Gaming: A psychiatric disorder?

[Daikun]

The telltale signs are ominous: teens holing up in their rooms, ignoring friends, family, even food and a shower, while grades plummet and belligerence soars.

The culprit isn't alcohol or drugs. It's video games, which for certain kids can be as powerfully addictive as heroin, some doctors contend.

A leading council of the nation's largest doctors' group wants to have this behavior officially classified as a psychiatric disorder, to raise awareness and enable sufferers to get insurance coverage for treatment.

Full story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19354827)

I thought the patients were the ones who needed help. Guess not...

[Yash]

Guys, let's find new things to blame video games on.

Video games made me pregnant.

[J'onn J'onzz]

Guys, let's find new things to blame video games on.

Video games made me pregnant.
Video games mugged me.

[Kury Wagner]

a.) You can get addicted to anything.

b.) You can make a study out of anything being dangerous if you probe the subject enough.

c.) Video games kidnapped my mother and threw her in a Turkish prison. >=(

[Noukon]

Rock & roll.

Comic books.

Violent movies.

Video games.

[Rasputin]

For crying out loud...isn't the Atari generation in government yet? How long do we have to wait before we actually get people in authority who have something other than an instinctive 'eugh!' reaction to video games?

Oh yes...and video games gave me cancer.

In the head!

[mookie75]

For crying out loud...isn't the Atari generation in government yet?

I think they're still playing "Pong" in the basement of their parents' house. ;)

[Desensitized]

Everything that brings you joy is a symptom of psychiatric disorder.

And I base my findings on absolutely nothing.

[Storm Eagle]

Everything that brings you joy is a symptom of psychiatric disorder.

And I base my findings on absolutely nothing.

Try having someone think you might be slow or retarded, because he hasn't seen you talk to a girl, and he assumes you don't listen to rap because you listen to rock music and happen to be black (like myself).

Sheesh. Just, sheesh.

[HG Revolution]

Video games have no need to be specified. Addiction is a problem that can happen with anything. If there is a need for diagnosis, just borrow the more general hikkikomori thing from Japan which I think applies to extreme game addiction pretty much.

[Demonic Raven]

It's really a sin that these doctors do these pointless studies when they can be curing cancer or something. You're doctors, do something good with those PhDs!

Also, video games killed my father, raped my mother, and fed my dog chocolate. *angry fist shake*

[Shawn Hopkins]

Video games killed my dog.

Seriously, I think there are people who are addicted, at least to MMORPGs. But there are people who are addicted to eating dirt, hair or other weird things, too (Pica). It doesn't mean games will be addictive to the average person.

[Juu-kuchi]

Video games killed my dog. Luxury. Video games raped my dog, convinced my girlfriend to become a lesbian, knifed my tires, and forced Bob the Homeless man on my front porch to eat his solid waste.

[Classic Speedy]

Guys, let's not forget the dude in Korea who died from having a marathon MMORPG session. Granted that's a very extreme example, but that doesn't make video game addiction any less real and should be dismissed as "people in Washington think video games are evil so they're going to blame it for all our problems!" You can get addicted to anything.

[Kurokawa41]

I'm awfully surprised the words "Jack Thompson" haven't been uttered in this thread yet.

[IanC]

I'm awfully surprised the words "Jack Thompson" haven't been uttered in this thread yet.

Damnit, you godwined the thread now ;)

Some parts of the Us government would say i have a mental disorder, so this would just be another one on the list.

[Captain Highwind]

*Blows smoke from his cigarette*

I regret nothing.

[asphaltviking64]

Video games created Communism. :confused:

[Demonic Raven]

You can get addicted to anything.
That's exactly it. You can get addicted to anything, so making videogame addiction it's own psychiatric disorder is ridiculous. In theory, they would also have to make disorders for every other addiction out there, but obviously that won't happen. It's just another way for them to point at video games and say "BAD!"

[tucsoncoyote]

That's exactly it. You can get addicted to anything, so making videogame addiction it's own psychiatric disorder is ridiculous. In theory, they would also have to make disorders for every other addiction out there, but obviously that won't happen. It's just another way for them to point at video games and say "BAD!"

I tend to agree, but then there are some folks that I have seen who tend to take videogames way too far. Back in the 1990's when DOOM came out, I didn't play it a lot, but I would have folks coming on line and yelling "PLAY DOOM! PLAY DOOM!" and in fact I thought about this thread when I read the full story.

Some folks indeed do have problems, but these psychiatrists tend to make Video games the "Scapegoat" of everything. They tend to say that Video games are like Comic books were in the 1950's and Rock and Roll was in the 1960's.

Frankly I think if a psychiatrist says that video games are always bad for kids, and adults, then they need to say that they too have a psychiatric disorder.. one that has them blaming videogames for making them do this.

Oh and to those who blame Video games for causing cancer, killing the dog, etc, I can say this.. Videogames ruined my love life.. go figure.

:coyote:

[Dark Fact]

Hey Mr. Gopher, guess what? Video games are a psychiatric disorder!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a114/barbapopo/prairiedogyb6.gif
Mwa?

Seriously though, making video games out to be some kind of psychiatric disorder smells like something you would expect from a slow news day. Are video games addicting? Sure, but not to the extent that drugs and alcohol are. When I was a kid, I would always want to do nothing but play games but as I got older, I've learned to take proper responsibility for other matters such as school, chores, and jobs. I also keep in touch with my friends every week. If I work, I work. If I've got the time to play, I'll play.

That said, I wonder how long term this research was in order for the psychiatrists to go out and raise red flags for?

[Vermunium]

Hey, I'm going to go to work for a pre-determined amount of time, where I ignore people and family, sometimes having to skip lunch because of deadlines, and so on.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Oh and to those who blame Video games for causing cancer, killing the dog, etc, I can say this.. Videogames ruined my love life.. go figure.

:coyote:

Well, uh, that's wholly possible. I once had a huge fight with my girlfriend because I stayed up playing Mario Sunshine til 2 a.m. and didn't come to bed. She almost broke up with me right there.

[Camdon]

Video games are causing global warming. :mad:

[Novapocalypse]

Video Games caused all major sicknesses

Damn,when are people gonna learn its not video games,its the dumbasses in society these days.

Oh GOD help!!Video games teach kids hand-eye coordination and in some cases let them have a better vocabulary than bums on the street!!

[Mr. Pedro]

Wha?

There's no "disorder" goin' on over here man! I can quit whenever I...........

*Starves to death playing Okami*

[Tanooki]

the only thing video games ever did to me was cause me to eat a flower once. and no, i did not shoot balls of fire. not out of my hands, at least >_<

[Novapocalypse]

the only thing video games ever did to me was cause me to eat a flower once. and no, i did not shoot balls of fire. not out of my hands, at least >_<
I stand corrected.Video games can make us do crazy things.

[Mynd Hed]

Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2425415820070624?pageNumber=1) and Cnet (http://news.com.com/Experts+oppose+video+game+addiction+designation/2100-1043_3-6192969.html?tag=nefd.top) have stories up saying that there's considerable opposition to video game addiction receiving DSM categorization among those who actually know what they're talking about. In short, it doesn't look like it'll actually happen.

So, some random nutjobs made a random nutjob proposal, and the experts are shooting it down like a rabid duck. The system works! (-:

[.bg]

Video games once went to the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands are now called just The Islands.

Video games' tears cure cancer. Too bad video games don't cry.

Video games destroyed the periodic table, saying video games only recognise the element of surprise.

[Kury Wagner]

Video games once went to the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands are now called just The Islands.

Video games' tears cure cancer. Too bad video games don't cry.

Video games destroyed the periodic table, saying video games only recognise the element of surprise.Chuck Norris is not a video game. D=

[straw_hat]

Chuck Norris is not a video game. D=

Actually (http://www.mobygames.com/game/chuck-norris-superkicks/cover-art/gameCoverId,51218/) he is.

[Undrave]

Actually (http://www.mobygames.com/game/chuck-norris-superkicks/cover-art/gameCoverId,51218/) he is.

Wow...how more wrong can you be? Earning a KARATE belt in a game titled 'Kung Fu Superkicks' while hunting ninjas?!

Silly 70s :p

[Novapocalypse]

http://www.cheatcc.com/ccc_newsserver/Article.aspx?PostID=373956

At leaste someone likes em.