About the Book The multi-billion dollar video game industry is in the business of creating fun and enticing games that can be addictive. As addicted gamers feast on digital indulgences, real life is neglected and their reality crumbles around them. Headlines related to video games: ¿New Mexico mom gets 25 years for starving daughter.¿ ¿ Fox News ¿China used prisoners in lucrative Internet gaming work.¿ ¿ Guardian News ¿Online gamer killed for selling virtual weapon.¿ ¿ Sydney Morning Herald ¿South Korean dies after games sessions.¿ ¿ BBC News Hooked on Games is written by Brooke Strickland and Andrew Doan, MD, PhD, a physician with a research background in neuroscience, who battled his own addictions with video games. Dr. Doan was an addicted gamer, who at his peak, invested over 20,000 hours of playing games over a period of nine years. Dr. Doan¿s reckless compulsion to play games transformed him into a monster that almost destroyed his family, marriage, and career. He shares his expertise to educate others on the dangers of video game addiction and to provide hope for video game addicts and their families. Dr. Doan shares steps for gaming addicts to achieve recovery and steps for families and loved ones to intervene. Without attention to this quickest growing addiction, our society will suffer from the creation of Generation Vidiot, millions of people devoid of innovation and skills to live in the physical world. ¿As is true with many addictions, overuse of video games steals our valuable and limited time and minds.¿ ¿ Christie Morse, MD (Pediatric Ophthalmologist) ¿Shocking insights into the minds of hardcore gamers.¿ ¿ Daniel Hunt (Former Competitive Gamer)

WARNING: THIS VIDEO GAME MAY IMPAIR YOUR JUDGMENT. IT MAY CAUSE SLEEP DEPRIVATION, ALIENATION OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY, WEIGHT LOSS OR GAIN, NEGLECT OF YOUR BASIC NEEDS AS WELL AS THE NEEDS OF LOVED ONES AND/OR DEPENDENTS, AND DECREASED PERFORMANCE ON THE JOB. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY MAY BECOME BLURRED. PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SUICIDE ATTEMPTS. No such warning was included on the latest and greatest release from the Warcraft series of massive multiplayer online role-playing games—World of Warcraft (WoW). So when Ryan Van Cleave—a college professor, husband, father, and one of the 11.5 million Warcraft subscribers worldwide—found himself teetering on the edge of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, he had no one to blame but himself. He had neglected his wife and children and had jeopardized his livelihood, all for the rush of living a life of high adventure in a virtual world. A fabulously written and gripping tale, Unplugged takes you on a journey through the author's semireclusive life with video games at the center of his experiences. Even when he was sexually molested by a young school teacher at age eleven, it was the promise of a new video game that had lured him to her house. As Ryan's life progresses, we witness the evolution of video games—from simple two-button consoles to today's multikey technology, brilliantly designed to keep the user actively participating. For Ryan, the virtual world was a siren-song he couldn't ignore, no matter the cost. As is the case with most recovering addicts, Ryan eventually hit rock bottom and shares with you his ongoing battle to control his impulses to play, providing prescriptive advice and resources for those caught in the grip of this very real addiction.

The World Health Organization included gaming disorder in the 2018 edition of its International Classification of Diseases, but video game addiction has been a problem since the first at-home and arcade video game consoles. Video Game Addiction examines the history of video game addiction, explores controversies in the video game industry, and discusses the future advances of gaming disorder treatment and solutions.

"This book provides an academically oriented and scientifically based description of how technological advances may have contributed to a wide range of mental health outcomes, covering the spectrum from problems and maladies to improved and expanded healthcare services"--

Exploring the mind of a video gaming addict, Elaine's second book guides the reader through the journey of her son's addictive disorder and recovery. The story unfolds along the nine signs of gaming disorder and the five stages of addiction, weaving toward the recovery stage, including candid and insightful interviews with her son, Jake.Elaine calls upon the advice of experts to support her message that there is no easy way to survive video gaming addiction or any other addiction's withdrawal and recovery. It takes a lot of time, patience, Herculean strength, and enormous support from others, including family, friends, and professional therapy. But it is possible to detox from this compulsion. It is possible to reach the stage of recovery. And it is worth moving through the pain to arrive at the other side, more fully alive."Thought-provoking, emotionally moving, informative and triumphant, Uskoski's guide explains the shocking world of Video Gaming Addiction through the lens of a mother and her heroic efforts to save her son from his harmful addiction."Cindy Rescorl, Parent"Raw, heartbreaking, and heart-warming. this story takes you on a roller coaster of emotions into and out of the depths of gaming."Michelle NogueiraAddiction Problem Gambling and Technology Overuse Counselor, Homewood Health Centre

What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.