombies, so it's it's okay. Really, what she's

Jess: 7:23

doing is avoiding her own walk in closet that probably can't walk in right now. Exactly. But I

Randi: 7:28

mean, it's a huge thing right now too, cozy gaming. So little like simulation games that are just like cute, like farming games and fashion games and we have really gamified everything. Anything we use has been turned into a game to keep people hooked on their phones. And I don't know if you've noticed recently, but if you ever shopped on like the app, like Sheen or like Teemu, there's all these like games and these things that pop up like constantly Oh, spin this and hit this and keep on and get this and feed the puppy and all this stuff. Well, Amazon is beta testing. A new deals page that is, looks almost exactly like Shein's app and I was like, Oh, here we go. So I think that we'll be seeing that more and more because they want to keep you scrolling. They want to keep you hooked. They want to keep you coming back for more and more and thinking like you're going to win something or get something. something. It's almost like gambling. Yeah, gambling is like gambling. Yeah, like being in a casino, come back tomorrow and you'll win a bigger prize or get a bigger coupon or get faster shipping, and so we really need to be hyper aware of. The way this is going so we can keep ourselves in check

Jess: 8:34

Exactly because a lot of us are using shopping, I joke strip mall therapy shopping online shopping. I'm

Randi: 8:40

a shopaholic. I admit it Well, but it's a coping skill for

Jess: 8:43

some people because you know when we're lonely we shop. I mean I found myself I'm gonna laugh during 2020 right being so crazy busy as a therapist during covid that one of my go to's was the news and Amazon. Why the hell was I going to Amazon as one of my go to's? it was like one of those things I was just doing. It becomes

Randi: 8:59

like a personality thing for us. I'm the Amazon girl. Became a habit. And so we need to be aware of this too because it's like, if we're struggling with it as adults, how are our teenagers or kids struggling with it when their brains aren't fully functioned? And this is gonna be their new norm walking through the world this way.

Jess: 9:20

a lot of women will use gaming as a stress relief or a mental break because they're juggling careers and caregiving and personal responsibilities and children with issues or, marital problems.

Randi: 9:33

It can be very expensive to all the things like a lot of platforms are free, but then you have to buy all the in App stuff like I'm not even gonna say like how much my kids have spent on fortnight and roblox and

Jess: 9:44

oh, yeah

Randi: 9:45

roblox

Jess: 9:46

That one right there i'll see it and i'm like you earn your money if that's how you want to spend it That's fine. It's supposed to be

Randi: 9:52

a really dangerous place too, but I try to I keep an eye on when we're using it exactly, it can become compulsive. Yeah. So we're saying much like gambling and that can disrupt our routines and interfere with relationships and friendships and really worsen your mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and even sleep disorders when we already have so much on our plate as women. And then we're like, Oh shit, I need a check in. And I'm like, I don't like farming games, my sister does. And she's still has been like Farmville for like life, and she's I need a. Pull up my weeds or whatever it is. And as a mom,

Jess: 10:25

I hate when I'm like, dinner's ready. And they're like, after this round, no motherfuckers, dinner is ready. I told you a dinner was ready. I don't care what round you're playing. I'm about to cut off the internet. And I am known to get on my phone and I will. Because I'm like, I asked you to take out that trash three times. I have

Randi: 10:41

a thing too that turns off everything on our Wi Fi system. And I'm like, it turns off Netflix. It turns off YouTube. It turns off the internet and I'm like no more until this shit gets done. I'll just disconnect it. And that's a boundary. It is a boundary for our family. But there's also a lot of stigma, too, of women who do, use gaming to relax, too, that they're, like, wasting time and it's not okay, whereas men can make a whole career about it. I think the most And how's that any different than watching football? There's

Jess: 11:08

men we've been watching football every Sunday and Monday night football and that's okay. So why can't we game

Randi: 11:12

right? So and it's like I think like the number one, Most of you or one of them on YouTube is like some gamer guy named like PewDiePie or something It's all like Minecraft gaming and stuff like that, but that's okay to make like a career out of it but like Women aren't allowed to so in comparative, you know to men it can be viewed harsh as a negative for women who game

Jess: 11:35

and so because of that we really want you to have these open conversations If you notice somebody if Farmville is taking over your sister's life Because she can't take care of her kids because she got a pool weeds, which isn't happening. It's not happening We're just saying if that is if that's true That's okay. We want to normalize this and really approach them with, empathy. I try to, I just lost my shit a little bit ago about the whole like dinner time thing, but I try to tell the kids, Hey, dinner's in five minutes. So that way they know don't start another goddamn round because dinner is almost ready, and so I try to be empathetic with them as well. But if I hear them getting angry and they're yelling and stomping and screaming because of a game. No, no, no, it's time to come down because obviously something is happening in that game that we want to fix that.

Randi: 12:20

And

Jess: 12:21

that happens with women as well is that we get really wrapped up and frustrated in our game or we get angry about it sometimes if we're gaming.

Randi: 12:28

Also a side note There's a lot of, a lot of toxic behavior that happens towards women who game, if they have voice chats or chats my daughter is a huge gamer and she does not game with her voice on. She doesn't game. She doesn't put anything that she's a female. And even like my husband's been gaming for three years. I don't know, like 25 years since Atari came out. Yeah. And so even, 20 years ago, he would get in fights with other guys, like on call of duty and say don't talk to the women like that on that. Cause he's very much like underdog, like woman protector. he stopped gaming for a while because of that toxic masculinity that happens. And especially in things like call of duty. And like they, horrible, sexual things to women are talking down to them because they feel like it's anonymous. you have to, be aware of that to going into these environments and protecting yourself and your kids from that.

Jess: 13:25

Again, if you find that this is interfering with your personal life, again, you're skipping meals, you're avoiding your responsibilities, or you're feeling anxious when you can't game. Oh, that's a big one. You're like, Oh, I'm getting the itch. I got to go game. I'm getting the itch. Yeah, that's no different than gambling or drinking

Randi: 13:41

or anything else. Check in with yourself, have self awareness, maybe start tracking how much time you spend. You do want to track it. Most of the games track what you spent on them. And then you're like, Oh, like I spent 642 hours on that. And you're like, Oh again, like Jess said, like setting boundaries, scheduling, specific times to game, whether you need to put that in the calendar, give yourself a hard stop time, setting those timers, telling Alexa to tell you when it's time to get off or turning the internet off at a certain time, creating screen free zones and times at home at the dinner table for yourself for your kids and balancing that with offline activities like taking a walk, riding your bicycle, exercising. I know one of my friends too, she makes her kids, they have to do an hour of some type of physical activity. We do steps. Yeah. Every 10 or 15 minutes they want on, the game, like when they're on break or home for the summer. She works at home too, like we do. And so she's I want them out, I want them doing stuff. And then they can have that time to game if they have earned it.

Jess: 14:44

We do steps. You have to have a certain amount of steps so that way you can get online. Cause I know you're not going to be moving. So I need some sort of movement happening. So let's go through an answer. Our, have you ever thoughts, Randy, what

Randi: 14:55

is internet gaming disorder? So it's recognized by health professionals as a condition marked by excessive and compulsive use of internet games leading to a significant impairment in your personal family social, educational or occupational functioning. That means it's affecting your relationships, your work, your life, your, daily functionings, your personal hygiene And it reflects on your. inability to control your gaming habits. So just again, how does internet gaming disorder affect women specifically?

Jess: 15:32

This disorder affects all genders, all ages, women may experience this differently due to what we expect from society, we we're not going to diagnose it as easily. I don't think because we're expecting it to be boys, we're expecting it to be men. And so I think again, it's gonna be like ADHD where We're going to get missed because we don't show up as the basic criteria. But often, we do game in these communities. And so there is, like you were saying with your daughters that we have to be able to take care of ourselves and our mental health, because as women, we might actually be more susceptible to other, like to trolls. I don't know if we call them trolls anymore, but sexual harassment, sexual harassment. And vulnerability and gaslighting,

Randi: 16:20

all that kind of stuff can happen on those, right?

Jess: 16:22

Exactly. So you really just want to take care of yourself as a woman if you're going to be gaming. So Randy, what are the signs and symptoms that we need to recognize that we have an issue with gaming?

Randi: 16:32

So signs include preoccupation with gaming. Withdrawal symptoms, like almost gambling or drinking, like you need to get back to it, especially when it's taken away or you can't, be on the computer or get to your console that you have to spend more and more time gaming more money or more money to get like that satisfaction you normally got. The inability to stop gaming or reduce your time gaming giving up other activities. activities or other relationships, so you have more time to game and continuing this, pattern of behavior despite. Knowing that it's causing problems in your life or your relationships that you're just totally dissociated from everything going on And basically this is addiction

Jess: 17:16

you just described addiction. Yeah, so that's what this is is another form of addiction We've just given it a different name

Randi: 17:23

So, Jess, how does internet gaming disorder impact our overall mental health?

Jess: 17:29

It's going to lead to us having more anxiety, more depression, more stress, because it's going to disrupt our sleep, it's going to, mess up our diet, because let me tell you, I know everybody's going to munch on crappy food. Oh, yeah. I,

Randi: 17:43

yeah.

Jess: 17:44

We all do. We have the, the Cheetos and, what we call their orange, orange foods at home, right? You have all this stuff that's easy to eat while you're gaming instead of actually making a healthy meal. And so it's gonna increase if you already have mental health issues. It's gonna make it worse if you are not finding a balance in your life, right? Randy, Are there treatments available for internet gaming disorder besides moms cutting people off?

Randi: 18:07

Yeah treatments can include behavioral therapy counseling to address any type of psychological or mental health or trauma issues support groups addiction type therapy, and sometimes, medications to treat co occurring conditions such as depression, ADHD, or anxiety. Cause sometimes too, when for like example, with ADHD, you have impulse control. So you are just looking for that next like serotonin hit. And you can get that sometimes with gaming because it is like gambling So just how can we support someone That we know that is struggling with maybe a gaming disorder.

Jess: 19:39

I think the first thing is to not be judgmental. Even in the beginning I was minimizing it, right? Cause I don't game. I think it's dumb, but I don't think it's dumb. I recognize that, that it's important to people. And so I think if we can take it as empathy and sympathy for people and understand that they're struggling with this and maybe help them either recognize that they're struggling with this help them maybe set some boundaries, remind them to go see a therapist because, maybe a therapist, I'm sure there's somebody out there who specializes in this because it is addiction is what this is, is recognizing that this is an addiction. And maybe encouraging time It's In the house where there is no gaming, and figuring out a way to connect with your family or friends in a way that is not gaming.

Randi: 20:23

Yeah. And for me, I would say that I lacked empathy for it until I started Playing and understanding why my kids and, my spouse were using it and, how it really can be an escapism, but that you do need to have a healthy, balance with it. Like I was just. Out of the country for a week and I was like, I won't be able to check in on my stuff, but it was like, it didn't bother me. I wasn't like freaking out. I wasn't like checking in, like with my team did you go to our base? Is everything okay? I was just like, whatever. And then I came back and I was like, Okay, cool. But

Jess: 20:59

also having I understand why when they're playing a round, they can't just end it. Because what happens is the people in their team aren't going to play with them anymore. If they just like peace out. And I didn't, I

Randi: 21:09

didn't even understand that either because I realize like some games don't have a pause. They don't have a stop. You have to play it to a certain point for it to stop and save, which I did not understand before. And it's like now I understand. couple different types of games that, my husband and my kids have suggested so I could see like their perspective, even if I'm like, this is a dumb game, but I'm like, okay I understand now that there's different types of games and that they require different types of things. So I have more empathy towards them being like, like right now. So I'm like, okay so when this round is done, can you please take out the trash getting that different perspective. did help. So just are is there a way to prevent internet gaming disorder or addiction to gaming? Besides not playing games? Yeah. I think since everything is gamified these days, it's hard. We're just It even if we're not really into it, we're inadvertently gaming like in a way it

Jess: 22:09

is, but part of it is that balance and boundaries. I don't know how many times we have to yell out boundaries, boundaries and boundaries, but it is boundaries. Balance. Yeah. Boundaries, balance.

Randi: 22:19

Bitch, listen.

Jess: 22:21

I like that. That should be our next motto. Yeah. Boundaries, balance, and bitch, listen. Oh, I like that. Okay. But yeah, that's exactly it, is having your B's and being able to advocate for yourself, being able to say, I'm not, addicted, or yes, maybe I am, and I'm going to step away for a little bit. I just really being aware and having that awareness. Yeah. So Randi, what do I do if I think I have internet gaming disorder?

Randi: 22:44

First and foremost, always acknowledge your feelings and be proud that you have even taken the step to check in with yourself. Reach out to a mental health professional, a therapist, someone that is experienced in dealing with internet addiction, gaming addiction, or, maybe gambling addiction. And additionally consider joining the support groups. If you do feel like more comfortable, like online, there's lots of forums and stuff out there in communities where you can share experiences and work on your coping strategies that can help, Be more beneficial in you being more resilient to keeping those boundaries with your, gaming struggles.

Jess: 23:25

And we are good at putting together a a coping box. We are. We are. We're gonna like little hints are going to be starting to drop that we will be so

Randi: 23:33

excited, super

Jess: 23:34

excited to be able to bring to you a coping toolbox. So we have some talks in the work, but yes, we will be bringing

Randi: 23:41

that. So just can lifestyle changes. Paired with boundaries, help manage an internet gaming disorder, maybe keep you off the road of heading towards a gaming disorder.

Jess: 23:54

Just like with any addiction, again, it's that balance, but making sure you get your physical activity, making sure you do stop and have a healthy meal, not just the, the orange foods, Cheetos, whatever else, good, exactly, fatty ass food. Making sure you get to sleep on time and you're not up late till three in the morning and sabotaging the next day. Making sure that, you are managing any of this compulsitivity, compulsitivity? Is that even a word? I don't know, but I like the way it sounds. Compulsitivity! So we're keeping it. Compulsivity. Compulsivity. Sorry, you know me and my words. But really managing your habits and that's all it is. Okay. Now, this is the fun one. How is it

Randi: 24:35

diagnosed? So a professional diagnosis typically involves meeting specific criteria that is outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, which is called the DSM 5. And that is a manual that has been created by the American Psychiatric Association. And that includes exhibiting at least five of these symptoms within a 12 month period. or year long period. And that includes a preoccupation, which is being like, preoccupied with gaming and withdrawal. So you're experiencing withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away or you're not able to game. Tolerance that your tolerance is going up. You need to spend more and more time gaming to get that feeling of satisfaction. Loss of control where. You are unable to control how much time you spend gaming. So you are unable to keep a timer and keep to it. You're unable to set boundaries. You have loss of interest in things that you normally enjoyed. So you've given up other activities or relationships. Yeah. And responsibilities to game instead and continued use of gaming despite problems that are happening around you you're deceiving others. So you're lying to others about how much time you are actually spending on gaming or how much time you are spending gaming. Or you're lying to yourself. Yeah. You're lying to yourself. Mood regulation. So you're using gaming to escape and dissociate and to relieve negative feelings. Like all the time and you are having functional impairment. So you are experiencing like impairment in other areas of your life, like your hygiene, you're not showering, you're not brushing your teeth, you're not going to work, you're not sleeping. You're not going to social functions, all these things. So in order to get an official diagnosis of IGD, this requires meeting five different Five or more of these criteria I've talked about within a 12 month period. And

Jess: 26:36

there is actual there is a diagnosis. If you go to a therapist, they can actually give you like a form you can fill out to help you figure out whether or not you have an assessment tool. Yeah. There's an assessment tool to do it. I was trying to find it so I can show you guys, but

Randi: 26:53

I'll see if I can find it and put it up on the website if I can. So you guys can come up. Have an idea of what a professional would use to assess internet gaming disorder.

Jess: 27:02

So with internet gaming disorder, we're going to hope that this conversation has shed a little bit of light and we've also shown some empathy towards it because it does impact your mental health. It impacts others around you especially women. And so we want to find a way to help you find support and balance.

Randi: 27:23

So we hope if you have found this episode helpful that you share it with someone who might benefit from hearing it and as always Thank you so much for being a part of our lives and our podcast Community the women's mental health podcast.

Jess: 27:37

So remember you are not alone in this journey Until next time take care of yourselves and others mostly yourselves