WHAT WE TREAT

Gaming Addiction

We’re here to support you if you’re concerned about your gaming habits. At Paracelsus Recovery, we’ll work with you to understand the underlying causes and help you develop the psychological tools needed to break free from the cycle.

How we treat gaming addiction

Gaming addiction happens when the urge to play video games becomes uncontrollable, even when it starts to affect other areas of your life. Like any addiction, people often turn to gaming as a way to cope with difficult emotions, past experiences, or stress. The game itself is not the problem, but the way it helps people escape their challenges. Over time, this can lead to dependence, where gaming becomes a way to avoid facing what’s going on in their real world.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we focus on understanding the root causes of your gaming habits. Rather than focusing on the game itself, we aim to uncover why you turn to gaming in the first place. Our priority is to help you manage the underlying difficulties that lead to addiction, giving you healthier ways to cope. Through personalised care and support, we’ll work together to break the cycle and help you regain control of your life.

Signs and symptoms of gaming addiction include:

Preoccupation with thoughts of previous online activity or anticipation of the next session.
Getting lost in the game and staying up all night or spending more hours playing than you realise or intended.
If in a multiplayer game, feeling excessively angry when your team loses or if you need to stop playing.
Minimising the amount of time you spend playing with loved ones.
Continuing to play games even though it means you will miss an important deadline or event.
Feeling stressed out and unhappy when playing but feeling unable to stop.
Not being able to quit or even play less.
Not wanting to do other things you used to like.
Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel calm or content. Feelings of restlessness and/or irritability when unable to play.

What makes video games addictive?

Games are social:

Loneliness is one of the leading causes of addiction worldwide, and video games can provide a sense of connection for those who feel isolated. For kids struggling socially, games offer a clear social structure where they can bond with others and gain recognition for their skills. While this can be a positive aspect of gaming, it can also lay the foundation for addiction if the child is already struggling with loneliness in the real world.

Excessive Cortisol:

Research shows that too much time spent gaming can keep a child’s brain in a constant state of fight-or-flight. This leads to an overproduction of cortisol, the stress hormone. In an effort to alleviate this stress, the brain seeks out dopamine either from more gaming or other addictive behaviours, like social media or alcohol. Over time, this can create a harmful cycle of dependency.

Achievements:

Achievements in video games can feel incredibly rewarding, triggering dopamine release. For young people who feel lost or unaccomplished in their real lives, games offer an easy way to experience progress. While this isn’t inherently dangerous, it becomes problematic if they begin to substitute virtual success for real-world achievements. As they spend more time in the game, they focus less on their personal goals, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy. This, in turn, pushes them to play more, further reinforcing the addictive cycle.

bespoke treatment

How we treat gaming addiction

We can’t tell you exactly what your four-week stay will entail, as each person’s experience with gaming addiction is unique. At Paracelsus Recovery, there is no fixed treatment path; every client receives a bespoke plan tailored to their individual needs. However, it is important to emphasise that we do not adopt a specific treatment model. Instead, we advocate for a completely pragmatic approach to addiction; whatever works best for you to achieve your goals.

Your time with us is thoughtfully structured, incorporating carefully selected therapeutic elements to support your recovery. From managing withdrawal to intensive therapy, every aspect is designed around you. These therapies work in harmony to help you break the vicious cycle you find yourself in, regain control of your life, and restore your sense of peace. See below for further details.

Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul

We do not adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we adapt each programme to each client’s unique set of needs. While our approach prioritises cutting-edge modalities and holistic care, those unique needs ultimately guide our work together.

At Paracelsus Recovery, we take a holistic approach to treating gaming addiction. The journey begins with a thorough assessment to understand the root causes of your gaming habits and the challenges you face. From there, we design a personalised treatment plan that integrates cutting-edge therapies to target each of these struggles and restore your psychological, cellular, and biological health. For gaming addictions, this may include treatments such as biofeedback, bioresonance, nutritional therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), sleep therapies, and art therapy.

However, addressing the root causes of your gaming addiction is just part of our approach. Beyond this, while treating the underlying factors that contribute to addiction, we also focus on treating any resulting impact your dependency may have, such as neurological or physical damage. This is achieved through a combination of intensive psychotherapy, biochemical restoration, and complementary therapies, all aimed at supporting sustainable recovery and equipping you with effective strategies to manage stress and restore balance and stability in your life.

our approach

Comfortable lounge at Paracelsus Recovery treatment centre

Therapist and client during a gaming addiction treatment session

Holistic therapy room at Paracelsus Recovery

15+ team members, all dedicated to your health and well-being

Our team is made up of world-renowned doctors, therapists and specialists, including a Nobel Prize-winning board member.

A team of more than 15 experts will be dedicated solely to you and your health. This includes a personal psychiatrist, medical doctor, client relations team, and a live-in therapist who will be available for emotional support and therapeutic assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No matter the unique blend of treatments you receive, they will be delivered with the Swiss medical excellence we are known for.

Meet the t eam

Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are

Guided by our core values of pragmatism and empathy, we tailor our comprehensive and intensive treatment programmes to suit your needs. A key feature of this is our harm-reduction approach, meaning we will never force you to completely quit gaming.

We can provide treatment for gaming addiction and any co-occurring mental health conditions at our private addiction treatment centre in Zurich.

Four-week residential treatment

Seven-day executive detox