The United Nation's World Health Organization has just voted to add "gaming disorder" to their list of officially recognized illnesses. This decision was voted on unanimously by 194 members of the WHO, as part of the eleventh revision to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, which is referred to as by the much easier to remember term, ICD-11. Many companies within the gaming industry strongly opposed the choice, such as the ESA, who claimed that such a classification would only serve to "recklessly trivialize real mental health issues" and that the WHO lacks the proper medical studies to come to such a conclusion.

According to the newly defined illness, the definition of "gaming disorder" is the following:

Gaming disorder is characterized by 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 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.

Gaming disorder is classified under addictive behaviors, next to excessive gambling, with the phrasing of the descriptions even being exactly the same between the two.

Gambling disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gambling behaviour, which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

1. impaired control over gambling (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context);
2. increasing priority given to gambling to the extent that gambling takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and
3. continuation or escalation of gambling despite the occurrence of negative consequences. 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 gambling behaviour may be continuous or episodic and recurrent. The gambling 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.

The Australian Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, essentially that country's branch of the ESA, denounced the classification of over-indulgent gaming as a mental disorder, claiming that "[The IGEA] are concerned they reached their conclusion without the consensus of the academic community". They also believe that parental controls and moderating a balanced amount of playtime is essential, further stating, "the consequences of today's action could be far-reaching, unintended, and to the detriment of those in need of genuine help".

The ICD-11 will go into effect on January 1, 2022.

Source

 

[cots]

I wonder how they class parents who sit their kids down in front of a smart phone or video gaming console for 8 hours a day so they don't have to be a parent so they can spend all day updating their facebook status. Or better yet, how they classify adults who spend all of their free time staring at mobile device to such an extent that they are being killed off for walking in front of cars or getting into car accidents for doing so. Have you looked around at people in a public area lately? What are they all doing? Talk about mental illnesses.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

*cuts off my penis and have surgery to replace it with an open wound I have to stretch out every few hours stop from healing over for the rest of my life*

Not a mental Illness

*Plays videogames a lot*

Is a mental illness.

 

[raxadian]

This is the same people that says that Narcissism is no longer a disease. When loving yourself and only yourself means you don't care about others.

 

[cots]

Well, you do realize that according to the DSM and the WHO everyone (yes, every single person) is somehow mentally ill. It's a good tactic for their business (you know, selling deadly medication, pushing bullshit therapy, shock therapy).

 

[GlitchytheHackermain]

Well. Can't really say much...I think it's kinda stupid.

View attachment 168234​

The United Nation's World Health Organization has just voted to add "gaming disorder" to their list of officially recognized illnesses. This decision was voted on unanimously by 194 members of the WHO, as part of the eleventh revision to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, which is referred to as by the much easier to remember term, ICD-11. Many companies within the gaming industry strongly opposed the choice, such as the ESA, who claimed that such a classification would only serve to "recklessly trivialize real mental health issues" and that the WHO lacks the proper medical studies to come to such a conclusion.

According to the newly defined illness, the definition of "gaming disorder" is the following:



Gaming disorder is classified under addictive behaviors, next to excessive gambling, with the phrasing of the descriptions even being exactly the same between the two.



The Australian Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, essentially that country's branch of the ESA, denounced the classification of over-indulgent gaming as a mental disorder, claiming that "[The IGEA] are concerned they reached their conclusion without the consensus of the academic community". They also believe that parental controls and moderating a balanced amount of playtime is essential, further stating, "the consequences of today's action could be far-reaching, unintended, and to the detriment of those in need of genuine help".

The ICD-11 will go into effect on January 1, 2022.

Source

 

[KingVamp]

As others have pointed out, my problem is that they seem to be arbitrarily singling out gaming.

 

[osaka35]

I mean, it's a good rule of thumb. if you keep doing a personal thing that you don't really want to anymore, and its impacting your ability to do things you'd rather do, that's a problem that should be looked at. I mean... it's kind of a general definition of addiction or that kind of thing, right? why the need for a specialized definition?

 

[cots]

I mean, it's a good rule of thumb. if you keep doing a personal thing that you don't really want to anymore, and its impacting your ability to do things you'd rather do, that's a problem that should be looked at. I mean... it's kind of a general definition of addiction or that kind of thing, right? why the need for a specialized definition?

Probably because it's becoming a major problem. I mean, you can get addicted to anything, but when you have a lot of people becoming addicted to the same thing you'd start to address the problem by labeling it as a mental disorder so you can try to "fix" the problem. Although, I don't think spending thousands of dollars on medication that the doctors admit they have no idea how it actually works and feeding it to your children or having them sit in a room with some moron who thinks they know it all, which will costs you hundreds per hour, to "talk" to your children is any sort of solution. How about, you don't allow your child to sit in front of a video game for 8 hours a day?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

As others have pointed out, my problem is that they seem to be arbitrarily singling out gaming.

They aren't because a lot of people are experiencing negative life consequences due to the same common issue. I mean, they don't single our heroin "just because" - when you have a lot of people suffering due to a single issue you usually single out that issue. If it weren't happening in such a large number of cases then there might be some bias going on if they were singling it out. Say for example, 1% of women who have abortions do so because of incest or rape, while the other 99% do so "just because". When you use the 1% of people as an example you're being pretty bias. In this instance, there are a lot more than 1% of the general video gaming users becoming addicted and it is ruining their way of life.

 

[the_randomizer]

Yes, let's focus on this issue and not other forms of addiction. Nothing new, video games will always be a seemingly worse disease than other addictions

I'll stop once cloud gaming replaces physical games, or, well, yeah, whatever.

 

[cots]

Yes, let's focus on this issue and not other forms of addiction. Nothing new, video games will always be a seemingly worse disease than other addictions

Do you recalls the Mother's Against Ninja Turtles? Nah, I don't think it's as frivolous as that. I mean, look at Internet addiction in general. There are a lot of people who neglect their life and ruin their health so they can sit down in front of a screen all day long. It is a serious issue.

 

[the_randomizer]

Do you recalls the Mother's Against Ninja Turtles?

Not really? But yeah, video games will always be singled out as being the worst possible addiction because "reasons".

 

[cots]

Not really? But yeah, video games will always be singled out as being the worst possible addiction because "reasons".

I don't think it's being portrayed as the worse possible addiction. There's a lot worse addictions that come with a lot worse outcomes than playing video games too much. With that said, the entire "screen time" addiction is a real issue. Have you gone out in public lately and just watched the fat ass population sit on their behinds, stuff fast food down their face and stare at their smart phones? I can recall 20 years ago when you saw someone that was slightly overweight it was a distraction and a big issue as literally no one was obese, and now there are fat lard asses everywhere that can't even physically manage to walk a single city block so they have to call uber, don't cook healthy meals, drink too much coffee and then bitch they have no money left after having to spend the rest of it on pills to make sure they don't die. Too much screen time contributes greatly to this problem and I don't think it's limited to just video games, but they are a big contributing factor.

 

[the_randomizer]

I don't think it's being portrayed as the worse possible addiction. There's a lot worse addictions that come with a lot worse outcomes than playing video games too much. With that said, the entire "screen time" addition is a real issue. Have you gone out in public lately and just watched the fat ass population sit on their behinds, stuff fast food down their face and stare at their smart phones? I can recall 20 years ago when you saw someone that was slightly overweight it was a distraction and a big issue as literally no one was obese, and now there are fat lard asses everywhere that can't even physically manage to walk a single city block so they have to call uber, don't cook healthy meals, drink too much coffee and then bitch they have no money left after having to spend the rest of it on pills to make sure they don't die. Too much screen time contributes greatly to this problem and I don't think it's limited to just video games, but they are a big contributing factor.

And people aren't going to change anything until people who are addicted want to change; no one can force people to give change unless they do it on their own volition.

 

[cots]

And people aren't going to change anything until people who are addicted want to change; no one can force people to give change unless they do it on their own volition.

That's true. If you don't realize you have a problem you're never going to change, which is why, if you label it as a disorder it might help those who suffer from it realize that it is a problem. Although, it also depends on what you consider to be a problem to begin with. If you don't mind not being healthy, not being able to afford basic necessities, not being able to take care of yourself, ending up being homeless, dying young, etc ... than it might not be a problem for you.

 

[the_randomizer]

That's true. If you don't realize you have a problem you're never going to change, which is why, if you label it as a disorder it might help those who suffer from it realize that it is a problem. Although, it also depends on what you consider to be a problem to begin with. If you don't mind not being healthy, not being able to afford basic necessities, not being able to take care of yourself, ending up being homeless, dying young, etc ... than it might not be a problem for you.

I mean, I get it, addiction is hell, I know (long story, don't want to get into it). If people were to tone back their screen time significantly, and took more breaks and were more productive, this wouldn't even be an issue.

 

[dimmidice]

Before you know it we'll have these.


Music disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent Music behaviour (‘digital Music’ or ‘video-Music’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

Movies disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent Movies behaviour (‘digital Movies’ or ‘video-Movies’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

Television disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent Television behaviour (‘digital Television’ or ‘video-Television’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

Bread disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent Bread behaviour (‘digital Bread’ or ‘video-Bread’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

 

[lincruste]

I have it

 

[Dimensional]

This will add fuel for the US Anti-lootbox bill that was just formally presented.

 

[DANTENDO]

If I was a doctor and someone came to me and said I got gaming disorder illness I'd say sorry can't help you ther mayb youl get cured if you play two point hospital

 

[raxadian]

Well, you do realize that according to the DSM and the WHO everyone (yes, every single person) is somehow mentally ill. It's a good tactic for their business (you know, selling deadly medication, pushing bullshit therapy, shock therapy).

Pharma Corps want to sell medicine to everyone, even healthy people, all in the name of profit.