BREAKING THE SPELL OF COMPUTER GAMES FOR OUR PANDAS KIDS
Gaming can be both a blessing and a curse, for kids with PANDAS and also kids with autism. A positive aspect is social interaction via online gaming (albeit hidden behind an avatar) and some of these become real life friendships too. But when it becomes obsessional, it can be even worse for a kid with PANDAS or intrusive thought patterns.
Aspects that can aggravate gaming addiction in a PANDAS kid are
- unable to stop until the routine is completed, lack of flexibility
- intrusive and repeated negative thoughts for example "if I just do this a certain number times then the bad thing wont happen"
- social withdrawal
- extreme and uncontrollable anger outbursts when the parent interrupts
- heightening of night terrors / interrupted sleep patterns
Mix this with a dose of teenage rebellion and you have the recipe for some real problems.
Can we break the spell? Some of the aspects involving PANDAS we can treat, using homeopathic remedies to treat the strep virus and the behavioural issues including OCD and outbursts. In one situation a 17 year old boy diagnosed with autism was becoming a recluse. Although he was verbal and had a few friends, he was not communicating and stayed in his room most of the time playing computer games. Even when he came out he had lost most of his verbal skills with his family. I used a homeopathic nosode and also the homeopathic remedy Berlin Wall. Within a few days he came out of his shell again, started speaking to family again and started to socialise with his local friends from college in the evenings. To make a free 15 minute introductory skype appointment to discuss how I can help you, your child or your teenager with any aspect of PANDAS or autism please click here.
