this is an actual feedback loop - these situations grow worse when I ignore them, and the worse they got the more I tried to fight off the feeling of "not achieving" with video games - ignoring them.

Not unlike binge eating to avoid feelings of being fat and unlovable, or going shopping for cheap crap to avoid the feelings caused by not having enough money.

(Btw, speaking of money, there's an excellent book called something like "How To Get What You Want With The Money You Already Have" that has an interesting set of life/mind hacks for breaking that particular cycle.)