Experts oppose video game addiction designation
Posted by Tom Warren on 25 June 2007 - 11:28 · 23 comments & 8192 views
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Full name: Tom Warren
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Full name: Tom Warren
Forum name: creamhackered
Contact: via forum PM
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(1 reply)
#3 Posted by Tzimisce on 25 Jun 2007 - 12:44
- YAY! Another one to add to the books! But, what can they prescribe for this?
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#3.1 Posted by mikebiacsi on 25 Jun 2007 - 12:47
- Remove the power cable from the computer? Ummm dunno lol.
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(2 replies)
#5 Posted by
neufuse on 25 Jun 2007 - 12:56
- whats next? excessive activity is a disorder? excessive sleep is a disorder... excessive moving is a disorder... excessive talking is a disorder... excessive eating is a disorder.... excessive breathing is a disorder.... heck with how many disorders are out there now everyone should have at least one
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#5.1 Posted by Croquant on 25 Jun 2007 - 13:11
- The AMA makes it's money by treating "sick" people: Ergo, the more "sick" people there are, the more money they make. And the pharmaceutical industry loves them for it.
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#5.2 Posted by BigBoy on 25 Jun 2007 - 13:53
- Quote - (Croquant said @ #5.1)The AMA makes it's money by treating "sick" people: Ergo, the more "sick" people there are, the more money they make. And the pharmaceutical industry loves them for it.
Bingo. They are producing "disorders" on the daily basis anyway, together with drugs to "treat them". A great business model. Kind of like if the anti virus software company was writing viruses.
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(3 replies)
#6 Posted by OblivionStalker on 25 Jun 2007 - 15:39
- Well, the doctors think the gamers are mental ill because they play games every day (hour). Is it better to sit on the bed all day? Man,,,,, these people are just simply trying to destroy the gaming world just like the pope who said that killing people on the PC is bad. Who are they and he to told when they were all playing Mario and Galactica when they were young?
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#6.1 Posted by eAi on 25 Jun 2007 - 17:46
- The alternative to playing games every day (hour), is to Get Out More, not sit in bed... This could be your problem.
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#6.2 Posted by NWO_Br0THeRHo0D on 25 Jun 2007 - 23:10
- Quote - (eAi said @ #1)The alternative to playing games every day (hour), is to Get Out More, not sit in bed... This could be your problem.
then you have Real life addiction could be considered a mental illness. -
#6.3 Posted by QuarterSwede on 26 Jun 2007 - 21:15
- Video game addiction isn't a myth. I remember reading a story of an Asian man who played a MMORPG so long he eventually died of starvation because he refused to turn the game off and take a break. I read another (several) of men who became addicted to playing Everquest and ruined their marriage and family life.
Anyone can become addicted to anything. It doesn't mean you have a mental disorder. Scientists (and people) just like to slap labels on things so they can feel like they've accomplished something.
Healthline defines addiction as "a physical or mental dependence on a behavior or substance that a person feels powerless to stop." I would add that the dependance or behavior is damaging to oneself or others.
I have personal friend that was addicted to video games until he made the choice to get rid of them altogether because they were too much of a temptation to have around. Most of the time people don't want to cut out what is damaging to them. They made him a non-socialite and very depressed. Now he's very sociable and is very happy. He just knows that he can never play video games.
I find addictions interesting because what one person might be easily addicted to another may have no problem with.
Last edited by QuarterSwede on 26 Jun 2007 - 21:28
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#7 Posted by RAID 0 on 25 Jun 2007 - 17:03
- Well, the way the TFA describes an "addiction"... I'm addicted to women, driving fast, going to parties, having fun, etc....
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#8 Posted by sanctified on 25 Jun 2007 - 17:20
- This cant be considered as a formal disorder. If they want to be so technical then everything can be considered an addiction, but its not possible since we know about the obssesive/compulsive disorder. I repeat, gaming its not a pathology by itself.
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#9 Posted by OPaul on 25 Jun 2007 - 18:33
- Well gambling is also considered a disorder in DSM-IV. So if they can include that, then gaming is no different IMO. However, I don't think gambling should be included... so neither should gaming.
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#10 Posted by webeagle12 on 25 Jun 2007 - 20:51
- next : Forum disorder
make sure they will add Neowin in top 5
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#11 Posted by Budious on 25 Jun 2007 - 20:52
- I want disability pay for what I do best, sitting on my ass and playing games! If it means sympathy and free money, sure I'm an addict.
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#12 Posted by Spartan_X on 25 Jun 2007 - 21:39
- in other news Paris Hilton is going out of jail today...
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(1 reply)
#13 Posted by Jbenisek on 26 Jun 2007 - 00:22
- I would have to say that fishing should also be added to the list, I know a lot of older men that have I'm sure the same brain reaction to fishing that they need, want and have to fish mainly away from their wife. I'm not one of those, I would rather play a video game than fish, my wife plays video games too so it is more health then say going out and working on the car by myself like others I know. So maybe working on cars should be added to this list, while we are at it I think hunting might need added, oh wait alot of people enjoy eatting as a hobby.
this is my thought, lets find what these Doctors enjoy doing and then say because you enjoy it, we think you should stop, you might get addicted. -
#13.1 Posted by +mrbester on 26 Jun 2007 - 09:49
- Golf is a popular pursuit of the medical profession. It's also a stupid game that is a "long walk wasted" (Mark Twain) and annexes great swathes of countryside that could be enjoyed by all for elitist ****s to ponce about in highly unfashionable clothing massaging their egos.
How about self-aggrandising promotion of a non-scientific branch of "medicine": psychiatry?
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#15 Posted by Primetime2006 on 26 Jun 2007 - 04:45
- So there's choice:
Pretend to murder, do drugs, and drink on the PS3.
OR quit playing games....
and then actually go out and do it.
Which is one of a problem I wonder.
End sarcasm.
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#16 Posted by EJocys on 26 Jun 2007 - 15:03
- Yeah, we all sick because we all addicted to good life.
If someone plays games until dies from dehydration, then this person is just simple stupid. There is no cure from stupidity except education. All these excuses will create even bigger army of weak-willed sissy morons. Parents must tell children that without water you will be "disconnected" from your game after 3 days forever so you can make smart choice if you want to play longer. Human beings belong to the mammalian species "Homo sapiens" (Latin: "wise man" ). It means that we are wise enough to make smart decisions which can save our life but goes against things we want. Our ability to think and make life saving choice even if we don't like it is what separates humans from animals (who mostly act purely on instincts). Event smart dogs can be trained to restrict themselves from things they would like to do but seems like some humans are wiling to give up "Homo sapiens" title.
Last edited by EJocys on 27 Jun 2007 - 13:52
Addiction experts also strongly opposed the idea at a debate at the American Medical Association's annual meeting. They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games--a problem that affects about 10 percent of players--could 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," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
A committee of the influential physicians' group had proposed 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.
Such a move would ease the path for insurance coverage of video game addiction.