Cuong's mother reported that for four years, Cuong often stayed up all night playing games, avoided social interaction, consistently skipped school, and showed signs of delusion. Cuong frequently believed he was a character in a game, skipping classes and eating quickly to complete in-game missions. When adults reminded him, Cuong threatened to "leave home or commit suicide."

Doctor Pham Van Duong, from the Department of General Internal Medicine at Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi, stated that Cuong suffers from gaming addiction, a form of mental disorder. This disorder manifests as continuous gaming, a loss of control over time, frequency, and intensity. Individuals with gaming addiction often neglect their studies, work, and daily activities to play games, and they struggle to control their emotions if prevented from playing. Many cases involve violent behavior or suicide threats if gaming is restricted.

Doctor Duong examining Cuong. *Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital*.

Doctor Duong explained that during gaming, the brain releases a large amount of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates feelings of pleasure and excitement. The more one plays, the more the brain becomes accustomed to high dopamine levels. When gaming stops, dopamine levels decrease, causing feelings of emptiness, fatigue, restlessness, and a craving to play again. "This mechanism is similar to other forms of addiction, such as alcohol or drugs," Doctor Duong noted.

Patients require family support to gradually overcome the addiction, combined with medication and psychological therapy. This helps them learn to identify emotions, control behavior, change habits, and engage in sports like basketball or badminton. After one month, Cuong's emotional state improved, he slept well, and communicated more with his parents and friends.

Doctor Duong highlighted that adolescents often face significant academic pressure, lack social interaction, or experience emotional difficulties. In this context, many turn to games as a way to escape reality and relieve stress, gradually becoming absorbed into the virtual world. As the addiction progresses, patients can become withdrawn, experience sleep disturbances, lose appetite, show reduced interest in surrounding activities, and neglect their studies. Some develop memory disorders, slow motor skills, limited communication, or constantly live in a fantasy world. Tam Anh General Hospital also treats many children with gaming addiction, some presenting with severe depression, psychosis, or delusions.

Doctors advise parents to establish time limits for electronic device use and encourage children to participate in sports, socialize with friends, and engage in family activities. If parents notice signs of personality changes, reduced sleep, loss of appetite, social withdrawal, or academic decline in their child, they should seek consultation and early intervention at a mental health specialist facility.

Thanh Ba