Adin, an 11-year-old boy from Perth, has found himself at the center of a growing concern in Australia: gaming addiction. He found it difficult to control his gaming time. This is when hours of playing Roblox with other friends from school and back home became a crucial safe haven for his social world. Adin’s family started getting concerned when he started skipping normal family outings to play games.
Recognizing the signs of a deeper issue, Adin’s father, Vikas, observed significant changes in his son’s behavior. Adin’s withdrawal from family activities worried teachers, leading the family to search for support. They were referred to the state’s only specialist gaming addiction clinic, based at Fiona Stanley Hospital. This clinic is the first of its kind to be established within a public hospital in Australia. For patients like Adin, this is becoming an increasingly common story—a pervasive trend that is hurting hundreds of thousands of Australians.
The Challenges of Gaming Addiction
Gaming addiction is marked by a lack of control over gaming as well as giving gaming precedence over other significant activities. Associate Professor Gary Chan from the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research outlines key criteria for diagnosing the disorder.
“There’s four key criteria: impaired control over gaming and increasing priority even to gaming over other activities, continual gaming despite negative consequences, and harm and [experiencing] actual negative impact in their lives.” – Gary Chan
For Adin, the challenges were evident. He admitted to skipping meals and sleep to meet his friends online, saying, “Because my friends they really don’t stay up too long, I’d skip what I have to do … like eating dinner and sleeping, to play with them.” His experiences illuminate a new and deeply dangerous worry among parents. Many health professionals worry about the potential negative consequences of extreme gaming on young people’s lives.
Dr. Daniela Vecchio, a psychiatrist and the director of mental health at Fiona Stanley, spearheaded the change. She believes that community is an important part of the treatment process, too. Individuals visiting the clinic not only experience one-on-one therapy but venture into a group setting focused on social interaction.
“Patients come to Fiona Stanley, the patients sit together, they are encouraged to talk with each other, to share what they have done, to share information about their hobbies.” – Dr. Daniela Vecchio
Family Involvement in Recovery
Adin’s long-term treatment program is intensive and includes participation from his entire family. This treatment model takes into account that gaming addiction doesn’t just impact the player, but everyone in their orbit as well. Vikas knows that although Adin has come far, there is a long way to go.
“I think the most important thing that happened here is that you know to solve a problem first we need to acknowledge that,” – Anonymous
Adin is currently trying very hard to curtail his gaming without quitting cold turkey. He has learned that moderation is key. He remarked on how helpful the clinic has been for him:
“The doctor was really nice and he was understood that I could play games but I had to limit myself so he would decrease the time that I could play each day.” – Adin
This new awareness has already had an impact on his everyday life and personal initiatives. “It really helped me get more sleep time and get off the game,” he added.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Treatment
The establishment of the gaming addiction clinic came as a response to the rising number of young people whose lives have been profoundly affected by excessive gaming. According to Dr. Vecchio, families have suffered heartbreaking outcomes from their family member’s addictions.
“The clinic was established because we noted patients whose lives were impaired by excessive time and focus spent on gaming and also their families were devastated by the consequences,” – Dr. Daniela Vecchio
Increasingly, clinicians are understanding gaming disorder as a legitimate concern. Professor Chan wants to ensure that all healthcare professionals are trained to identify and diagnose this condition.
“We’ve been looking at how to help clinicians to do quick screening of gaming disorder because this is a new disorder; a lot of clinicians might not be very familiar with the criteria for diagnosis,” – Gary Chan
Fiona Stanley Hospital’s focus on innovative, life-changing initiatives gives hope to children just like Adin. They can retake the wheel on their health without losing access to the hobbies they love. As Adin continues his journey toward recovery, he symbolizes the challenges many young Australians face today in navigating their digital worlds.
