I read your feature on breaking harmful behaviours (15 March, p 34) with interest. I am 81 years old and have played video games since the 1980s, mainly the simple, repetitive ones like Minesweeper, Solitaire and Tetris. I used to play late into the night and time would disappear. In my 70s, I would find myself at 3 am still playing and suffering from the cold, sometimes almost unable to walk. I think I was lucky not to have succumbed to hypothermia. It was a drug, totally mindless, but I think playing games blotted out any worries.
Last Christmas, I was diagnosed with temporal arteritis, and put on the steroid prednisolone. From the moment I started the medication, I had no urge to game at all. My daughter has given me an iPad, I have an iPhone and a laptop beside me, but not a twitch! The mental effects of this medication are very odd.
I wonder if any other readers have had similar experiences? This might be of some interest to those investigating chemical solutions to addiction.
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