When Career Goals in Gaming Clash With Mental Health

When *Mohan chose his career path, little did he know that it would come at the cost of his mental and physical health. Fascinated with computer games from a young age, he wants to design the best gaming experiences, adapting virtual reality with real playing time for gamers.

The 26-year-old digital game designing student at the National Institute of Design, Bengaluru is seeking help for the very thing that is supposed to be earning him his bread once he graduates. Along with being a student, he is also a patient at the Services for Healthy Use of Technology Clinic (SHUT) at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Though the World Health Organization just classified “gaming disorder” as a form of mental illness, in India, the research around gaming, internet and other tech addictions are still at a very preliminary stage. NIMHANS has conducted a door-to-door survey, attempted to analyse the pattern of use, and tried to understand the addictive nature amongst youth in and around Bangalore. The Behavioural Addictions Clinic at AIIMS has also undertaken some research, but the results are yet to be published.

For Mohan, what started as a post-college pass-time soon took over his life. His gaming sessions, initially two hours a day, began lasting from eight hours to eventually 14 hours. “Sometimes the mechanics of the games are so good that the duration of play stretches,” he told VICE.

When he started dedicating up to 10 hours a day to regular gaming, Mohan's friends took notice. “My friends told me that you’re addicted to these games so you should stop playing." When I spoke to him, Mohan was in his final project semester, working on a game for his main project. He said work required him to stay with the system for long durations. “Playing is a part of the learning process. Some things can be understood only after playing.” But the problems began when his focus shifted from the mechanics to the games and his scores.

Late last year, when he started visiting Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma at NIMHANS, Mohan was spending at least eight hours on his system. His grades had deteriorated and his health showed symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle. On the insistence of his parents and friends, he decided to seek help.

Sseveral months into his counselling sessions with Dr. Sharma, he's aware of the fact that his gaming habit is taking a toll on his everyday life. “I have been consciously trying to focus on his work on the internet rather than being carried away into the gaming world,” said Mohan. His case is a particular challenge, as not completing his work on time would mean a compromise of three years of his life.

Still, Mohan is at a better position than many cases—often patients do not even acknowledge the fact that they need help. “For many it’s a denial. Denial would be out-rightly rejecting it”, said Dr. Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, who presides over AIIMS’ Behavioural Addictions Clinic. He says that gaming and internet addictions are commonly observed in 18-24-year-olds.

“One thing that we need to keep in mind is that the kind of patients that we have as of now, the cohort, it might have started using internet 10 years ago,” says Balhara. “We’re going to see these things probably 10 years down the line at a much larger scale. Because those who are in school right now, that is the generation that is going to add to that pool.”

He recalled the case of an engineering student who failed two consecutive semesters and was later rusticated from the college due to his constant absence and poor performance in class. Once, the patient missed an exam as he was busy playing games online.

In order to specifically classify a patient as an internet or gaming addict, Balhara told us, the person needs to have specific minimum number of traits and display compulsive behaviours for a minimum duration of time to be brought under the radar of addiction. Doctors then start customised treatments, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) sessions.

According to the doctors we spoke to, a major challenge is the approach towards its correction. Unlike substance-based addictions, where it is advised that the agent be completely cut out from the patient’s life, addictions related to gaming, tech, the internet and social media requires different treatment. Dr. Sharma says that he plans schedules around indoor and outdoor activities, spending time with the family and then on the internet.

A sudden and complete cut-down may cause withdrawal symptom in the patients, leading to further anxiety attacks and often violent behaviours. When a safe haven is snatched away, these are the usual reactions.

*Name changed to protect source.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a tech-related disorder, there are resources that can help. To learn more about the SHUT Clinic, visit the NIMHANS website. For more information about the Behavioural Addictions Clinic at AIIMS, visit the BAC site.