[artie]

I know someone who has been playing war games on the computer for many years for many hours a day. It seems to me over this time he has become more and more aggressive, more likely to see everyone as enemies and himself a victim, also talking about violence all the time, he appears to have aquired an anger addiction.

A lot has gone wrong in his life over this time, that may explain the anger, but there are many who think a lot has gone wrong in his life because most of his energy has been directed into the games.

Someone told me those games were developed to create killers for the military (I don't know if that's true), that may be fine on the battlefield but not in civil society.

I was wondering if this sounds likely or familiar to anyone. Does anyone have any suggestions, any sites on the subject, I can't find much at all.

naturally i can't speak for the person you know, but i think violent video games can be used as a helpful outlet and a way of diffusing irl anger and frustration. when angry at issues in real life and frustrated over the way things are going, turning on a video game can prove to be a helpful distraction. however, it's probably not safe to channel all of that into a very violent game, and in certain individuals it could easily create more aggressive behavior. i've certainly seen people get very aggressive and angry if someone distracts them while they're focused on a game, and get angry when they're away from the game and unable to play. there's a line that's easily lost and people can get too lost in the virtual word, in my humble opinion.

if a lot has gone wrong in his life, is he seeing a therapist? therapy could be helpful in this situation. i tend to think sometimes people unjustly blame video games when that's not where the blame is due. i can say i enjoy war games on the computer and while there's some i can't play because they're too violent or too scary/disturbing, there are others that are a helpful distraction and destresser.

i did a quick google search and didn't find anything that looked helpful, i'm sure someone else will be able to provide some decent advice and perhaps some useful resources.

[Rhapsody]

While video games can be a natural form of stress release for many people they can also become addictive and in the instance where the video game is of extreme violence they can become the full thinking process of some peoples mental being.... there are a few clinics out there for video games addiction, but sadly none of them are in the good old USA.

[Rohag]

I think I agree with Griffe. At least, those thoughts correspond well with my observations.

"War games" cover a lot of territory; there are various sub-genres of shooter or military-themed games. Do you know of any of the specific titles with which your friend/acquaintance spends the most time? When did he start playing the games? Why do you think he turned to this form of recreational alternate reality in the first place?

[artie]

Thanks for your comments,

I really don't know if getting anger out of your system can be good as you suggest Griffe or if it can make it worse, I've read the more you do it ("catharsis") the more anger you have to release (How to deal with Emorionally Explosive People(Dr A Bernstein)) I guess it's a matter of how much someone does it and perhaps their attitude.

I talked to a doctor about it, he said at this time there is mainly only speculation about whether War Game addiction is a cause or a symptom of aggressive behavior, he guessed both the anger and the war game addiction are a symptom of a personality disorder such as anti-social &/or paranoid. This is a much more depressing explanation as it is virtually impossible to change.

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think having aggressive behavior about video games in and of itself is a symptom of antisocial or paranoid personality disorder unless there are other symptoms not mentioned in your posts...

Antisocial:

• failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
• deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
• impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
• irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
• reckless disregard for safety of self or others
• consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
• lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Paranoid:

• suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
• is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates
• is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
• reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
• persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights
• perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack
• has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner

[artie]

Yes, actually the Doc said "behind" the anger and war game addiction may lie a personality disorder, I misquoted, he didn't actually say they were symptoms, which might imply a proven scientific link, there's a slight difference in there somewhere I think.

I would say war game addiction is often associated with (usually mild) anti-social personality disorder, but I'm not a doctor either and have no love of war or games.

This Shrink reckons the personality disorders can be understood as forms of immaturity, that would explain why so many young men are war game junkies, they are more immature and more often anti-social than any other group (in most cases it will be quite mild never resulting in arrest or an official diagnostic label).

What I really wish I knew is do the games make them worse