Gaming and internet addiction (Gaming disorder and problematic internet use)
Assessment and support for people whose gaming or internet use has become hard to control and is harming their daily life, with honest care about what is and is not a recognised condition.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Gaming disorder is a recognised condition in WHO's ICD-11, but it affects only a small proportion of people who game; broader "internet addiction" is not an agreed single diagnosis.
- What matters is real loss of control and harm to daily life over time, not screen time on its own.
- Support focuses on the distress and impact, and on any underlying anxiety, depression or other condition, rather than just cutting hours.
- NHS help exists, including a specialist clinic for internet-related behavioural addictions, though access is limited; talking therapy and family support are the mainstay.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your psychiatrist will give you advice for your situation.
Helps work out whether use is genuinely out of control and harmful, or heavy but manageable
A formal "addiction" treatment programme is not appropriate where use is heavy but not genuinely out of control or harmful.
A careful look at impact, control and any underlying problems. You should leave with an honest picture, not an automatic label.
An honest formulation that separates real harm from ordinary heavy use.
A careful look at impact, control and any underlying problems. You should leave with an honest picture, not an...
Agreeing realistic goals and starting talking therapy or family support. Reducing use may bring irritability or...
Building new routines and offline activities, and treating any underlying anxiety, depression or attention...
Returning to heavier use is common. The plan is reviewed and continued rather than abandoned.
What is gaming and internet addiction?
This guide is about gaming or internet use that has become hard to control and is harming someone's life, for example their relationships, school or work, sleep or health. It matters because the distress is real, even though the science here is still developing.
It is worth being honest about the diagnosis. The World Health Organisation recognises "gaming disorder" in its classification (ICD-11), defined by loss of control over gaming, gaming taking priority over other activities, and gaming continuing despite clear harm, usually over at least 12 months. WHO is clear that only a small proportion of people who game are affected. "Internet addiction" more broadly is not an agreed single diagnosis, and experts disagree about how best to understand problematic internet, social media or smartphone use.
Because of this, good care does not focus on screen time alone. It focuses on whether use is genuinely out of control and causing harm, and on the practical and emotional problems involved, including any anxiety, depression or other condition underneath. Help is available, and most people who game or use the internet a lot do not have a disorder.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Enjoying gaming versus a possible disorder
| Heavy but healthy | Possible disorder | |
|---|---|---|
| Control | You can stop and prioritise other things | Repeated loss of control over gaming |
| Priority | Fits around life | Takes priority over most other activities |
| Harm | Little or no harm | Continues despite clear harm to life |
| Time | Varies | Pattern usually present for many months |
Lots of gaming or screen time is not the same as a disorder. WHO is clear that only a small proportion of people who game are affected, and self-judgement should focus on harm and control, not hours.
Preparing for your treatment
- Note specific examples of how gaming or internet use is affecting daily life: sleep, school or work, relationships, mood and health.
- Keep a rough record of when and why use happens, including the feelings before and after, rather than just total hours.
- Think honestly about whether there is real loss of control, or mainly worry about time spent.
- Tell your clinician about mood, anxiety, attention difficulties or anything that the use might be linked to.
- For a child or young person, parents or carers should be ready to describe the impact and any safeguarding worries.
- Save crisis numbers in case they are needed: 999, Samaritans 116 123, and for under-19s, Childline 0800 1111.
What happens
Support usually begins with a careful assessment. A clinician looks at how gaming or internet use affects daily life, whether there is genuine loss of control, and what might be driving it, including any anxiety, low mood, attention difficulties or social pressures. For children and young people, parents or carers are closely involved.
Because the science is still developing, a good clinician is honest about what is and is not a recognised condition, and avoids labelling ordinary heavy use as an illness. The focus is on the distress and harm.
Where support is offered, it is mostly talking-based, often CBT, alongside practical changes to routine and, for young people, family support. Any underlying mental health condition is treated too. More severe or complex cases may be referred to a specialist NHS clinic for internet-related behavioural addictions, though access is limited.
Is this treatment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- A formal "addiction" treatment programme is not appropriate where use is heavy but not genuinely out of control or harmful.
- It is not a substitute for urgent care if a young person or adult is in crisis or at risk of self-harm.
- On its own it does not treat an underlying condition such as depression, anxiety or ADHD, which needs addressing.
- A diagnosis of gaming disorder should not be applied without the loss of control, prioritisation and harm that define it.
Delay or rearrange if…
- There is a mental health crisis or risk of self-harm — seek urgent help first.
- Safeguarding concerns about a child or young person need addressing as a priority.
- An untreated condition such as severe depression or anxiety is the main driver and needs attention.
- A major life change means the picture is unclear and a calmer assessment would be more useful.
Alternatives to discuss
- Treatment focused on an underlying anxiety, depression or attention difficulty
- Family-based and parenting support for children and young people
- Practical changes to routine, sleep and offline activities without formal therapy
- School or college support and pastoral input for young people
- Watchful support and review where it is unclear whether use is truly a disorder
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Helps work out whether use is genuinely out of control and harmful, or heavy but manageable
- Addresses the real-life impact on sleep, relationships, school or work and health
- Identifies and treats underlying problems such as anxiety, low mood or attention difficulties
- Gives practical strategies and realistic limits rather than sudden total bans
- Supports parents and carers of children and young people
- Avoids over-labelling normal behaviour as an illness
Risks & complications
- Feeling defensive, judged or misunderstood, especially for young people
- Family tension around limits and expectations
- Frustration if change is gradual, as habits take time to shift
- Withdrawal-like irritability, low mood or restlessness when use is reduced
- An underlying problem (such as anxiety or depression) becoming more visible once use is reduced
- Setbacks and a return to heavy use, which are a reason to keep going rather than give up
- A mental health crisis, including thoughts of self-harm, which needs urgent help
- Being given a firm "addiction" label and treatment that the evidence does not clearly support
The biggest risks here are getting the framing wrong: either dismissing real distress, or over-medicalising ordinary heavy use. Good care focuses on harm and control, treats any underlying condition, and is honest about uncertainty. For children and young people, watch mood and withdrawal closely. If there are thoughts of self-harm or a crisis, treat it as an emergency: call 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123 (Childline 0800 1111 for under-19s).
Published figures to discuss
Reliable figures are limited here. Estimates of how common gaming disorder or problematic internet use are vary widely depending on how they are defined and measured, and broader "internet addiction" is not an agreed single diagnosis. WHO states that gaming disorder affects only a small proportion of people who game. Because the evidence is still developing, we do not quote precise percentages, which could be misleading.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| High use mislabelled as disorder | Recognised diagnostic pitfall | Diagnosis depends on impaired control, priority over life activities and continued use despite harm, not hours alone. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Sleep, school/work and physical health harm | Common reason for help | Assessment should cover sleep timing, meals, activity, hygiene, attendance and relationships. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Underlying ADHD, autism, anxiety or depression missed | Common overlap | Gaming may be coping, avoidance, social connection or sensory regulation rather than the only problem. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Abrupt removal escalates conflict | Common family risk | Plans usually work better when gradual boundaries, alternative rewards and family agreement are built in. | Gaming disorder in the ICD-11: the state of the game — PMCncbi.nlm.nih.govSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
This is about what happens after you seek help, so "recovery" here means how control, routine and wellbeing improve over time. Progress is usually gradual and is measured by life getting better, not just by hours on a screen.
- Urges to game or go online that come in waves and gradually ease
- Irritability, boredom or low mood in the first days of cutting down
- Ups and downs in motivation as new routines bed in
- Some family friction while limits are agreed and tested
- Gradual rather than sudden improvement in sleep, mood and daily life
Aftercare
- Keep to the routines and realistic limits you have agreed, rather than sudden total bans.
- Build in offline activities, exercise, sleep and social contact that compete with screen time.
- Stay connected to any therapy or support, and keep parents or carers involved for young people.
- Keep treating any underlying anxiety, depression or attention difficulty.
- Watch for and act on signs of low mood or withdrawal when use is reduced.
- Agree who to contact if things slip or if mood drops significantly.
- Keep crisis numbers to hand, including Childline 0800 1111 for under-19s.
- Agreed, realistic limits and routines written down
- A list of offline activities to build into the week
- Details of any therapy, support or follow-up
- A plan for any underlying mental health treatment
- Crisis numbers saved: 999, Samaritans 116 123, Childline 0800 1111
- Agreement on who to contact after a setback
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide — call 999 or the Samaritans free on 116 123 (Childline 0800 1111 for under-19s)
- Severe withdrawal from friends, family, school or work
- Marked drop in mood, or new or worsening anxiety or depression
- Not eating, sleeping or attending to basic health because of gaming or internet use
- Aggression or extreme distress when access is limited
- Signs that gaming or use is masking another serious problem
- A child or young person who seems unsafe, very low or at risk online
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your psychiatrist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good outcome is a more balanced, controllable relationship with gaming and the internet, with daily life, sleep, relationships and mood improving, and any underlying condition treated. It is judged by life getting better, not simply by hours cut.
Support cannot promise to "cure" an addiction, partly because the science is still developing and partly because every person is different. It can help you or your child regain control where use is genuinely harmful, and make sure real distress is taken seriously without over-labelling normal behaviour.
For most people this is about reaching a sustainable balance rather than a one-off fix. Habits can drift back, especially at times of stress or boredom, so keeping helpful routines and offline activities in place matters. Where an underlying condition was driving the use, keeping that treated is key to lasting change.
Related tests, treatments or support
Support for gaming or internet use is often combined with treatment for anxiety, depression, ADHD or social difficulties, and with family or school support for young people. Where another mental illness is present, both should be addressed together rather than separately.
Follow-up & long-term care
Follow-up is usually through ongoing therapy or support sessions and review of how daily life is improving. For young people, this often includes parents or carers and sometimes school. After a setback, more frequent contact is normal. Ask who your main contact is and how to get help quickly if mood drops or things slip.
- Keep helpful routines and realistic limits in place
- Maintain offline activities, exercise, sleep and social contact
- Continue treatment for any underlying mental health condition
- Stay alert to drift back to heavy use at times of stress
- Keep family and, where relevant, school involved for young people
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Assessments may conclude that use is heavy but not a disorder, and the plan should reflect that honestly.
- Setbacks and drift back to heavy use are common and lead to the plan being revised, not abandoned.
- If an underlying condition emerges, the focus of treatment may shift towards it.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- An honest formulation that separates real harm from ordinary heavy use.
- A plan that builds realistic limits and offline life rather than relying on bans.
- Treatment of any underlying mental health condition, coordinated with this work.
- Family and, where relevant, school involvement for children and young people.
- A clear route to urgent help if mood drops or there are safety concerns.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- Whether you use NHS and free services or pay for private assessment and therapy
- Number and length of therapy sessions
- Whether family or parenting support is included
- Whether assessment and treatment of an underlying condition is part of the plan
- Whether a specialist or multidisciplinary team is involved
- How much ongoing support and follow-up is provided
- The clinician's fee and their experience with behavioural addictions and young people
- What the assessment includes and whether it considers underlying conditions
- How many sessions are included and what they cover
- Whether family or school involvement is included where relevant
- What follow-up and support is available after the main sessions
- The cancellation and missed-appointment policy
On the NHS? NHS support is available, including a specialist clinic for internet-related behavioural addictions and general mental health services, though access can be limited; private therapy is sometimes used for speed or choice.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Being given a firm "addiction" label where the evidence and the person's situation do not support it.
- Treatment that focuses on screen time alone and ignores underlying mental health.
- Overstating how strong or settled the science is in this area.
- Ignoring safeguarding or risk in a child or young person.
- Promising a quick cure for a complex, individual pattern of behaviour.
Marketing red flags
- Claims of a "proven cure" for gaming or internet addiction.
- Expensive "digital detox" boot camps promising lasting change from a short stay.
- Treating all heavy gaming or screen use as an illness to sell treatment.
- No mention of underlying conditions, safeguarding or the uncertainty in the evidence.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the psychiatrist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the psychiatrist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good psychiatrist will welcome every one of these.
- Is this genuinely out of control and harmful, or heavy but manageable use?
- What underlying problems, such as anxiety or low mood, might be involved?
- What does the evidence actually support for treatment, given the uncertainty?
- What realistic limits and routines would help, rather than a total ban?
- For my child, how will school and family be involved, and what about safeguarding?
- What should I do if mood drops or things slip?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the psychiatrist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is gaming addiction a real diagnosis?
How much gaming or screen time is too much?
Can I get help on the NHS?
Should I just ban my child from gaming?
Is medication used?
Is it confidential?
Find a verified psychiatrist for gaming and internet addiction
Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.
No verified consultants list this procedure yet — browse the full directory.
How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: WHO — Gaming disorder (ICD-11) Q&A Royal College of Psychiatrists — response to ICD-11 gaming disorder RCPsych blog — ICD-11's new gaming disorder Gaming disorder in the ICD-11: the state of the game — PMC NHS — find mental health support services Childline (under-19s) — 0800 1111
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
Related guides: Gambling addiction treatment · Relapse prevention · Dual diagnosis (addiction with mental illness) · Adult ADHD assessment · Alcohol addiction treatment