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Addicted To Gaming? You Are Suffering From Mental Disorder, As Per WHO!

Addiction to gaming is now a mental disorder

We all play games, don’t we? Some of us play little longer, and in some rare cases, the gaming just won’t stop.

It seems that the issue of gaming and addiction is indeed serious because starting today, addiction of digital and video games have been classified as a mental disorder.

But does this new classification covers all gamers?

No, not really!

WHO: Addiction of Games In A Mental Disorder

In their latest International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is ICD-11, World Health Organization or WHO has classified addiction of games as a mental disorder.

ICD is a global database of around 55,000 diseases which can strike any human being at any moment, or can become the cause of death.

In the US and in some European countries, ICD-11 and its classification of diseases is used for allocating insurance premiums and expenses.

Hence, if addiction of games is now included in the ICD-11, then it means that the issue has indeed become serious, and there are lots of folks who are affected.

Speaking on the importance of ICD, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “It enables us to understand so much about what makes people get sick and die, and to take action to prevent suffering and save lives,”

But All Gamers Have Mental Disorder?

Absolutely no.

Gaming is fun, and in most of the contemporary societies, having expertise in virtual and digital gaming is considered as an achievement as well.

But the problem arises when the gaming becomes addictive, and the person has lost control over it.

As per the definition by WHO, this mental disorder is “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour” that becomes so extensive that it “takes precedence over other life interests”.

Psychiatrist Richard Graham has just launched UK’s first technology addiction center, and they dedicatedly work on this type of addiction caused by digital games and social media apps.

As per him, there are three main symptoms which can help a medical expert to diagnose this new form of gaming addiction:

  1. The person cannot stop their gaming habits. They have lost the control.
  2. They are prioritising games above virtually everything else in life.
  3. They are doing this, despite knowing that this habit is destroying their lives.

As per Richard, a person can play games for hours, and sit in front of the screen for days, without being addictive.

Are you addicted to games? Do share your opinions and viewpoints, by commenting right here!

 

Mohul Ghosh: Mohul keenly observes the nuances of Indian startup world; and tries to demystify the secrets behind Technology, Marketing, Mobile and Internet. He is a Writer by passion, Marketer by choice and Entrepreneur by compulsion. Follow him on Twitter here: @_mohul
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