Celtic Heroes

Well good theory an all but it doesn't apply to everythin . I've Been doin somethin once a day (usually solo) for the past 14 years and very rarely do I do It twice. Of coarse there's exceptions to the rule but once a day keeps me level headed for the most part

Our bodies are more complex that to just react to dopamine and get addicted! The activity I think you do once a day will release other neurotransmitters and chemicals that will play their part to reduce the "addiction". But why have you been doing it for 14 years? Because you are basically getting your hit of dopamine/other neurotransmitters every time so you keep going! When the restrictions come out of balance, people becomes obsessive and some people might do it multiple times a day.

Hes made other posts before and he is referring to "adult content" which is disturbing..... Anyway did you know that addiction actually shrinks your brain?

Well good theory an all but it doesn't apply to everythin . I've Been doin somethin once a day (usually solo) for the past 14 years and very rarely do I do It twice. Of coarse there's exceptions to the rule but once a day keeps me level headed for the most part

Kinda ballsy for u to post that on a game forum lawl

I am minoring in psychology (possibly considering a career as an art therapist) and am currently studying to become a peer counselor who might focus on either addiction or suicide. I have taken some courses in addiction psychology and have done research about it. I am no expert, but here is what I have gathered:

Gaming addiction/or compulsive gaming disorder has been proposed as a diagnosable disorder but has not been fully recognized by the AMA. It is very similar to compulsive gambling. However, it has a lot of qualities of drug and alcohol addiction as well. It all depends on why the person is becoming fixated on games. Are they a compulsive gamer, or a gaming addict? There is a difference.

Like gambling, there is an obsession of winning. Gamblers often think they can strike it rich and become successful and that all their troubles will go away. Unfortunately, in most cases, they end up losing all of their money, leaving them in horrendous debt (or if you are playing CH, you can spend a ton of money on plat). What most people don't know is that gambling abuse is actually known as a compulsion and not an addiction. Like symptoms of OCD, there is an obsessive aspect to it. For gaming, you can become obsessed with winning, obsessed with getting achievements, obsessed with being the best player, etc. As for the compulsion, you just feel the need to attain the goals of the game so you absolutely MUST play it all the time - like how gamblers feel the need to play to win.

Then there is the true addiction aspect of gaming. Substance abusers use there drug of choice as a means of escaping their problems or mental health issues. Those with mental health problems like depression or anxiety, take substances because it distracts them from their issues, racing thoughts, sadness, or loneliness. It provides them with a temporary escape into a world where everything is different. Sounds similar? Gaming is not very different. You can play a game to distract yourself. You can feel better when you accomplish an achievement or reach a new level. You feel less lonely when you play an MMO and make friends. It gives you a high by allowing you immerse yourself into in a place where your life troubles do not exist. But when you come down from the high (your ipad dies or you have to attend to reality...) it is as if life becomes more unbearable without the game (or drug). You have urges to play it all the time.

In conclusion, gaming affects the brain in almost the same way as gambling compulsion or drug/alcohol addiction. It is harmful in that, you lose touch with reality. Or you spend money on the game instead to saving it, investing it, or attending to your bills. You can even spend less time with friends and family. Staring at a screen for hours on end and lack of sleep is another factor that can even be a bit dangerous to your health.

With all that said, I will continue to feed my addiction/compulsion (i have both because I have been to a casino and lost $200, spent my paycheck in plat, and deal with my occasional depression/anxiety by distracting myself with the game). The awesomeness of Celtic Heroes has trapped me in and I just can't put my ipad down. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go level my rogue some more...

Well good theory an all but it doesn't apply to everythin . I've Been doin somethin once a day (usually solo) for the past 14 years and very rarely do I do It twice. Of coarse there's exceptions to the rule but once a day keeps me level headed for the most part

Our bodies are more complex that to just react to dopamine and get addicted! The activity I think you do once a day will release other neurotransmitters and chemicals that will play their part to reduce the "addiction". But why have you been doing it for 14 years? Because you are basically getting your hit of dopamine/other neurotransmitters every time so you keep going! When the restrictions come out of balance, people becomes obsessive and some people might do it multiple times a day.

Hes made other posts before and he is referring to "adult content" which is disturbing..... Anyway did you know that addiction actually shrinks your brain?

I don't believe this is true, although I might need some collage medical student noseless blue creature to prove me wrong.

What I gather from this, is that between neurons there are little gaps, one side has tiny nozzles and the other has tiny pores. What happens when the 'emitter' (the nozzle side) is stimulated is it emits a few molecules of dopamine which will make you feel satisfied (for example, drinking a soda then feeling good after that). If you stimulate it for long enough, some of those pores will close up, not allowing dopamine through. This in turn will leave you unsatisfied (you will want more soda to get the same amount of satisfaction.

I don't believe this is true, although I might need some collage medical student noseless blue creature to prove me wrong.

What I gather from this, is that between neurons there are little gaps, one side has tiny nozzles and the other has tiny pores. What happens when the 'emitter' (the nozzle side) is stimulated is it emits a few molecules of dopamine which will make you feel satisfied (for example, drinking a soda then feeling good after that). If you stimulate it for long enough, some of those pores will close up, not allowing dopamine through. This in turn will leave you unsatisfied (you will want more soda to get the same amount of satisfaction.

WARNING [This is going to be a long post, sorry for that.]

This is correct and same goes for amphetamines and ecstasy abusers . The substance causes a dramatic increase of serotonin, giving the person an experience of intense confidence, feeling of being free to do anything, easily and overly comfortable, or thinking they are invincible. That's why you see people on X dancing like a fool at a rave - they have completely shut out all care of other people's judgement. They become hyper and seek out anything that makes them feel good. However, a person withdrawing from it will become horribly anxious and paranoid.

It is not that their body is not producing the chemical anymore it is that their receiving neurons have stopped accepting serotonin or whatever neurotransmitter that has been over produced. This is called "re-uptake". That is why you hear of anti depression/anxiety medications such as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) or NRIs (Noripenephrine Reuptake Inhibitor) or DRI's (Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor) which are commonly used to treat certain types of substance abuse. There is a list of re-uptake inhibitors used to treat both substance abuse and mental health disorders. There are three different neurotransmitters that contribute to stress, anxiety, depression, and ultimately addiction.

Serotonin tends to work on your self esteem, social skills, and rational reasoning. If you have too much, you become out of control and lose a sense thinking things through before you act upon it. If you have too little, you think too much, have little confidence, and fear the worst in any situation. Dopamine is considered the "happy" chemical in your brain. It gives you euphoria and makes you feel on top of the world. People with too much dopamine are excited all the time and have high ambitions and have grandeur ideas. This is called "mania" and is commonly seen with people with bipolar disorder. After a manic stage, the brain realizes that too much dopamine is being produced so it stops accepting it, causing depression. Noreprinephrine underlies the body's flight or fight response, works with adrenal gland, corresponds with other neurotransmitters, and controls how your body reacts to stress. I won't go into too much detail of how noreprinephrine works when there is too much, because it is more about disorders related to the adrenal glands and how it becomes stored in the brain and converted to other chemicals and it gets confusing. I do know that the less noreprinephrine you have, the more you have physical symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety. A person with too little noreprinephrine can experience conversion disorders (insomnia, stress-related migraines, psychogenic seizures, psychogenic paralysis, etc.). Although they are caused by a mental health issue, these disorders are very real and uncontrollable.

So, if a person is lacking too much in one or more of these neurotransmitters, they can easily fall victim to an addiction or compulsive disorder. Gaming gives us a similar high and affects our neurons in similar ways as drugs/alcohol. Now, what is more important - getting to the highest level you can, or finding a more productive outlet for your daily stresses? Psshhh... no brainer, it's playing Celtic Heroes.

^ well said!

With regards to brain shrinkage with addiction, I have no idea: maybe running a search on the NICE evidence search website or Medline will help

There is inconclusive evidence that internet or video game addiction shrinks your brain. In fact, there is actually evidence that supports that internet and video game use helps increase activity in certain areas of the brain. For example, studies show that people who play a lot of first person shooters have improved cognitive functioning and learning abilities. Some of the downsides I see to a "screen" addiction (one that involves staring at a screen for long periods of time) is that it can increase your chances of developing ADD, cause insomnia, and is not good for your eyesight. As for brain shrinkage, lack of sleep which is a side effect of this addiction, can shrink the brain. However, it is more likely that aging, medical conditions, and certain drug abuse plays a role in shrinking brain volume.

A common myth is that cannabis shrinks brain cells - this is FAR from true. In fact, it increases positive activity in the brain (yes, when over-used it temporarily impairs some cognitive functioning). However, the human brain contains cannabanoid receptors which are literally only activated by marijuana and have therapeutic benefits. What cannabis does shrink is cancer cells and tumors (but some governments won't legalize medical use for economic reasons and at one time they provided false information to the public about "harmful effects" when there really are none and has a giant list of health benefits. I could debate this for hours, but I will stop now, Sorry!).

Ironically, there is a lot of evidence that supports that antipsychotic medications shrink the brain. Antipsychotics are used mostly for people with schizophrenia, but can be used to treat depression or addiction. Hmm... we are prescribed a drug to stop us from being addicted to something that might shrink our brains, but the drug they give us shrinks our brain anyway.

WARNING! What I am going to type will result into a mob, which will hunt me down and kill me. X.X

People get addicted to MMOs because they simply do not find interest in life. I still don't see how adults take time out of their life to enjoy this game. Having a job, family, responsibilities should severely limit people into playing this maybe 2 hours a week.

Even college/university players. How in the world do they play a game when there is much burden on their shoulders. To get high marks, pass, job, etc.

Some people decide to stop education altogether just for the sake of this game. That is disturbing.

These mysteries always baffle me.

I would really like to hear the opinions of other adults, college/university aged players, of how they put this into their timeframe.

WARNING! What I am going to type will result into a mob, which will hunt me down and kill me. X.X

People get addicted to MMOs because they simply do not find interest in life. I still don't see how adults take time out of their life to enjoy this game. Having a job, family, responsibilities should severely limit people into playing this maybe 2 hours a week.

Even college/university players. How in the world do they play a game when there is much burden on their shoulders. To get high marks, pass, job, etc.

Some people decide to stop education altogether just for the sake of this game. That is disturbing.

These mysteries always baffle me.

I would really like to hear the opinions of other adults, college/university aged players, of how they put this into their timeframe.

*chases after you with a torch and a pitchfork*

j/k...I don't think it is so much that they don't find interest in life, it is because life becomes overbearing. I played CH when I was going to college full time. For a little while, I prioritized it before my schoolwork. However -not to get too personal- , at that time, I was extremely depressed and anxious about living in the dorms. I locked myself in my dorm and played CH because it distracted me from anxiety and horrible thoughts. After I realized I was failing some of my classes, I left my ipad at home and decided to try and become addicted to schoolwork instead. Right now I am taking a break from college to earn money from my job. It is only part-time (I'm looking for a second job) and I don't have any kids or other responsibilities. I don't go on MMOs because I am lonely or don't like to socialize IRL. I have a gamer boyfriend whom I spend most of my time with (and am trying to get him to play more CH) and I have my little circle of friends I hang out with - who all play video games as well. Sometimes everyone is busy and I have no work scheduled so I sit around and play CH all day. I work early morning shift, so when I come home, I kick back and relax on my iPad. Yes, I am still addicted. I play everyday. I sometimes take my paycheck and buy a ton of plat when I should be saving for college loans. But, I am recovered from depression and my ambitions are too strong to let the game overpower me again. I am doing very well at my job. I got all A's last semester I took. I plan to go back in the spring and do my best. If that means putting down the ipad for a while, then so be it. It will be hard, but I am determined to finish my degree.

A typical day for me:

7am - wake up
8am - leave for uni
9am-6pm - lectures and other contact activities with an hour lunch break
7pm - arrive at home and cook
8pm - type up lectures
11pm - go to bed

Which is why I literally have no time!