‘Gaming addiction’ is classified as a psychological disorder by WHO

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its intention to update the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time since 1990 with the ICD-11 version. The WHO also said that ICD-11 will include a new type of psychological disorder for excessive gaming. And now, this disease has become official. “Excessive gaming” (gaming addiction) is considered a type of psychological disease.

With no more than 3% of gamers affected, “gaming addiction” may not seem as common as some people think. However, for those addicted to the game, the consequences can be unpredictable. Like other addictions, video game addiction can be devastating to an individual, adversely affecting aspects of life such as work, school, and social relationships with friends and family.

Over the years, we have clearly seen several examples of people suffering from game addiction. In recent reports, people have been playing video games until they suddenly died, unable to stop playing on their own. There are examples of some people quitting their jobs to play games, or neglecting their studies to be able to stay home and play games.

One of the latest examples of game addiction involves a 9-year-old girl addicted to Fortnite. She stayed up all night playing this free battle royale game, causing her to fall asleep in class. According to reports, the girl even “put out her pants” instead of stopping to go to the toilet, and even attacked her father when he tried to take the Xbox One from her. In the end, the family decided to send her to a rehabilitation clinic to help her stop playing games.

Many people wonder how a person who is so addicted to gaming can ‘come out of his pants’ and attack a family member. As explained by the American Psychiatric Association (unlike the WHO, which does not classify excessive gaming as a psychological disorder), “Research shows that when these individuals indulge in Internet, their brains are stimulated directly and strongly like the effects of narcotic drugs on the brain. Gaming causes a nervous system response that affects feelings of satisfaction and reward. As a result, at worst, it becomes addictive behavior.”

Obviously, gaming addiction and excessive gaming is a serious problem that requires further research to find the best way to treat those who suffer from it. It should be noted, however, that the vast majority of gamers are unaffected by this disorder, and in fact, research shows that gaming can actually improve our mental health.

Source: Medical Express