W.H.O. will classify 'Gaming Disorder' as mental illness in 2018

Armenius

Armenius

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"Gaming Disorder" will be added to the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2018 so it can be "tracked and treated properly."

http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/...fy-gaming-disorder-as-mental-illness-in-2018/
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/health/mi...ealth-condition-for-the-first-time/ar-BBH6lY2

This despite the muddled science, controversy and argumentation over studies trying to define the issue over recent years.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris...ce-of-internet-gaming-disorder_b_9405478.html
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._Organization_ICD-11_Gaming_Disorder_proposal

In the MSN article above:
MSN said:
When researchers from ESET polled 500 gamers, they discovered that 10 per cent admitted to spending between 12 and 24 hours glued to their video game screens [a week].

“Gaming is highly addictive, and it is no wonder so many respondents from our study admit to playing them for so long,” said Mark James, a security specialist at ESET.
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upload_2017-12-27_9-42-41.png

Bitch, please. I play video games 3-4 hours a day, and I still socialize in the real world every chance I get.

Seriously, though. How is gaming any different from any other hobby? What about the people who are glued to their phones or tablets during every waking hour?

The ICD description has not yet been published, but these are the extremely vague criteria that have been defined:

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.
I believe this is yet another instance of a problem in search of a solution, plus needing to justify all the research money that has been wasted on the subject for at least the past two decades.

So does this mean that us gamers can now cry "ableism" when we're made fun of, looked down upon or discriminated for our disorder? Can we get disability payments from the government?
 
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/health/video-game-disorder-who/index.html

WHO said that? Who did? Who?


===============

I tell you what I do agree: those first person shooter player games, is the essentially the same game. It's like watching 10 seasons of "Kiefer Sutherland's 24". Same script, same show, different faces. It's tiredsome, same kind of game over and over again. There has to be a strategy change in order to lure the player to continue buying the same game.
 
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hahaha.. yeah it goes with the times. You can't do anything without being given a fucking diagnosis.
When I was younger the rowdy kids were, well rowdy what the fuck. I gamed on my buddys c64 for more than 10 hours a day, then on my own Spectrum 48k. I never got a fucking disorder from it?
I pay my taxes and work like most adults these days and never killed anyone irl.
Fuck these idiots. Really.
 
I think this goes towards the younger generation with no self control and spend hours and months on end even years on years playing the same games without interacting in the world to say the least.
 
Classifying this as a disorder on it's own is rather ridiculous.

This is really just a symptom of someone having an addictive personality and using gaming in a detrimental manner instead of drugs or gambling.

I knew a guy that lost his job because he couldn't stop playing WoW due to the fact that he would frequently show up late or call in. He also had several other related, addictive personality, issues however.
 
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Yeah Pfizer will probably market a disassociation drug to get people to stop playing Dota 2 and PUBG.
 
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Sonicks said:
Classifying this as a disorder on it's own is rather ridiculous.

This is really just a symptom of someone having an addictive personality and using gaming in a detrimental manner instead of drugs or gambling.

I knew a guy that lost his job because he couldn't stop playing WoW due to the fact that he would frequently show up late or call in. He also had several other related, addictive personality, issues however.
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It seems pointless to classify anything that isn't putting chemicals in your body because it has nothing to do with the actual activity. If gaming didn't exist they would be addicted to something else. Just call it non-chemical addiction or something. There are people that would be addicted to twiddling their thumbs if they couldn't be addicted to something else.
 
I would say that the folks in China or Korea who play games for dozens of hours straight and die of exhaustion probably have a disorder for sure. That is probably more just obsessive/addictive behavior in general, though.
 
Agree with all these statements. Addiction is addiction, though I'd also agree with the above in that it should be classified chemical and non-chemical. (though if we get right down to it it's ALL chemical, because it all stimulates the chemical flow in our brains)

I have what I'd call a medium-level addictive personality. I wouldn't say I'm at risk for anything bad, but I would say that I have to keep an eye on myself. I've been through some bad habits in my life, and also several that have had a positive impact. If I like doing something, then I tend to go to mid-extremes. A positive example would be analog electronic design. I really enjoy it, enjoy building the things I create, etc. Where I have to watch it, is not letting it cut too much into my time with my family, because I do tend to get carried away. I also love video games, and will play for extended periods, but nothing like where people are reaching exhaustion levels, neglecting work, family, or life in general.

I also love to socialize, I love to have drinks at bars with my wife, and enjoy them on the higher side of most of our circle of friends, but not to where I have hangovers, or couldn't go to work either and be effective.

There are fine lines in these levels, many people aren't aware of where those lines lie, but I don't think it's up to a global health organization to slap labels all over things that have so many outlying influences, could be mistaken for other more deep-seated issues, or possibly impact those who do not exhibit ANY negative side effects. Any sort of affliction that someone may have should be addressed on an individual basis. Also, one thing that I don't think the general public has realized over what, several... thousand years... is that if someone doesn't want to be helped, they can't really be helped, and it's the ones that need it most that generally don't think they want or need it. So how does slapping a few more labels on all of this help ANYONE AT ALL?
 
MavericK said:
I would say that the folks in China or Korea who play games for dozens of hours straight and die of exhaustion probably have a disorder for sure. That is probably more just obsessive/addictive behavior in general, though.
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Could very well be the case. It could also be a difference in culture, living conditions, quality of life, etc. where any time escaping from something else is preferable. Though with gaming in particular, we're not usually talking about low-third world conditions. It would probably be the sorts of hours people work and go to school in those cultures to where they're already burned out, then go to their favorite escape, which unexpectedly (to them) burns them out even further... As with anything, balance (to the degree that it can actually be achieved) is key. It's not always possible though. Some cultures are a little too lax, some are way too stressed out. One way or the other, that's not going to last too long.
 
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J3RK said:
Agree with all these statements. Addiction is addiction, though I'd also agree with the above in that it should be classified chemical and non-chemical. (though if we get right down to it it's ALL chemical, because it all stimulates the chemical flow in our brains)
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There is no need for additional classification. Addictive personality is a well defined disorder on it's own already. It's not limited to abusing chemical substances.

We are all in this thread and coming at it from an unaffected point of view, none of us suffer from true addiction (definitely not to video games at least...), so we have no real frame of reference here. Anecdotal evidence such as "I play a lot of games and I have a functioning social and personal life" is meaningless as we don't think or are wired like someone who truly does have an addictive gaming behavior.

I understand where you're coming from with your description of your mild addictive personality but that doesn't compare to how some people will pursue their vice to the point of absolute negligence of everything else. We aren't wired like those people are.
 
Sonicks said:
There is no need for additional classification. Addictive personality is a well defined disorder on it's own already. It's not limited to abusing chemical substances.

We are all in this thread and coming at it from an unaffected point of view, none of us suffer from true addiction (definitely not to video games at least...), so we have no real frame of reference here. Anecdotal evidence such as "I play a lot of games and I have a functioning social and personal life" is meaningless as we don't think or are wired like someone who truly does have an addictive gaming behavior.

I understand where you're coming from with your description of your mild addictive personality but that doesn't compare to how some people will pursue their vice to the point of absolute negligence of everything else. We aren't wired like those people are.
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I agree with that. I've also had my moments where things were a bit more detrimental than they should have been, but yes, you're correct in that I didn't lose a job over it, or kill someone, or neglect family or myself to my own demise, etc. All I mean by that, is I've had glimpses into it, and have known people personally who did go too far, hit rock bottom etc. I'd say I have more perspective than average on that, but I agree. Not an expert. I haven't been to those depths myself, and definitely don't understand them fully.
 
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Well this should answer any questions one might have had about their qualifications on matters.
 
DrLobotomy said:
The grey matters between their ears.:geek:
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If only that was true of more people. :D (people being qualified in such matter) We only have to look at the raging battle in the recent UFO thread to know this isn't the case though. :dead:
 
I mean if you emmerse yourself too hard, that can lead to mental deficiencies at the very least.

Kids ned to develop socially, they wont do that properly if they are gamng all day. So that part is certainly true.

As a grown ars man that already went through that stage of development and can hold a job, gaming is less or a potential mental problem.
 
LGBboy said:
I mean if you emmerse yourself too hard, that can lead to mental deficiencies at the very least.

Kids ned to develop socially, they wont do that properly if they are gamng all day. So that part is certainly true.

As a grown ars man that already went through that stage of development and can hold a job, gaming is less or a potential mental problem.
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I've said this same thing before, but I'll say it again. I spent COUNTLESS hours in front of my C64 as a kid. I mean, REALLY a lot of time. It was probably my favorite possession. We also lived on 5 acres in the woods backed up on old unused logging roads though. So I had forest to play in, roads to ride bikes, motorcycles and other contraptions on. There weren't a lot of other kids that lived within 5 miles from me, but I had a decent set of friends (if a bit small) and luckily they all had C64s too :D I also preferred the company of my parents' friends more than kids my age. Anyway, my parents would periodically kick me off my C64, and I'd go play outside usually with my brother, or alone, fly down those roads on a dirt bike, or whatever, I'd probably be at a friend's house every other weekend or so. Overall I was fairly solitary, and would still gravitate back to my C64. I played with other kids at school, but wasn't what I'd call overly social, and pretty much hated high-school until I bailed on it with running start. So, not hugely social, mostly solitary, and glued to my computers (C64, Amiga, PC, etc.) When I hit around 18-19 though and started working, I got a lot more social, started going out (it was the 90s after all, so you know, raves, clubs, etc.) I kinda swung the other way toward being almost TOO social, so that had to mellow out a bit. By my early 20s, I was pretty much a rougher around the edges version of who I am now, and pretty well balanced and happy. So, in my estimation despite the technology, despite the solitary childhood, despite not being social in high-school I turned out ok. I go out, have a pretty decent sized circle of good friends, enjoy family life, still party once in a while.

Sorry for the life-story there, but what I'm getting at is that it REALLY does come straight down to the individual, and that individual's own makeup and environment. I was a pretty odd kid, (still am a bit odd admittedly :D ) but getting along just fine in society. And did a hell of a lot of gaming as a kid. (though I did have a nice place to break out of that when my parents made me too) What many now might call "addictive" levels of gaming. Sure my parents tempered that a bit, but I'd be at that thing into the wee hours of the night, unless I got caught. :D
 
J3RK said:
I've said this same thing before, but I'll say it again. I spent COUNTLESS hours in front of my C64 as a kid. I mean, REALLY a lot of time. It was probably my favorite possession. We also lived on 5 acres in the woods backed up on old unused logging roads though. So I had forest to play in, roads to ride bikes, motorcycles and other contraptions on. There weren't a lot of other kids that lived within 5 miles from me, but I had a decent set of friends (if a bit small) and luckily they all had C64s too :D I also preferred the company of my parents' friends more than kids my age. Anyway, my parents would periodically kick me off my C64, and I'd go play outside usually with my brother, or alone, fly down those roads on a dirt bike, or whatever, I'd probably be at a friend's house every other weekend or so. Overall I was fairly solitary, and would still gravitate back to my C64. I played with other kids at school, but wasn't what I'd call overly social, and pretty much hated high-school until I bailed on it with running start. So, not hugely social, mostly solitary, and glued to my computers (C64, Amiga, PC, etc.) When I hit around 18-19 though and started working, I got a lot more social, started going out (it was the 90s after all, so you know, raves, clubs, etc.) I kinda swung the other way toward being almost TOO social, so that had to mellow out a bit. By my early 20s, I was pretty much a rougher around the edges version of who I am now, and pretty well balanced and happy. So, in my estimation despite the technology, despite the solitary childhood, despite not being social in high-school I turned out ok. I go out, have a pretty decent sized circle of good friends, enjoy family life, still party once in a while.

Sorry for the life-story there, but what I'm getting at is that it REALLY does come straight down to the individual, and that individual's own makeup and environment. I was a pretty odd kid, (still am a bit odd admittedly :D ) but getting along just fine in society. And did a hell of a lot of gaming as a kid. (though I did have a nice place to break out of that when my parents made me too) What many now might call "addictive" levels of gaming. Sure my parents tempered that a bit, but I'd be at that thing into the wee hours of the night, unless I got caught. :D
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Agreed... there is more to social development than just gaming. Parents play a huge role and in my opinion the individual plays a huge role too.

I dont know if I would be a more social person if I had not grown up gaming all the time and using it as an escape. What I do know is that I am highly antisocial and actually quite happy living that way, because I cans still interact with people normally to work on a cause that gives me fulfillment.

But you never stop wondering if you could have become a 'normal' person that loves being around people... In my personal opinion and belief, there is only one path you will ever walk an that one is the only one that matters.
 
Comixbooks said:
I think this goes towards the younger generation with no self control and spend hours and months on end even years on years playing the same games without interacting in the world to say the least.
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Recent studies show most middle age men are spending more time gaming rather than working or finding a job...gaming is def. a problem. But whats next, social media addition for all the twitter twits on it all day..
 
Just another disorder for the drug companies to make pills for & make millions. Afterwards, years later we'll find out that the pills make you grow an arm out of your butt.
 
Comixbooks said:
If gaming is a disease E-sports must be a full blown addiction that needs immediate medical attention.

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lol that clip never gets old. Some kids have no restraint.
Similar to any sport, odd how the millionaire football players get a slap on the wrist typically for violence or aggression but gamer's are diseased.
 
Ripskin said:
lol that clip never gets old. Some kids have no restraint.
Similar to any sport, odd how the millionaire football players get a slap on the wrist typically for violence or aggression but gamer's are diseased.
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Yeah definitely want to slowly expand on some good titles. It's definitely not Disease, a lot more are just having better Hardware now and there is no limits hardly on anything that can be ran, compared to how it was.
 
Comixbooks said:
I think this goes towards the younger generation with no self control and spend hours and months on end even years on years playing the same games without interacting in the world to say the least.
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Yeah the "younger" generation. Not those guys that played ultima/everquest and runescape 17 hours a day. Definitely those youngins XD.
 
This reminds me of a news report a few years ago where the head shrinkers organization of america or whatever had decided that anyone not over the death of a loved one after a week was clinically depressed.
 
If you can't go a few days with out touching your computer(non work basis), you have a problem. Enough said. And hey, IMHO there are worse things to be addicted to in life. But you're still addicted.

I mean throughout high school, Counter-Strike was like crack for me. Was I addicted to it? HELL YES! And I'll be the first to say it. Along with other games, like WOW, ESO, Diablo and more. But at the end of the day, I was able to finish high school and college with out a problem. You can't possibly state this is the case for everyone who plays games for long periods of time. You just can't.

It's just like anything else, when you put your addiction first above priorities and responsibilities, there is an issue at hand.
 
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Eshelmen said:
If you can't go a few days with out touching your computer(non work basis), you have a problem. Enough said. And hey, IMHO there are worse things to be addicted to in life. But you're still addicted.

I mean throughout high school, Counter-Strike was like crack for me. Was I addicted to it? HELL YES! And I'll be the first to say it. Along with other games, like WOW, ESO, Diablo and more. But at the end of the day, I was able to finish high school and college with out a problem. You can't possibly state this is the case for everyone who plays games for long periods of time. You just can't.

It's just like anything else, when you put your addiction first above priorities and responsibilities, there is an issue at hand.
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I almost agree with you. It really depends entirely on who you are, what your life situation is, what you've already accomplished in life, whether or not you really actually need to be doing something else with that time, whether or not your health is suffering, etc.

For example. (and obviously it's extreme, and hugely a minority possibility, but...) Let's just say you love games. You also accomplished a lot in life early on. You built your own startup, got filthy rich, aren't a social person, don't need to work anymore, and are perfectly happy doing your own thing, you still eat, and get outside once in a while, but play 12 hours of games a day. That's not really what I would call an "issue" at that point.

That's just an example to illustrate my point. You can't define something as an "issue" across the board. I'll grant you that in most cases, that could and very well may be an issue, but it really depends.

I personally have a couple of very big time sinking hobbies. I don't let them get in the way of family life, work life, or my social time (though I'm perfectly fine being a hermit more often than not :D ) I'm also in pretty good shape, my wife and kids are happy, I perform well at work, own a house, cars, etc. However, I can dump some SERIOUS time into these hobbies. Not every day, but very long stretches, and how many days in a row varies.

What I'm saying is, you can't define an addiction by time alone. IMO something else needs to be suffering, and you have to have lost control to some degree. I can't go more than a couple of days without doing my job, but would you call me addicted? No, I have to do it. (well, at least in order to maintain how I like to live) I've worked on my hobbies, or played games for 24 hours straight on rare occasions. I enjoy them, but I wouldn't call it addiction. I'd prefer not to go for more than a day or two without playing, working on hobbies, or doing other things I enjoy, but I suppose I COULD if I HAD to. Does that mean I'm borderline? No, that means I do what I want to do.

I like to have a couple glasses of whiskey every couple of days or so. I wouldn't call myself an alcoholic, but that's probably above average.

Anyway, there are WAY more factors in determining addiction. It can't be simplified down to X amount of hours doing this or that.

I agree with your last statement though, but that completely varies. I wouldn't call something a problem until it has a negative impact. Sure, it may not be viewed in the most positive light by some cross section of society, but unless you're hurting yourself, others, or your family life is suffering, or you're losing your job or something, I wouldn't call it a problem.

Some people might frown on playing games a few hours a day. Some might think it's perfectly acceptable. Who gets to say which is correct? I refuse to let some "organization" tell me whether what I'm doing is unhealthy. I'll determine that for myself. (however, I'll grant you that some people aren't necessarily qualified to make their own decisions :D )

Edit: Also, there are some cases where I'd say a gaming addiction might be a healthier alternative to other activities that one might get involved in depending on their life situation. Say, maybe inner city sub-poverty-line youths for example. Maybe playing games all day is better than joining a gang and committing heavy crimes.

Maybe someone who's been injured is better off keeping their mind working with games than vegging out to television or mentally checking out.

Maybe someone with a form of autism learns some social skills by interacting with others on a less intimidating level.

Just things off the top of my head.

I know that real addiction exists on a huge scale. Some people have zero control once they hit a certain point. I just think it needs to be evaluated per case. Not defined in strict terms by some self-appointed organization.

There are people with real problems. Then there are people that may exhibit similar tendencies that really don't fall under the same category, yet are seen to be the same because some group said so.

Edit Edit: I have been on the C=(rack) before though. Much like your Counterstrike crack... I was absolutely glued to my C=64 as a kid. :D (I did have a few friends though to knock down my door just to play with it however, so I guess that's good...)
 
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Eshelmen said:
If you can't go a few days with out touching your computer(non work basis), you have a problem. Enough said. And hey, IMHO there are worse things to be addicted to in life. But you're still addicted.
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And how do you decide that? What if I have no reason not to touch the computer? There were probably no day in the last 10 years where I didn't touch my computer when I was home. Does that make me addicted? No it doesn't, because I'm always in full control. I choose to do it because I prefer to do it, as opposed to some people flipping on the radio or the tv. If all it takes to be addicted to do something repeatedly then everything is an addiction that people do regularly. If I exercise 10 hours a week, then am I addicted to exercise? That's just bullshit. Addiction is when you get physical discomfort if you don't get your fix. I never had that, not even when I was away from home and thus the computer / gaming for months. Just because it is my favorite past time and I spend a great chunk of my free time on a computer doesn't mean I'm addicted to it and I'm not in full control of my actions.
 
M76 said:
And how do you decide that? What if I have no reason not to touch the computer? There were probably no day in the last 10 years where I didn't touch my computer when I was home. Does that make me addicted? No it doesn't, because I'm always in full control. I choose to do it because I prefer to do it, as opposed to some people flipping on the radio or the tv. If all it takes to be addicted to do something repeatedly then everything is an addiction that people do regularly. If I exercise 10 hours a week, then am I addicted to exercise? That's just bullshit. Addiction is when you get physical discomfort if you don't get your fix. I never had that, not even when I was away from home and thus the computer / gaming for months. Just because it is my favorite past time and I spend a great chunk of my free time on a computer doesn't mean I'm addicted to it and I'm not in full control of my actions.
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I think you're misconstruing the idea of addiction. As if being addicted is based on one level of severity. It's a bit more complex than that I'm afraid. As J3rk pointed out, it's situational. Are you the most addicted person out there on their computer? No, you're not. And that's great. But the temptation of being on your computer daily(at home) is clearly taking over your interests from finding something else to do with that time spent over the last ten years.


And yes, in my opinion everyone is at least slightly addicted towards something.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_addiction
 
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Eshelmen said:
Well for one, how do you know you're NOT addicted when you've literally just stated you've been on your computer at least once a day(at home) for the last ten years? Lol.

Go two weeks with out touching it(at home), and let me know if you still feel "in control"...

Yes, you're addicted to being on your computer(at home). And that's okay! But don't lie to yourself about it my friend.
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You just ignored all my arguments. By that definition I'm even more addicted to eating or bathing because I do those things even when I'm not at home.
 
M76 said:
You just ignored all my arguments. By that definition I'm even more addicted to eating or bathing because I do those things even when I'm not at home.
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You sound irritated. Which is a sign of addiction :p
 
Eshelmen said:
You sound irritated. Which is a sign of addiction :p
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Yes, it irritates me when someone says something unsubstantiated then after faced with a rebuttal their tactic is to ignore it entirely and continue as if their original assertion is still completely unchallenged.
 
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