Video game addiction 'not mental illness'

[chris1gati]

Doctors backed away from a controversial proposal to designate video-game addiction as a mental disorder akin to alcoholism on Sunday, saying psychiatrists should study the issue further.

 

 

 

Addiction experts strongly opposed the idea at a debate held at the American Medical Association's (AMA) annual meeting. They said further study is needed before excessive use of video and online games ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ a problem estimated to affect about 10% of players ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ can be considered a mental illness.

 

 

 

"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance-abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," says Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, US.

 

 

 

A committee had proposed that video-game addiction be listed as a mental disorder in the American Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by the American Psychiatric Association in diagnosing mental illness.

 

Gamers Anonymous?

 

 

 

Such a move would ease the path for insurance coverage of video-game addiction. But, even before debate on the subject began, the committee that made the proposal backed away from its position, instead recommending that the American Psychiatric Association consider the change when it revises its next diagnostic manual in five years time.

 

 

 

While occasional use of video games is harmless and may even help with some disorders like autism, some doctors say in extreme cases it can interfere with day-to-day necessities like working, showering and even eating.

 

 

 

"Working with this problem is no different than working with alcoholic patients," says Thomas Allen of the Osler Medical Center in Maryland, US. "The same denial, the same rationalization, the same inability to give it up."

 

 

 

But Louis Kraus of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and a psychiatrist at Rush University Medical Center, says it is not yet clear whether video games are addictive.

 

 

 

"It's not necessarily a cause-and-effect type issue," Kraus says. "There may be certain kids who have a compulsive component to what they are doing." (see Hooked: Why your brain is primed for addiction)

 

Social deficit

 

 

 

Addictive or not, too much time spent playing video games takes away from other important activities.

 

 

 

"The more time kids spend on video games, the less time they will have socialising, the less time they will have with their families, the less time they will have exercising," Kraus says. "They can make up academic deficits, but they can't make up the social ones."

 

 

 

The AMA committee will consider the testimony and make a final recommendation to delegates who will vote on the matter later this week.

 

 

 

The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the $30 billion global video-game industry, said more research is needed before video-game addiction should be categorized as a mental disorder.

[Giordano]

Don't they know you can be addicted to everything?

[chris1gati]

Heh. There just trying to find an excuse to pull the plug on video games.

 

 

 

Computer entertainment people are most opposed to this new hopefull.

 

 

 

Good thing it was put down. A lot of people would be having a bad time. :P

 

 

 

I heard this on the radio [91.3 WLRN] yesterday, and just thought to put it up now.

 

 

 

>.<

[malo2]

It obviously is not an addiction, its a simple and a natural state of mind to want to do something you like over and over again. Of course, you should do something about it if you can't stop, it's just not a disorder.

[vladmoney]

there are symptoms of withdrawl with video game addicts, so you have to consider that. But overall I think they are overplaying it, I think video game addiction is more of a strong want than a must.

[adam_ross0]

All they're doing is finding a way to put strict limits on Video Games..it's [developmentally delayed]ed. You can be addicted to anything. But putting Video Games up there with Alcohol?! Alcohol addiction can kill you..destroy your mind...actually harm you. Video Games can do nothing of the sort..except in extreme special cases.

[sephiroth_king]

All they're doing is finding a way to put strict limits on Video Games..it's [developmentally delayed]. You can be addicted to anything. But putting Video Games up there with Alcohol?! Alcohol addiction can kill you..destroy your mind...actually harm you. Video Games can do nothing of the sort..except in extreme special cases.

 

 

 

Weeeeeeelllllllllll.........

 

 

 

Actually, all video game creators do say that it harms the brain if you play too much. I agree, it kinda makes you dumber if you play them like a drug obsession. However, I play them a lot, and have to admit I'm smarter then the 99.9% of kids whom are X-Box or PS3 obsessed idiots at my school (No, truly they are, as they will skip school to play it at times).

 

 

 

Video games are fun; it's just the 10% of kids and adults who are lazy [wagon] and sit in their homes and do nothing but that, pretend their sick from school or work to play them, etc. It's quite sad anyone would do that imo.

[Lionheart_0]

Addiction to anything is a mental illness (not always bad to the extreme like some think). Video games do get addicting to some people, and to the point where they can become harmful. Addiction to video games should be labeled as a mental illness, but only to a certain level. If you come home from school and play games from the very second you enter the room to 4 am the next day, every day at that, then obviously there is a problem. But if you play for 3-5 hours, and still do stuff that is considered "normal" then you cannot be addicted and therefore, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

 

 

Remember, everything in moderation.

[Karmastocracy]

Somebody acually already posted this in another one of the forums. You can really spin anything into an addicting so it's not even worth anything.

[Striker6]

All they're doing is finding a way to put strict limits on Video Games..it's [developmentally delayed]. You can be addicted to anything. But putting Video Games up there with Alcohol?! Alcohol addiction can kill you..destroy your mind...actually harm you. Video Games can do nothing of the sort..except in extreme special cases.

 

 

 

Weeeeeeelllllllllll.........

 

 

 

Actually, all video game creators do say that it harms the brain if you play too much. I agree, it kinda makes you dumber if you play them like a drug obsession. However, I play them a lot, and have to admit I'm smarter then the 99.9% of kids whom are X-Box or PS3 obsessed idiots at my school (No, truly they are, as they will skip school to play it at times).

 

 

 

Video games are fun; it's just the 10% of kids and adults who are lazy [wagon] and sit in their homes and do nothing but that, pretend their sick from school or work to play them, etc. It's quite sad anyone would do that imo.

 

 

 

Anything that you do too much has health consequences if you really think about it.