[quote]The World Health Organization is adding an unexpected disorder to its list of mental health conditions in 2018. Next year, people who play an excessive amount of video games could find themselves diagnosed with "gaming disorder."
WHO's beta draft of its upcoming 11th update of International Classification of Diseases characterizes gaming disorder as "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour ('digital gaming' or 'video-gaming'), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by: 1) impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context); 2) increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and 3) continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."
The inclusion of gaming disorder in the ICD-11 means health care workers and doctors can now diagnose someone with the condition.
The description of the condition continues: "The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gaming behaviour and other features are normally evident over a period of at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, although the required duration may be shortened if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe."
Not everyone who likes to play video games has gaming disorder — plenty of people play video games without getting a diagnosis. Daphne Bavelier, a professor at the University of Geneva said, depending on the game, and how long and often you play it, video games can be a safe way of improving hand-eye coordination, enhancing problem-solving abilities, relieving stress, connecting people, and living out fantasies, Forbes reported.
Gaming becomes a problem only when it causes "impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning." When you stop controlling the game and it starts controlling you — that's when WHO's definition of gaming disorder applies.
Video games have become increasingly popular, with more people of all ages playing a variety of games. Because of this, video game addiction has also become a problem. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published in 2013 defined internet gaming disorder as a "condition for further study." This doesn't classify it as an official disorder, rather one the American Psychiatric Association says requires additional research. According to the DSM-5, the disorder is most common in male adolescents 12 to 20 years old.
Additionally, a 2009 study found about 8 percent of people from 8 to 18 years old "exhibited pathological patterns of play." So, while people should continue to enjoy their downtime unwinding with the latest game, the medical community wants to make the public aware, too much of a good thing can be bad.
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I understand this is an issue many people here feel very strongly about, but please try to keep discussions relevant to the original topic. Veering off into straight up political discussion is not allowed.
Furthermore, please remain respectful to those who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. This is not a platform to start discussing whether or not their illness is "legitimate".
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2017-12-26/excessive-video-gaming-to-be-named-mental-disorder-by-who
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Everything will be a disorder, it'll only take time.
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Edited by Skelator: 12/31/2017 4:20:50 AMThis is the biggest load of bullshyt I’ve ever read lmao. Being addicted to video games is a way better place to be than addicted to drugs. They make it sound like it’ll ruin ur life. Usually, u ruin ur own life then start playing games lol.
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Its okay to escape from reality with sex, drugs, and alcohol, but not those damned vidya gaymes.
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So does this mean I can get off work early because it’s an illness
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I could sit and watch the drivel on tv all night..... OR use that time to immerse myself in a game. You could basically apply this to any form of entertainment/hobby.
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3 RepliesThat just sound more like a description of addiction. You can literally switch video games for any other hobby, and the diagnosis would work the same. This sounds more specifically geared towards addressing those who prioritize hobbies over other priorities. Which, to be fair, would be an issue; if you are dropping your rent money on a new system, or skipping meals to pay for DLC...well...
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ThErEs No SuCh ThInG aS mEnTaL iLlNesS
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Fine, I wont lie: I may play video games a bit more than I should, but I dont think it's quite to the state of being a mental illness. Sure, I'm a little awkward around hot girls and stuff, and I should work on making that better.
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Serious question. So if I were to be diagnosed as a gaming addict could I get put on disability for that? [spoiler]Although that could make things worse. [/spoiler]
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[quote]Veering off into straight up political discussion is not allowed.[/quote] This guy.
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So if excessive gaming can be considered a mental disorder, what about excessive gambling being included under that term? They are originally games too, after all. And not everyone has to play a video game excessively to have similar symptons of the ambiguously named disorder, they could play way too much Monopoly for example. This article seems to lack some nuance, at least from what you've quoted.
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Edited by RyanSeo701: 12/31/2017 5:11:05 PMLike the article said, this is a problem for gaming. But this goes with many other hobbies as people are saying. I believe one of the many solutions to fix the problem of any addiction and mental problems from gaming is bringing restrictions to the case. But I do keep in mind, this solution has to go into the factor about people having mental stability problems of addictions.
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Anything in excess is a disorder. Why should video games be any different?
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okay so where on the spectrum is this
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Ehhh, kind of a rare case. If it gets that bad it’s your own fault
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So wait, WHO just figured out that people can become addicted to video games and decided that it's actually a mental illness...
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So choosing to play games a lot is a mental illness? Stfu media.
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If your life goes to shit and u spend all of ur money on video games, ur at fault. Rational choice exists in everyone. Some have more addictive personalities than others but it is [u]always[/u] a choice
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Edited by xcutioner_0: 12/31/2017 12:09:22 AMAddiction is addiction. What makes video games so prominent to have its own little sub category? -_- Doesn't make sense and it feels like gamers are being targeted again. [spoiler]and this is coming from someone who (according to the above statement) has this "illness".[/spoiler]
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How long a day do you game for this to be considered a mental illness?
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I think excessive gaming is an addiction that leads to all types of disorders.
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I’m definitely an addict. I get gaming disc and crush them up and snort them. Sometimes when I can’t get discs I’ll get cartridges and melt them in a spoon and shoot em up. Sometimes I even whore myself out when I get low on money and I need a fix. I think I need help
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AbyssalVoice13Old light coming back to a new world. - old
Personally I feel if they ever come up with a virtual full dive game like in Sword Art Online we would have more of these diagnosis. -
This entire thing is literally just describing addiction. It’s not anything new. You could literally switch the word “game” with “drugs, alcohol, etc” and it would be the exact same. Gaming disorder. What a slap in the face.
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Edited by Aldrich: 12/30/2017 4:13:57 AMHi my name is Aldrich and I have a problem... E: Wait, this isn't 12 step?
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Makes sense to me. Everything in moderation.