Candy Crush Psychiatrist

I think when your involved in something so long it is hard not to be emotional

This game makes you addictive like gambling, alcohol, food and the like ... the game is designed to take advantage of human weaknesses and I see that they are constantly changing feautures that do not help make the game easier but make you play on. As with any addiction it creates anxiety .The only way if it really makes you anxious to stop playing and find something else that will calm you down.there are many games that are not competitive in nature like this there is a walk drawing a bike ride etc ... You are the only one who can break the addiction and say enough .. .good luck😀

NotNot a psychologist or anything, but I have had similar reactions at times. For example, losing a level with just one move away from having won (irksome in and of itself). It seems to happen way too often statistically - and buying or using gold to get 5 more moves is so tempting! At times, I get suspicious the levels are designed that way on purpose (if that’s even possible). Also, fish seem to mainly hit squares that need hitting, but when I have one move left, only 3 or fewer spots to clear to win, activated fish seem to avoid them far more than chance would dictate. To be clear, those are impressions I get, maybe not fact. All this may be just “Confirmation bias,” after all.

Games like this, like slot machines as someone else mention, can (I understand) affect certain brain chemicals, like dopamine, via the risk/reward ratio, the animation and sounds, etc. Those chems influence our emotions, and can also lower (just a bit) inhibitions (like to buy more stuff) and critical thinking (like trying to win a special booster by using up more boosters than it is worth). Not in some conspiracy theory way, it’s just how brains work, a lot of video games, social media, etc. have similar effects, no one is necessarily doing it on purpose.

I give in to impulse and buy those extra moves or larger bonuses a lot - but I can afford to, and have decided - while away from the game - that I get enough out of playing that it is worth it for me.I don’t think the game is cheating (except while very frustrated), but I assume that, like most businesses, they optimize things to make a better profit. Kind of like casinos keeping clocks out of sight so gamblers lose track of time and may stay longer.

I hope you just need some validation, that other players have the same reactions (I do), and perhaps there are snippets in this thread you can use to learn more about why it happens. If you are truly suffering, and/or the urge to play overrides the disruption in your life, there’s no shame in seeing a psychologist or therapist. There might even be places that specialize in video game related problems, in this day and age.

Sorry for the ramble, and I hope you can work through this!

Not a psychiatrist, but my mom is a psychologist! 😆

You probably shouldn't trust people on the internet for any medical advice, but here is my advice It seems you might benefit from seeing a counselor or therapist. The crying could mean that you have anxiety, depression, addiction or some other issues that a counselor could help you with. You might talk to your doctor or primary physician about counseling and see what they can do. Many people benefit from counseling. Going to counseling does not mean you are weak or crazy. Those are old stereotypes and are not true.