Does Your Child Have Video Game Disorder? A Place for Texas Families to Start

Our program helps teens from across the country with video game disorders.  Many parents who enroll their children at Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction try in-home interventions first. A behavioral contract can work, but parents need to remember that a contract is like a marriage.  Both parties need to agree. You can’t just force the rules upon your child. Ask them what they want to work for, and how much time is reasonable to play online after homework is done.

Some clients need a higher level of care than what a therapist can provide, and this may not have been initially clear to their therapist. For example, if your teen has co-occurring depression that is not responding to once-per-week outpatient psychotherapy, they might need more intensive care, including psychiatric medication, more frequent visits or inpatient care with a therapist who has greater training in treating depression, and/or a therapist who specializes in treating severe depression along with video game disorder and working as part of a help team.

If video game playing is an ongoing source of tension in your family, you may be beyond the stage of trying an in-home intervention.  If any attempt to curb your teen’s video game use or cellphone/computer use results in a heated argument, please give us a call today.

If Your Texas Teen Only Feels Successful Online, Now is the Time for Gaming Addiction Help

Consider the cost of doing nothing.  If you send your child off to college not prepared to deal with unstructured time, how likely will they be in the 50% that fail to graduate college?  Consider the cost of wasted tuition, wasted time, and the cost of supporting your child back at home if they fail to thrive. Investing in Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction is insignificant compared to the cost of failure.

There are several reasons why you should NOT wait:

1. Parents know their teens best, and parents have good instincts about possible problems their teens might be having.  If you have that little nagging feeling in your gut, trust it!
2.  Theoretically speaking, we know that we need to intervene as soon as possible since the majority of a human’s brain development occurs in the early years.  Think about the social level of a 10-year-old versus an 18-year-old. It’s only 8 years but the differences in development are vast.
3. The effectiveness of early intervention has been demonstrated by plenty of research studies that went beyond the theoretical and actually investigated clinical cases. Teens with social, developmental, and addiction issues who get early intervention have better outcomes.
4.  Sometimes excessive gaming and avoiding social opportunities is actually a sign that there are other problems occurring.
5. Missing social learning opportunities results in later frustration. Teens who have difficulty communicating have difficulty connecting with others socially. This leads to frustration, tantrums, and potentially unmet needs.

Gaming Addiction Help that Helps Texas Teens

Our programs help teens from Texas and can provide academic opportunities to ensure your child does not fall behind in school.  Campers at Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction who undergo video game disorder help are put into small therapy groups where they won’t get lost or fall behind.

Often, academics fall behind when a student needs video game disorder help.  The problem is that it is almost impossible to totally avoid using the internet as a student today.  At Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction, we help campers develop the self-regulation skills to go online responsibly and quickly get back on track when they fall off.

Some of the emotional signs or symptoms that may require video game disorder help include:

• Feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play
• Preoccupation with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next online session
• Lying to friends or family members regarding the amount of time spent playing
• Isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming

Video game disorder help often means treating co-occurring issues concurrently.  Often, we find an underlying depression or self-doubt about the future. Focusing on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs paradigm, we help Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction campers find safety and security first by showing them how to interact positively with others, how to make and keep friends, and how to stand up to others when being bullied.

ADHD is a common co-occurring issue when teens need video game disorder help.  As a result, habits and strategies need to be developed to use the internet successfully for research or writing papers in school.  This is simply what we do at Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction- we help our campers develop the intrinsic motivation to change their online behaviors and develop routines that will ensure their success.

Frequently, we’ve found that the typical Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction students started excessive online habits when they began to feel more successful online than offline.  This can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as campers lose social practice by spending more and more time online and losing opportunities to engage in face-to-face social interaction.

As a result, it’s not uncommon for a teen to lose the feeling of safety and security when walking the halls in high school.  This can lead to a snowball effect and only encourages the student to fall deeper into online habits. At Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction, we can reverse these feelings of social insecurity by teaching concrete skills to interact and socialize with others appropriately.

Signs of Video Game Addiction

Recognizing the signs of video game addiction is essential for early intervention:

Neglect of Responsibilities: Neglecting school, work, or household duties to play games.

Social Isolation: Withdrawing from real-life social interactions in favor of online gaming.

Irritability: Displaying frustration or mood swings when unable to play.

Loss of Control: Unsuccessful attempts to cut back on gaming time.

Neglected Hygiene: Disregarding personal hygiene due to excessive gaming.

Physical Health Issues: Developing sleep disturbances, poor posture, and other health problems due to extended gaming sessions.

Who does Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction help?

Summerland Camps for Technology Addiction helps teens struggling with issues similar to those below:
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Technology Addiction
– Autism Spectrum
– School Refusal
– Low Self Esteem
– Impulse Control
– Family Conflict
– Social Anxiety Disorder
– Video game addiction
– Addictive Behaviors
– Social Issues
– Poor Communication Skills
– ADHD
– Social isolation
– Trauma

The Summerland Internet Addiction Treatment Process:

Let’s have some unplugged fun!