Screens, video games and gambling in Grenoble: a Chinese medicine perspective

Endless scrolling, "one more game", "one last bet"… **Screen, video-game and gambling addictions** often settle in quietly. In **Grenoble**, **traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)** offers a complementary reading: it links these behaviours to **emptiness** and to the agitation of the **Shen**, under the influence of the **Heart** and **Liver**.

What is an addiction from the TCM point of view?

An addiction begins with a behaviour that gives pleasure, then becomes **compulsive and toxic** through repetition: control is lost. It may target a product, a behaviour (gaming, shopping, work, sport) or a person. TCM often reads in it **a void we try to fill** — emotional emptiness, empty Qi, empty Blood — compensated by repeated stimulation. This view shifts the question from blame to the **terrain** to be supported.

What role do the Heart and the Shen play?

The **Heart** houses the **Shen**, the spirit. When stimulation becomes relentless, it feeds **Heat**, then **Fire**, that disturbs the Shen: mental agitation, poor sleep, irritability, a feeling of never being able to stop. The Heart needs **nourished Blood** to keep the spirit steady. In other words, screens do not only tire the eyes: in TCM they agitate the mind itself.

Why is the Liver involved?

The **Liver** ensures the **free flow of Qi** and the expression of emotions. When emotions are not expressed, stagnation sets in, along with **irritability**, tension and a sense of being "stuck". This stagnation can turn into Heat and intensify the agitation that drives us back to the screen. Regulating the Liver means restoring **fluidity** to what had frozen, and giving emotions a healthier outlet than the screen.

What can be done concretely?

**Acupuncture** and **acupressure** offer a few valuable landmarks: **Yintang** pacifies the Shen and reduces anxiety, **MC6 Neiguan** releases chest oppression and harmonises the **Middle Jiao**, **VG20 Baihui** lifts the **clear Qi** and calms the mind. Simple lifestyle habits add to this: a **clear rhythm**, regular sleep, physical activity, real rest rather than "full" days. TCM also invites you to **replace addictive pleasure with pleasant bodily sensations** — breathing, release, recentring — because addiction often cuts the person off from their own feelings. Supporting the terrain beats fighting the craving alone, and a repeated **signal gesture** can help defuse the urge as it rises.

When should you see a doctor?

For **severe addictions** (drugs, alcohol, pathological gambling, eating disorders), the priority belongs to **medicine and your GP**; TCM works only as a **complement**. For any unusual sign — collapsing mood, isolation, dark thoughts — seek help without delay. For lighter habits (screens, social media), deeper support remains relevant, in a spirit of autonomy and prevention. The point is never to moralise the behaviour but to reduce the underlying tension that keeps it alive.

In short

**Screen and gaming addictions** read, in TCM, as an **emptiness** compensated by stimulation that agitates the **Shen**. Supporting the **Heart**, freeing the **Liver**, nourishing **Qi** and **Blood** and setting a clear rhythm: these are the gentle levers offered in **Grenoble**. **Complementary** support, to be carried out with your doctor in the heaviest situations.

Ghislaine Morin's website in Grenoble : www.sophrologue-grenoble.fr/medecine-chinoise-a-grenoble-38000-38100