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]

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

Yes, and they use doctors to to accomplish this with. Have you ever been on any psych meds? Did you pay attention when they told you "We're not exactly sure what this stuff does to your brain" ??? Did you happen to see the average price before your insurance picks up the rest (usually $2,000 USD a month for 30 pills on newer meds). I rather skip the fact that my kid might lose his liver function, destroy his thyroid, fuck up his heart, pay for the medication all for the sake of making some asshole rich and just limit my children's playtime.

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

I don't think gambling, in any form, is a healthy habit. It's surely not beneficial to you financially. Instead of outlawing the practice game companies should just stick to what works instead of catering to morons who can't play the game or think that by cheating they are somehow winning. I suppose a law would force this to happen, but I don't think it's the governments job to tell people what do put in their video games. Normal people should just realize that the practice is just using them for profit and doesn't benefit them in any way, shape or form.

 

[Deleted User]

Can't wait for parents who think their kids are addicted to bring them to hospitals for treatment, even though the kids aren't actually addicted. Cough cough *my parent*
Pretty much I play a lot of video games when I have free time. Probably the entire day. But if something needs to be done, chores, shopping, maybe take a walk, I will. But because I spend most of my free time playing a video game, my parent thinks that I'm addicted. Despite the fact that I go to school (some people intentionally play hooky, which I don't) I do go outside on the occasion, and my parent has the severe misconception that I don't socialize since I don't go do things the old fashion way of actually meeting people outside of the house as often, and because it can't happen if you don't hear it kind of mentality, so she also thinks that I'm anti social... and don't socialize enough even though anti social behavior is more in line of being a full blown asshole, and I socialize with friends with text over discord and my phone. I prefer text over phone calls.

 

[DarthDub]

We live in a clown world..

 

[AbyssalMonkey]

I think it'd be more helpful to make a template addiction and stop caring what it is the person in question is addicted to. People can be addicted to anything that exists, frankly.

This is the real sane answer. The DSM designates by design that a mental disorder/illness is only something that interrupts your life and prevents you from functioning as a general member of society. It was designed to be a flexible measure of thumb so as to be forethoughtful on any new unforeseen issues that people may experience, now or in the future. This is the reason why you don't diagnose someone who has no friends with a disorder if they can functionally make a living. This is why "night owls", who eschew the standard "active during the day" paradigm, are not considered to have a disorder; it does not prevent them from living a life to a sufficient quality.

The specification of Video Games is shortsighted and flawed in this respect. It narrows in on one specific medium instead of broadening it to media consumption in general. General Anxiety Disorder and Depression are often comorbid, but are diagnosed as two different disorders because they exhibit their damage on the person in different ways. Video games are very likely not distinguishable from other media driven addictions, but the singling out of them is a disservice to the rest of the category which may or may not exist.

It's moves like this one and the recognition of traditional chinese medicine, both of which have very shaky scientific foundations or even scientifically proven to have no or negative effects that are making me seriously doubt the efficacy of the WHO as a whole. The organization is seemingly moved more by politics than as a body for the betterment of health.

 

[chrisrlink]

shouldn't piracy addiction be one too some can't stop besides the legal risk and "pulling the plug" could make things much worse for the pirate addict i bet it can go as far as suicide attempts if the withdraw is severe enough, when my bi polar was severe enough i thought killing cops and getting killed myself was far better than 5-15 years prison time

 

[the_randomizer]

Addiction is a means of someone attempting to fill some kind of "void' that can't be filled, it enslaves the mind and is a literal palpable hell to go through. These kinds of things need therapy, not having to medication

 

[FAST6191]

Addiction is a means of someone attempting to fill some kind of "void' that can't be filled, it enslaves the mind and is a literal palpable hell to go through. These kinds of things need therapy, not having to medication

While therapy of some form is likely to be a part of treatment why are we ruling out medications? Even assuming it is not an underlying condition exacerbating it (say a nice crippling chemical depression, the treatment of which might go a long way to helping here) then given the profound effects chemicals can have on the mind to then exclude them as a possibility here seems remarkably odd as a thing to do.

 

[HarveyHouston]

(frantically mashes buttons on controller) Gotta... keep... playing! Must win! MUST WIN!
(thirty-six hours later, I'm still sitting there) MUST WIN!!!

What I find interesting is that gaming is compared to gambling. I think the real issue here is that anything can become addictive to a person, to the point of exclusion. Even before computers, there were such people. It's either gotten worse, or people are noticing it more.

 

[cots]

While therapy of some form is likely to be a part of treatment why are we ruling out medications? Even assuming it is not an underlying condition exacerbating it (say a nice crippling chemical depression, the treatment of which might go a long way to helping here) then given the profound effects chemicals can have on the mind to then exclude them as a possibility here seems remarkably odd as a thing to do.

Most Doctors who prescribe pysch meds will openly admit to you they have no clue what they actually do and if you look at the side effects, which in all reality, are very common (opposed to aspirin, per say) you should really consider medication, well, psych meds, as a last resort. I know someone in particular who is struggling with serious mental problems and has lost most of his thyroid function, his blood levels are all out of whack and got permanent heart problems from trying different psych meds throughout the years, none of which have helped.

 

[FAST6191]

Most Doctors who prescribe pysch meds will openly admit to you they have no clue what they actually do and if you look at the side effects, which in all reality, are very common (opposed to aspirin, per say) you should really consider medication, well, psych meds, as a last resort.

I would agree that if things can be sorted with some talking and lifestyle changes that such things are preferable in many cases. In others they can more reliably, more quickly or more effectively achieve results so it could be the call of a medic -- there is a reason the tend to require people capable of prescribing them to spend many years learning some seriously hard stuff. I also take great issue with the approaches favoured in the US here, both in terms of people being sent to therapy that don't really warrant it and the fetish that some there seem to have for meds, but that does not mean either are of no use.

Similarly as far as "actually do" then the same for most meds of any stripe. It is only in recent years that atomic level modelling of interactions of drugs and their target (never mind interactions with other things) has been achieved, and even then it is still not done as the computation required is immense. However I deal in end results and profound results can be achieved with them, and effects in most cases known or predicted, interactions with other common medications or classes thereof also known or predicted and tested for. To that end dismissing things for such a reason seems short sighted. Likely in the future more science will make for more tailored results and better outcomes but for the meantime we get to deal with what we have and work from there.

 

[the_randomizer]

While therapy of some form is likely to be a part of treatment why are we ruling out medications? Even assuming it is not an underlying condition exacerbating it (say a nice crippling chemical depression, the treatment of which might go a long way to helping here) then given the profound effects chemicals can have on the mind to then exclude them as a possibility here seems remarkably odd as a thing to do.

Cost could be an issue, insurance, some medications can have adverse side effects. Best to use medications if therapy doesn't work fully, IDK.

 

[cots]

Similarly as far as "actually do" then the same for most meds of any stripe. It is only in recent years that atomic level modelling of interactions of drugs and their target (never mind interactions with other things) has been achieved, and even. However I deal in end results and profound results can be achieved with them, and effects in most cases known or predicted, interactions with other common medications or classes thereof also known or predicted and tested for. To that end dismissing things for such a reason seems short sighted. Likely in the future more science will make for more tailored results and better outcomes but for the meantime we get to deal with what we have and work from there.

Yeah, I do understand that they are producing more effective drugs with less side effects, but they still admit they barely know anything about the brain and don't know the true impact or what these medications actually do to it (short and long term). What they do agree upon is the negative, and sometimes very serious, side effects caused by these types of medications. I don't agree with brining you child to meet a doctor once, and after 10 minutes of basic questions shoving some sort of methamphetamine down their throat because they aren't acting in the way you desire them to. I agree, however, if the child is trying to kill themselves, maybe a high dose of a medication that will sedate him enough to where he can barely think clearly so he can't act on those thoughts could be beneficial. In all truthfulness, most of these pysch meds do interfere with the ability to think - most of them in some sort of fashion cloud your judgment and make you numb. They aren't a great long term solution and a lot of the time the people who are taking them have no choice in the matter to begin with.

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Cost could be an issue, insurance, some medications can have adverse side effects. Best to use medications if therapy doesn't work fully, IDK.

Most psych meds have negative side effects that put your body in some sort of harms way. I'm not talking about feeling nauseous for the first 5 days after taking it. I'm talking about permanent changes to the way your organs function or the levels of certain substances in your blood. Take for example my buddy who now has heart problems, a thyroid that doesn't barely work and blood cholesterol so high they've prescribed him 5 medications just to deal with the side effects, some that will never go away, caused by these medications (and if you ask a Doctor, this is a common thing in the psych med business). Plus, the medications weren't even effective!

 

[the_randomizer]

Yeah, I do understand that they are producing more effective drugs with less side effects, but they still admit they barely know anything about the brain and don't know the true impact or what these medications actually do to it (short and long term). What they do agree upon is the negative, and sometimes very serious, side effects caused by these types of medications. I don't agree with brining you child to meet a doctor once, and after 10 minutes of basic questions shoving some sort of methamphetamine down their throat because they aren't acting in the way you desire them to. I agree, however, if the child is trying to kill themselves, maybe a high dose of a medication that will sedate him enough to where he can barely think clearly so he can't act on those thoughts could be beneficial. In all truthfulness, most of these pysch meds do interfere with the ability to think - most of them in some sort of fashion cloud your judgment and make you numb. They aren't a great long term solution and a lot of the time the people who are taking them have no choice in the matter to begin with.

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Most psych meds have negative side effects that put your body in some sort of harms way. I'm not talking about feeling nauseous for the first 5 days after taking it. I'm talking about permanent changes to the way your organs function or the levels of certain substances in your blood. Take for example my buddy who now has heart problems, a thyroid that doesn't barely work and blood cholesterol so high they've prescribed him 5 medications just to deal with the side effects, some that will never go away, caused by these medications (and if you ask a Doctor, this is a common thing in the psych med business). Plus, the medications weren't even effective!

Like I said, medication for psychological issues should be an absolute last resort.

 

[medoli900]

I wonder when they'll officially recognize the Scrapbooking Disorder.

Heck, Magic the Gathering Disorder when?

 

[cots]

I wonder when they'll officially recognize the Scrapbooking Disorder.

Heck, Magic the Gathering Disorder when?

If enough people were suffering from these things they'd classify it. Video gaming is a big business and a lot of people play video games and this is effecting a large amount of them. It's not that they are targeting it because they are like those Mothers Against Drunk Driving cult. If video games were being singled out due to other issues, like simply not liking them, then this would not be cool.

 

[medoli900]

If enough people were suffering from these things they'd classify it. Video gaming is a big business and a lot of people play video games and this is effecting a large amount of them. It's not that they are targeting it because they are like those Mothers Against Drunk Driving cult. If video games were being singled out due to other issues, like simply not liking them, then this would not be cool.

It's seems quite obvious you're not aware of the whole MtG business. It's quite literally a stock market, where people would place it before anything else. TCG in general are pretty much culprit, but MtG is one of the worst in that regard.

 

[cots]

It's seems quite obvious you're not aware of the whole MtG business. It's quite literally a stock market, where people would place it before anything else. TCG in general are pretty much culprit, but MtG is one of the worst in that regard.

No, I never played Magic and it actually took me some time to figure out what the the abbreviation meant. I never found card collecting games to have any point to them. So I guess I lucked out.

 

[slaphappygamer]

I get dressed each morning, like with socks and pants. Am I addicted to dressing? Sometimes, it gets in the way of me getting to work on time. I mean, I can’t even leave the house if I’m not dressed.

 

[kartutko]

Today is proposal tomorrow will be mandatory, very dangerous tendency in the modern society for everything, it's called communism, enjoy

 

[QuazaRayy]

hey retards at WHO, games are SUPPOSED to be addictive so you finish them. If this had gone into effect earlier, I would have been diagnosed with gaming disorder AGES AGO. Gaming is a way of life for me but seriously these assholes are trying to get video games banned.