Video Game Addiction
Okay I’m back and I’ll start off with Video Game Addiction. Now this is distinct and separate from Internet Addiction Disorder in that it focuses on video games, not the internet.
Video Games
There’s no need for an introduction, I’m sure you know what video games are. From the classic, blocky Pong to the anticipated Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2, they are all designed to keep you hooked. This shouldn’t be surprising, not one bit. Game manufacturers make money. To make money, they need lots of customers. Addictive games bring in lots of customers.
There is no denying how addictive some games can be. Whether it be an inbuilt level/achievement system, the social aspect of multiplayer games, or the thrill and adrenaline that courses through when dominating the game, these games are addictive and everyone is susceptible.
Teenage boys are most commonly addicted, but surveys show that over 50% of the gaming population are in fact, adults. Games like World of Warcraft have over 12 million active subscribers, all paying an initial sum and then again every single month to continue. Imagine, an online world with 12 million people. I live in Australia, and we have just over twice that amount.
That’s right, a single video game has nearly half the amount of people as an entire country. Amazing, isn’t it?
World of Warcraft
Let’s take a look at this game for a moment, and analyse what makes it so addictive. The game offers an impressive 8,000 quests and a neat levelling system that goes along with it. This in itself can be addictive, as completing each quest moves you closer and closer to the next level. With each level, new skills and spells become accessible that increase the replayability of the game. There are races, classes, professions, guilds, auctions and all sorts of other nifty features that keep the player there, levelling until level 80 – the highest level.
Even after reaching level 80 which normally takes at least a month, even more an experienced gamer, the ‘World’ offers a huge variety of activities. Banding together in groups to fight bosses, and even fighting each other, all of which are easily accessible to the casual player.
The adrenaline makes it addictive. The social side makes it addictive. The replayability makes it addictive. The game is designed to be addictive. And it seems as if it’s working.
Escapism
Games simulate entire worlds for the player to immerse themselves in. Much like a book or a movie, except much more interactive. This often leads to people with poor social skills or problematic lives to spend their time in the games, escaping from reality.
This is actually a fantastic side to games if used in small doses. Just as books have been used to let people experience a different reality, so do games. But this is extremely dangerous to the weak minded and as such, it can lead to serious psychological problems, starting with addiction.
Awareness and Treatment
Treat it as any other addiction. It’s as simple as that. Video games will cause major disruptions in a person’s life if they become too addicted. Visiting a psychologist or going ‘cold turkey’ will do the trick.
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5 Ways to Tackle Depression
Depression affects even the strongest of us. Whether you’re a successful millionaire or a struggling student, depression can strike you down to the lowest pits of your life. I’ve suffered through depression several times but when I came through, I always found myself to have improved in one way or another. Nevertheless, it is a tough experience. Here are 5 ways to tackle depression.
1. Seek Help
While it may seem obvious, people with depression often feel ashamed or embarrassed and try to hide it. Sure, if you have friends that have the emotional range of a teaspoon, you shouldn’t tell them (in fact, you should be reconsidering your friendships). But that shouldn’t stop you from seeking professional help, or even help from online communities.
If you’re a prideful person then take a good look at yourself and drop some of your pride. Encouragement and support is what you need, not self pity and sadness. Go seek help, it’s for your own benefit.
It’s important that you don’t tell people that you know won’t understand. They will only serve to make you more depressed, it’s not a pleasant experience, being kicked when you’re already on the ground.
This is a great online forum with some nice people. If you ever feel depressed, it may be your answer. Take This Life
2. Don’t Wallow in Self Pity
It is harder than it seems. A symptom of depression is to think negative thoughts about yourself. You might think “My life is useless, I’m just one in a million” or “What’s the point in living if I’m only going to feel pain?”
To handle depression, you must not allow these thoughts to become reality. These thoughts will appear in your head and they will make your life seem worthless. You have to remember that life is worth living and that you are special. Otherwise you can easily sink lower and lower into a dangerously depressed state.
Combining this with the first piece of advice is very useful as they complement each other.
3. Self Injury? Suicide? Say No
This interlinks with the previous pieces of advice. You may think that the emotional pain is too much to handle. You may come up with the idea, or the idea may be suggested to you, of harming yourself to distract yourself from the emotional pain of depression with physical pain. This is not a good idea. Hundreds of people harm themselves and regret it afterwards. It is addictive. Avoid it at all costs.
To a more extreme level, you may think that suicide will let you escape from the pain. No one will benefit from you killing yourself. You will miss out on all the joys of life and all your friends and family will be left stunned and sad. Depressed people often think that their friends and family don’t care about them. If this is the case for you, consider getting some new friends. Again, online forums are great to this extent.
4. Run, run!
Studies have shown that physical exercise does in fact help cheer you up and help overcome depression. That’s not all. Studies have shown that sunlight and nature also helps (when you think about it, it’s not that surprising. I mean, Spring makes people happy).
Grab a friend and go for a stroll. Walk around the park and talk about life’s problems. Think happy, talk happy, play happy. Human contact is essential. If you can’t find anyone, take a stroll by yourself and meditate (think about) your life. Just make sure that you don’t fall into the spiral of negative thinking. Walk around, listen to the birds chirping and smile.
5. Depression Won’t Last
Remember:
- Depression is temporary
- Once you come out of your depression, you’ll feel happier than ever
- Depression usually results in better personality traits
- Depression is common and affects one in six of us. Just about everyone of those people make it through
Beat it
You can beat it. Everyone can beat it. Depression is considered a defence mechanism by some psychologists. Either way, it isn’t easy but it is definitely beatable. Social contact and positive thinking will prevail.
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Introduction to Psychology
Psychology – The Study of the Mind
The mind is very peculiar. Is it just a series of electric pulses shooting through our brains? Define consciousness. Do we humans have a ’soul’ that separates us from mere robots? What about animals and insects, do they have souls? Are they conscious? These philosophical questions lie at the root of psychology.
So what is psychology? In a nutshell, psychology is the study of the mind. Psychology in considered a science as it attempts to discover the process by which the mind operates. A practitioner of psychology is called a psychologists. Psychologists are split into two areas – research and applied. Research psychologists continue to expand on their knowledge of the human mind whereas applied psychologists use current knowledge to help people.
You’ve probably heard of Sigmund Freud, possibly the greatest psychologist to have ever lived. Well, psychology has evolved exponentially since then. Many of Freud’s ideas have been scrapped (while others have been kept), but his role in the expansion of psychology was vital. No longer is psychology simply the theorising of inner child sexual development. In modern times, psychology is mainly researched through empirical evidence (physical evidence such as statistics).
Cognitivism
Psychology as we know it today is dominated by the idea of ‘cognitive’ psychology. This type of psychology arose recently, only becoming popular in the middle of the 20th century during a period called the ‘cognitive revolution’. Cognitive psychology refers to the study of our mental abilities – the memory, learning, thinking, reasoning, understanding, perceiving.
In cognitive psychology, it is thought that the inner working of the brain can be individually mapped out using complex algorithms and computational models. There are in fact, three main methods of studying cognitive psychology.
- Empirical data: Like other sciences, experiments are carried out to extend knowledge cognitive psychology. Ranging from surveys to response time, experiments are vital to most types of psychology.
- Information Processing: Computational models are a main feature of cognitive psychology and helped bring it to mainstream psychology in the mid 20th century. Complex mathematical and computational models are used to predict and map the workings of the brain.
- Neural data: High resolution brain imaging and neurobiological methods are thought to be able to show visually how the brain functions.
Because of the foundations of cognitive psychology, it is combined with other studies of intelligence under the umbrella of cognitive science.
Behaviorism
Before the cognitive revolution, behaviorism dominated the field of psychology. Under this theory, it was thought that everything a person does is a behavior; their thinking, acting and everything else are all considered to be behaviors. Psychologists thought that they could scientifically explain someone’s behavior, meaning they could explain someone’s thinking and acting (thinking and doing were now considered to be the same).
Although behaviorism was largely eclipsed by the cognitive revolution, it continues to exist to this day with many institutions dedicated to studying a newer, modern form of behaviorism, ‘behavior analysis’ which incorporates cognitivism.
Also, behaviorism is able to explain some things that cognitivism cannot. For example, imagine a plain, ordinary room. If a person walked in the room, what would they do? Cognitive psychology and behavior analysis can both explain the consequent actions of the person (albeit differently). Now if we put a chair in the middle of the room, what would a person do if they walked in the room? Cognitive psychology cannot describe the consequences, whereas behavior analysis can.
Psychology is a Pseudo Science!
Although cognitive psychology does show obvious advantages over behavior analysis (such as the ability to explain how the mind works to a precise level), its rise in psychology is largely attributed to the increasing technology available over the years. It has been stressed before, psychology is a science. As such, it isn’t surprising that the school of thought that incorporates the most technological and scientific methods should become the dominant one.
Behaviorism reliance on experiments was its only scientific characteristic. Cognitivism also uses experiments, can be replicated through computational models, can be predicted using complex mathematical algorithms, and incorporates many other scientific characteristics.
So Psychology is the Study of Cognition?
No. Psychology is far broader than one simple study and cognitive psychology is simply one branch. However, it is the most important branch and is used in virtually every other branch of psychology. While this blog encompasses every branch of psychology, it is focused on social psychology – the uses of psychology in life and other psychological phenomena witnessed in social situations. Sometimes referred to as everyday psychology.
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5 Facts About Amnesia
Amnesia is abundant in everyday life. However, the psychology of amnesia isn’t completely understood, nor is the physiology. However, the topic is being studied by top psychological researchers around the world. As such, there are many facts regarding Amnesia. I will list 5 facts that I find to be the most interesting in no particular order.
1. Psychological or Physiological
Amnesia can be caused via two methods. The first is ‘organic’ and can occur when: the victim’s hippocampus (see picture on the right) is damaged usually due to a heavy blow to the head, the victim is suffering from a disease, or the victim has taken an amnesia inducing drug.
The other method is ‘functional’ and describes the psychological factors such as a psychologically traumatic experience, repressed memories and other such defence mechanisms.
Often times, the type of amnesia you see on TV dramas is usually caused by a heavy blow to the head (brain damage). In reality, it is extremely rare for a person to suffer from amnesia due to brain damage. This is because the hippocampus is safely tucked inside the brain and it would take a serious blow to damage the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is the portion of the brain that controls long term memory. Damage to the hippocampus is very dangerous. Extensive research is being undertaken on the hippocampus as psychologists are not completely sure of how the hippocampus functions.
Diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease can often induce amnesia. This is primarily due to the deterioration of the hippocampus. Also, you may have asked why there are amnesia inducing drugs. Often times a person will undergo some sort of traumatic surgery and the drug will cause permanent memory loss for that time period. Isn’t it wonderful? Psychology is being used more and more in everyday life.
Functional amnesia primarily occurs when defence mechanisms of the human mind attempt to repress memories. Think of a child in a room, playing innocently. This child represents your fragile mind. A traumatic experience can be represented by a serial killer coming to murder the child. The room now sets off these defence mechanisms, steel walls that rise up and protect the child. This is exactly what happens with your mind. Due to its fragile nature, it can’t handle some memories. To keep your mind functioning and normal, your mind sets off defence mechanisms that prevent the memories from being recalled.
Now the memories are still there, they just happen to be hidden away. Repressed memories have serious consequences in adulthood, and psychiatric treatment is usually required to recall the traumatic memories.
2. Retrograde vs Anterograde
There are actually two different types of amnesia. The most commonly known type is retrograde amnesia, where the victim loses some or all memory prior to the event that caused the amnesia. The lesser known version is anterograde amnesia, where the victim is unable to hold any memories after the event that caused the amnesia.
Retrograde amnesia is almost always shown as a plot device in a television series or a movie. The protagonist has no idea who he is and spends the rest of the show trying to remember (while falling in love with the girl of his dreams).
While it isn’t as common as the media portrays it to be, it is very serious and often times the memories are never regained. A much publicised amnesia story came about in 2004 when a man was found outside of a Burger King restaurant unconscious. He appeared to have had several blows to the head and when he came to, he could not remember anything. The amnesiac named himself Benjaman Kyle (same initials as Burger King) and there have been ongoing efforts to find his identity.
5 years later, he still doesn’t remember anything except for some bits and pieces.
Now, onto anterograde amnesia or otherwise known as short term memory loss. If you have ever watched 50 First Dates, you will understand what anterograde amnesia is. For those of you who haven’t watched the movie, the female protagonist suffers a blow to the head and then forgets everything after the day she became an amnesiac every time she goes to sleep. While in reality it isn’t as romantic, the movie does raise awareness on this relatively unknown condition.
This condition is usually more severe than retrograde amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is usually caused by damage to the hippocampus or other memory circuits in the brain. The exact memory storing processes aren’t known as of yet, so it is impossible to pinpoint what causes this condition. However, since it is always organic amnesia, it is more difficult to treat than retrograde amnesia, which is often due to psychological causes.
Someone afflicted with anterograde amnesia will find it impossible to learn new facts or memorise new sentences.
While anterograde amnesia is generally seen as worse than the retrograde variant, both types have been known to affect the same person. This event is extremely rare and is impossible to live with. This is called global amnesia and you’ll just have to pray that you won’t ever be affected by it.
3. Alcohol
Hopefully you knew this already. If you didn’t, hopefully this opens your eyes: heavy use of alcohol can cause amnesia.
People have two types of memory. Short term and long term. If the short term memory is recalled enough, then it transfers into the long term memory. If the short term memory isn’t recalled at all, then it is simply forgotten. Consuming an excess amount of alcohol (binge drinking) can lead to a ‘blackout’.
If you experience a blackout, you’ll act just as normal as you would every other time you’ve drunk too much. This is because your short term memory is still functioning. Afterwards however, your short term memory is blocked from transferring into the long term and by the time you’ve sobered up, you won’t remember a single thing.
Speaking of which, I had a blackout the first time I drank alcohol. Over a period of about 2 months, I was slowly recalling random bits of memory. They weren’t too good.
Not to worry! There is a way to prevent blacking out the next time you drink. Studies have shown that drinking over a longer period of time reduces the chances of blacking out, rather than drinking a lot in one go. Between the two groups of volunteers in the study, the group that drank far quicker were more prone to blackouts than the other group, even though they were equally drunk.
4. Hypnotism
I personally like this fact the best. Victims of amnesia are often hypnotised to recover the lost memories. This doesn’t work for all types of amnesia, but it is certainly effective for most.
It is difficult to explain hypnosis without writing a full article on it. In a nutshell, hypnotism allows the hypnotist to directly access the mind. It links everything in the brain to reality. A person under hypnosis is open to suggestions as their mind is opened up.
Now, hypnotism is (relatively) new and it is still undergoing extensive research. Licensed psychiatrists are allowed to practice hypnosis on their patients to help a wide variety of things, including amnesia. Clinical hypnosis is mostly used on people suffering from dissociative fugue (where a person cannot remember anything form a certain period of time).
A person under hypnosis is able to recall certain bits of information, as they try to recreate the scenario in the person’s mind. Take Benjaman Kyle for example (mentioned in Part 1). He was unable to remember anything about his past life, especially not anything that could help him. After a brief session of hypnosis, he was able to recall several digits of his social security number, narrowing his hometown to somewhere in Arizona.
Normally hypnosis is used to recover repressed memories and help the patient ‘become a better person’.
5. Betrayal
Yep. Being betrayed by your best friend can cause you to suffer amnesia. When someone is betrayed, the defence mechanics go up. It blocks out and represses the memories. This is (appropriately) titled Betrayal Trauma, and the symptoms are very similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Who knew betrayal had such serious consequences?
Hopefully you learnt something knew. If you know another interesting fact about amnesia, feel free to comment below. To conclude, here is the structure of long term memory.
.gif/400px-AmnesiaFigure2(cropped).gif "Long Term Memory")
Confused? You're not alone
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Borderline Personality Disorder
Imagine life where you only felt extremely happy or depressingly sad. Where one moment you’re skipping along with your family and the next you’re swearing at them for treating you badly, going from a smile to a razor blade. One of the worst psychological disorders, people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have to live through it everyday.
Black and white
The most common characteristic of people with BPD is that they think about everything in extremes. It’s almost as if when it comes to emotions, they can’t think rationally. Now I know people with BPD. They seem normal and some are extremely smart. However, when it comes to emotions, they break down.
You’ve met drama queens before haven’t you? Well, think of people with BPD as an exceptionally severe drama queen, without the gossip and the attention seeking factor.
This extreme type of thinking has been titled ’splitting’ or ‘black and white thinking’, and justly so. Black represents the negative side and white represents the positive side. Here’s an example. You meet someone new and he says something that annoys you a little. You won’t hate him, but you’ll think he’s slightly annoying. Now if someone with BPD was in that situation, the person with BPD would immediately hate that person. It’s important to note that it’s not mainly the gossiping type of thoughts. Rather, the thoughts are usually of despair and depression.
“One day I would think my doctor was the best and I loved her, but if she challenged me in any way I hated her. There was no middle ground, as in ‘like’. In my world, people were either the best or the worst. I couldn’t understand the concept of middle ground.”
As such, people with BPD are extremely sensitive. It’s important not to ’set them off’.
Triggering suicidal behaviour
People with BPD often fall into lapses of depressed moods. These mood swings can be ‘triggered’ or set off by anything remotely depressing. A sad song or a depressing movie, a description of a disadvantaged child, even reading this article. They can all trigger someone with BPD to fall into a depressed state.
In fact, the term ‘trigger’ is often used as an adjective describing anything that can trigger someone into this state. In the depressed state they usually think about how unfair their lives are and how nobody likes them. It had drawn parallels with schizophrenia and psychotic behaviour. It’s not surprising that BPD is often diagnosed alongside depression.
These bursts of depression last anywhere from a few hours up to a day, so it isn’t as long as clinical depression. However, these few hours can be extremely dangerous. Often BPD patients will resort to self injury to distract them from their unbearable emotional pain. Self injury becomes a habit and they become dependent on it. It’s important to note that when people inflict pain on themselves, it’s done without the intent of suicide.
In the worst hours, people with BPD will sometimes resort to suicide. They have to find a way to escape from the world and from the harshness of reality. I know a person who has had 4 suicide attempts in the past 2 years as a result of BPD, but every other day she’s as happy as everyone else.
It is of utmost importance not to trigger this behaviour. There are many treatments available and they are all very expensive.
The psychology of BPD in everyday life
Characteristic of people with BPD in everyday life are wide ranging. Here are the obvious few:
- People with a severe case of BPD usually have other disorders.
- Impulsive behaviour is a key characteristic. Binge eating, promiscuous sex, compulsive spending are all common.
- Can be very obsessive one moment and then be the complete opposite the next.
- Bad history with relationships, often ending abruptly in a triggered state.
- They can often be the life of the party when they’re in a happy state.
If I was to list every characteristic, this post would never end.
BPD is a very common throughout the world. Approximately 1-3% of the United States has been diagnosed with BPD, 75% of them being female. There is a terrible stigma associated with BPD and it is often hard for people with BPD to be open about it. Don’t be afraid of them as they are extremely nice people and don’t deserve to be branded with the stigma.
Why is it ‘borderline’?
When the disorder was first being studied, it was thought to be very close to psychosis and/or schizophrenia. People with BPD were thought to be on the edge of having a proper personality disorder. This is now known to be completely false and so the title does not reflect the disorder in any way.
For more reading, check out National Institute of Mental Health – Borderline Personality Disorder.
If you have 5 minutes to spare, this video describes what it feels like to have BPD.
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