Gaming Addiction is a real thing

Have you ever found yourself unable to cut down on your gaming? Have you failed to do what was expected of you, perhaps even missing a doctor’s appointment or a work assignment, as a result of your gaming habit? If so, you (or one of your loved ones) may be diagnosed with having a “gaming disorder” under new guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Gaming Addiction! So, are video games really a problem? Yes, says the WHO.   Gaming addiction is to be listed as “gaming disorder” in the 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The new edition will be published in 2018. This is the first time that the ICD has included an entry for gaming addiction.   In the ICD, gaming disorder is described as a severe pattern of gaming behaviour in which the participant’s gaming “takes precedence over other life interests”. In most cases, doctors will need to see evidence of abnormal gaming behaviour for at least 12 months to make a diagnosis.   The main sym...