I did more research for you and found this:

Psychiatrist Michael Brody, MD, set forth the following criteria for video game addictions. They include:

1. The person needs more and more of a substance or behavior to keep him going.
2. If the person does not get more of the substance or behavior, he becomes irritable and miserable.

Young says compulsive gaming meets these criteria, and she has seen severe withdrawal symptoms in game addicts. ?They become angry, violent, or depressed. If [parents] take away the computer, their child sits in the corner and cries, refuses to eat, sleep, or do anything.?

According to the Center for On-Line Addiction, warning signs for video game addiction include:

*Playing for increasing amounts of time
*Thinking about gaming during other activities
*Gaming to escape from real-life problems, anxiety, or depression
*Lying to friends and family to conceal gaming
*Feeling irritable when trying to cut down on gaming

Young claims the overwhelming majority of video game addicts are males under 30. It’s usually children with poor self-esteem and social problems,They’re intelligent and imaginative but don’t have many friends at school. She says a family history of addiction may also be a factor.

If you’re concerned your child may be addicted to video games don’t dismiss it as a phase, Young says. Keep good documents of the child’s gaming behavior, including:

*Logs of when the child plays and for how long
*Problems resulting from gaming
*How the child reacts to time limits

I can send you the names of some addiction experts. Please click on the Parenting Counselor Life Tube above and contact me for this information.

Karen Halls