Video games can be a source of fun, relaxation, achievement, and social connection. For most people, gaming is not a serious problem, but merely a leisure activity. However, when gaming becomes difficult to control and is interfering with important parts of life, gaming can turn into a video game addiction, which is formally known as Internet Gaming Disorder or Gaming Disorder. 

What Is Gaming Disorder?

Gaming Disorder is a pattern of gaming in which a person has difficulty controlling their gaming, gives gaming increasing priority over other activities, and continues to game despite negative consequences. It is recognized as a behavioural addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision.

Importantly, spending a lot of time playing video games does not automatically mean that someone has a video game addiction. Instead, it is the overall pattern of gaming, difficulty controlling it, and the effects it has on daily life that determines whether or not someone may have a gaming addiction. 

What Are Gaming Disorder Symptoms?

Gaming disorder can look different from person-to-person. Some common gaming disorder symptoms include:

• Regularly playing for longer than intended or finding it difficult to stop

• Trying to cut back or take breaks but being unable to maintain the changes

• Being mentally preoccupied with gaming, even when doing other things

• Seeing gaming as becoming more important than work, school, relationships, exercise, sleep, or other valued activities and responsibilities

• Continuing to play video games even though it is causing problems at home, at work, at school, or in relationships.

• Staying up late or losing sleep because of gaming

• Using gaming to cope with stress, loneliness, anxiety, low mood, or other difficult feelings

• Hiding, minimizing, or feeling embarrassed about one’s amount of gaming

• Becoming unusually irritable, anxious, or upset when unable to play video games

• Noticing gaming is affecting physical health, mood, daily routine, or relationships

Having one of these Gaming Disorder symptoms does not automatically mean that a person has problematic video game use. However, if gaming is causing problems, seeking support is recommended.

How Common is Gaming Disorder?

Although more than half of Canadians play video games, Gaming Disorder is less common. It is difficult to give one reliable percentage for Gaming Disorder because studies have used different definitions, screening tools, and populations. However, a 2021 study that summarized the scientific literature found that Gaming Disorder affects about 3% of the population, with higher rates in young adults.

What Causes Gaming Disorder?

There is no single cause of Gaming Disorder. Video game addiction in adults can develop through a combination of personal, psychological, behavioural, social, and environmental factors.

How Is Gaming Disorder Assessed and Diagnosed?

A psychological assessment involves understanding a person’s current difficulties and how gaming is affecting their life. This may include assessing how often and how long video games are played; what types of games are played and how they are played; the effectiveness of efforts to control or stop gaming; urges or cravings to play; impacts of gaming on sleep, exercise, daily routines, work, school, and relationships; and emotional well-being. Because Gaming Disorder can occur alongside or overlap with other concerns, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems, these additional issues must be considered in any assessment. A clinical interview, in addition to brief screening questionnaires or more detailed assessment tools, are typically used in assessments of Gaming Disorder.

What Treatments Work for Gaming Disorder?

Research on treatment for Gaming Disorder is still developing, but recent studies suggest that psychological treatments can reduce gaming-disorder symptoms and gaming time.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT is one of the most studied psychological approaches for Gaming Disorder. It helps people understand the cycles linking situations, thoughts, emotions, urges, gaming, short-term rewards, and longer-term consequences. CBT for gaming addiction involves: identifying situations that trigger excessive or unwanted gaming; understanding what needs are being met from gaming; exploring the relationship between gaming and sleep problems; noticing and changing unhelpful thoughts about gaming; learning ways to manage urges; developing alternatives for managing stress and difficult emotions; re-establishing healthy patterns for sleep, exercise, hobbies, and social activities; setting realistic boundaries around gaming; and prepare for high-risk situations in which excessive gaming could reoccur. Behavioural strategies are used in CBT to develop new, healthier routines and manage exposure to situations that make unwanted gaming more likely. 

Motivational approaches

It is common to feel uncertain about making changes related to gaming, especially when gaming provides enjoyment, achievement, friendship, or a way to cope with stress. Motivational interviewing (MI) is another psychological treatment that can help people explore their own reasons for change, work through ambivalence, and identify goals that matter to them. MI can provide a nonjudgmental way to explore the advantages and disadvantages of changing, clarify personal goals, and identify reasons for making a change. It can be particularly useful when someone sees both benefits and problems associated with gaming. 

Medication

In Canada, there is currently no medication specifically approved as a treatment for Gaming Disorder. Some medications have been studied, but evidence on their effectiveness as a gaming addiction treatment remains limited. If another mental health condition is present along with Gaming Disorder, medication may sometimes be appropriate for that condition.

What Can Recovery Look Like?

Recovery does not necessarily mean giving up playing video games permanently. Some people set goals around taking a temporary break from gaming or focus on how to reduce gaming time. For others, the goal is to develop greater control over playing and a healthier balance in life. Even though recovery looks different for everyone, the goal is to build a life in which gaming fits with personal values, relationships, health, and responsibilities rather than repeatedly interfering with them.

How Can Recovery Paths Psychology Centre Help?

If you are worried about your gaming; have tried to stop or cut back without success; find that it is interfering with sleep, work, school, or relationships; or are using gaming to cope with difficult emotions, psychologists at Recovery Paths Psychology Centre can help you understand your relationship with gaming and develop a plan based on your goals, circumstances, and needs. Getting help early can give you more options and may help prevent problems from becoming more severe.

Assessment of Gaming Disorder

A psychological assessment to examine your gaming patterns, how gaming is affecting your life, and factors that may be contributing to or maintaining unwanted gaming.

Psychoeducation

Understanding Gaming Disorder, reinforcement, urges, avoidance, emotional regulation, and habit formation so that gaming patterns are easier to recognize and change.

CBT and skills-based treatment

Therapy focusing on identifying triggers, changing unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, managing urges, building healthier routines, and developing rewarding activities outside gaming.

Motivational support

Therapy focusing initially on exploring uncertainty about making changes to your gaming and identifying personally meaningful goals.

Support for co-occurring concerns

Adults with Gaming Disorder may also experience anxiety, depression, gambling, substance use concerns, ADHD, relationship difficulties, financial stress, and other concerns. Integrated treatment can address these concerns alongside gaming.

Support for family members

Therapy focused on helping partners and loved ones understand gaming-related difficulties, strengthen communication and establish boundaries, manage stress, and decide how they want to respond

Contact Us to Learn More about the Psychological Services for Gaming Disorder at Recovery Paths Psychology Centre

Last updated: October 2026