“I failed, seven times, before successfully quitting World of Warcraft.”

The eighth time was the first time I had a conversation about quitting without feeling judged. It was also the first time I used acupuncture to help myself.

It was seven years ago. He was my professor. I spent the day working up courage to tell him I was trying to quit a video game. I expected inevitable judgement and dismissal, and an aggravating line of skeptical questioning about how video games could even be a problem.

I was completely braced. He was completely unfazed.

Instead, he shared his experience as a smoker, then as a mentor for other smokers. He informed me acupuncture has successfully treated addiction for 40 years . He suggested I try it.

I gave myself acupuncture that night.

The results were noticeable right away. Unlike the last seven times I failed to quit, I had to work less against myself to stay away. Whenever I had the craving to play, and had the choice between reinstalling or recovery, I was able to choose recovery. I was more level-headed emotionally. Acupuncture alleviated the severe tendonitis I gave myself gaming 16 hours a day. I had more energy. For the first time in five years I began to have normal sleeping and eating patterns again.

Recovery was still challenging, but acupuncture helped me build courage, take control, and keep it. For seven years.

Due to necessity, acupuncture’s success in treating video game addiction is well-researched. China declared video game addiction a nationwide epidemic in 2008 . The New York Times and The Journal of Asia Pacific Psychiatry report that “the highest prevalence of problematic internet use is in Asia ,” with South Korea being the highest in the world . The first Internet Addiction clinics were in Asia. Acupuncture’s 40 years success treating addiction made it an integral tool for recovery for Internet addicts , , , .

How Does Acupuncture Help Video Game Recovery?

A study done in 2009 at Chengdu University on the improvement rate of Internet Addiction Disorder showed that acupuncture paired with psychotherapy had 91.3% improvement, versus 59.1% from psychotherapy alone .

Quitting video games is already hard enough. With acupuncture, the chance of improvement goes from nearly half to nearly 100%.

Video Game Addiction Damages the Brain. Acupuncture Treats the Damage: Studies show that video game addiction damages the brain in two ways:

Decreasing grey and white matter mass , , , , Changing brain chemistry pathologically , , .

fMRI studies show that acupuncture rebuilds grey matter and also normalizes brain chemistry , . Additionally, video game addiction has measurable negative effects by blood serum, which acupuncture also addresses . The whole point of recovery is to rewire the brain to stop craving video games and start feeling rewarded by other activities.

Acupuncture boosts this process at the brain and blood level, which leads to the next point:

Acupuncture Makes Recovery Faster and Easier:

Quitting games can take quite some time to start feeling right. Since acupuncture works directly on the brain and blood, it produces positive effects sooner. The first two weeks are the hardest. Relapses happen the most here. Why? The first two weeks are when the brain has yet to rewire and heal from craving stimulation and video games constantly. Acupuncture normalizing brain chemistry means fewer cravings , , , , fewer compulsive desires , , , and less anxiety , , , .

It is possible to start feeling better, sooner–maybe even from the first treatment. This means a smaller chance of relapse due to frustration and not seeing the positive effects of quitting. And that is not all that acupuncture does:

Acupuncture Minimizes Secondary Symptoms of Video Game Addiction:

Secondary symptoms include: Pain from repetitive stress injuries (tendonitis, carpal tunnel, etc), neck pain, wrist pain, low back pain, sciatica, and more , , . Acupuncture has also been shown to effectively treat stress , depression , , , , and anxiety , , .

Additionally, excessive gamers may also have insomnia , fatigue , , and headaches –all of which are treatable with acupuncture.

Acupuncture has no side effects:

The main reason acupuncture is used by major organizations such as the United States Army, Veteran’s Affairs Hospitals, and most major health insurance providers is that it has ample evidence of effectiveness without side effects. Contrasted with drugs, acupuncture (when done correctly by a licensed acupuncturist) is much lower risk for the benefits gained, and cheaper in the long run.

How Can You Use Acupuncture in Your Own Recovery?

Use acupuncture to minimize cravings and symptoms so you can focus on recovery goals. Start acupuncture as soon as you decide to quit to feel better sooner. The first two weeks are the hardest. Give yourself an edge.

If you have any of the secondary symptoms, such as pain, tell your acupuncturist. It is important to prevent permanent damage from happening. Since acupuncture has no side effects, talk to your health professional about getting acupuncture treatments before trying drugs.

Make no mistake: Acupuncture was a huge contributor to my success, but recovery still took persistence. Quitting video games was singly the hardest but most rewarding thing I have faced. I strongly believe that if you can quit your video game, then you can do anything you want in this world.

Today’s article is by Diana Yang, L.Ac., DACM, founder of Limbic Acupuncture in San Francisco. Limbic Acupuncture is the first clinic in the United States to specialize in acupuncture for Internet Gaming Disorder. A former intern at Restart Life, she is a licensed acupuncturist and life coach. She is a firm believer that gamers are the most brilliant people in the world, and that the way to win IRL is to “Think Outside the Skinner Box.” Follow her on Facebook.