Abstract

"I can't put XX down." "I can't stop doing YY." "I get irritated without ZZ."
—To mothers and fathers feeling anxious about a child who seems "too obsessed" with something.

Today, the objects of children's fixations have become extremely diverse. It goes beyond smartphones and video games to energy drinks (caffeine), over-the-counter medications, idol fandom (*oshi-katsu*), and even interpersonal relationships or beauty care.
You warn them out of love and concern, but your words don't seem to reach them at all. Before you know it, the amount or frequency has increased, and they even seem to be doing it secretly on the sly... Are you building up stress and impulsively snapping at them in response to this behavior?

This book gathers key tips for solutions to support parents facing these exact anxieties. Supervised by Dr. Toshihiko Matsumoto, an addiction specialist at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, it clearly explains the reality of "modern-day fixations and addictions"—which are vastly different from those of the parents' generation—using abundant illustrations, diagrams, and manga.

[Chapter 1] Things to Know First, Before Panicking with "I Have to Make Them Stop Right Away!"
[Chapter 2] Video Games, Caffeine, OTC Drugs, etc.—Children's "Objects of Fixation" and How to Respond
[Chapter 3] What is the True Nature of Their "Difficulty in Living"? Frequently Overlooked Factors
[Chapter 4] Parents Need Allies Too! Communication Strategies and Places to Seek Consultation

Author’s Information

/ Psychiatrist. Director of the Department of Drug Dependency Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP). Graduated from Saga Medical School in 1993. After serving at the Department of Psychiatry at Yokohama City University Hospital, the Department of Forensic Psychiatry at the NCNP National Institute of Mental Health, and the Center for Suicide Prevention within the same institute, assumed his current position in 2015. Recent publications include *The World's Gentlest Introduction to Addiction: Is Being Unable to Stop Someone Else's Fault?* (Kawade Shobo Shinsha), *Everyday Drugs: Tobacco, Caffeine, Alcohol, and Medicines* (Iwanami Shoten), and *Overdosing Children: Why Can't They Say "Help"?* (Godo Shuppan).