Question ?

[TerryPHD]

I haven't really played any games in weeks is it common to have emotional upheavals from not playing any more?? Thanks

 

[jnp]

I am not an expert but I am pretty sure that it is common and even likely, so yes. 

Warning: I will not be using any references for the text below, so reader's judgment and a pile of salt is recommended while reading! 

The scientific background would be that as you abstain from gaming for a period of time, the neurotransmitter system in your brain "resets". 

There are two major neurotransmitters at play here: dopamine and serotonin. Their effects are quite different though and, to my understanding at least, they have an inverse relationship. Simply put: when the other molecule reigns in the brain, the other one is suppressed. 

Harmful gaming is essentially really bad for your neurotransmitter system because it "fries" the dopamine receptors, making your brains crave for more dopamine. Again, this is a simplification and might even be wrong, but I might be pretty close to the truth.

What happens then when the dopamine levels in the brains rise? It's expected that some kind of toll is taken on your serotonin levels. When you stop gaming, your dopamine receptors SLOWLY start to heal back towards the state where they used to be.

What are the effects of the said neurotransmitters then? Simply put, dopamine is the molecule that makes you addicted to certain things, it gives you instant gratification and makes your body secrete other feel-good hormones as well. It makes you remember what you like so it's responsible for making patterns in your life. Serotonin on the other hand, is responsible for your mood and a lot of your behavior. I saw a picture somewhere once where they were separated by something like "Dopamine is the short term reward and serotonin is the long term contentment". Too much dopamine leads to addiction, too little serotonin leads to depression. 

This is where the mood upheavals are explained. Your neurotransmitter system is probably a bit messed up (depending on where you live, might also be caused by SAD or seasonal affective disorder or such, that's when the seasons affect the amount of light outside and people get all moody etc., but I am not a doctor so again, truckload of salt! 😄.) and the levels of dopamine and serotonin fluctuate, causing your mood swings. Obviously, there are other transmitters at play also, like norepinephrine and GABA but it's probably not that important here. 

TL;DR: Your neurotransmitter system is altered by gaming and it will start fixing itself when you do not play video games, causing a change in levels of 2 important neurotransmitters, which - in turn - cause mood fluctuations with their concurrent effects. 

I hope this was helpful, I figured that I needed some doodling around with my keyboard so it was also therapeutic for me to write this 🙂

PS. All of the above is not serious unless you feel really depressed or such, at which point I would suggest you to get medical attention. 

Stay strong and keep going with the detox! 🙂

 

[Wildermyth]

Of course. Gaming has been your go-to activity for a long time and your brain has become dependant on it. You may rationalize your decision by way of logic but your emotions will not be swayed as easily. You know that you will benefit from excluding gaming but emotionally you are still very much drawn towards them. Having this conflict inside you causes a lot of stress and frustration and you are prone to losing control emotionally. All you can do is inform your closest ones on what you're going through and try to prepare for the moments where everything feels compromised. Give it time and it will heal and you will be better prepared for the challenges you are currently facing. Don't forget that you are the one in charge, not the games.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Wildermyth

[TerryPHD]

Well I have slipped so to speak and gotten back into it the thing is nothing is satisfying anymore IDK what to do??