gaming - passion or addiction?

[forwards1ca]

Your page doesn't prove that gaming can be an addiction. When my problem was the deepest I had symptomps that with some creativity could have been taken under addiction symptoms yet it was not it. Addiction doesn't disappear when you solve an unrelated problem.

Also, taken from a psychologist, addiction has become a new fashion latetly - especially in older generation. Parents blame their kids' problems on various addictions when it's hardly ever a case. Noone has ever proven than gaming addiction exists even tho some people are really trying hard. Obssesive gaming or excessive gaming can be part of various problems which are hardly caused by the gaming itself.

The article wasn't meant to prove that gaming is an addiction. What it was meant to show was, that by the current medical definition, if a behaviour exhibits enough of the criteria, it is an addiction. And it is very clear that in some people, gaming is an addiction. It doesn't matter what a parent blames their kisd nehaviour on. What matters is the criteria that said behaviour falls under. As a amtter of fact, ADD and ADHD have become a much bigegr scapegoat for kids behaviour that addiction ever has. And the probelm isn't withthe game itself, as you seem to think it is. The problem is with how the individual person is able or unable to cope with gaming. If you do just a tiny bit of research, you'll find that most games, MMO's in particular, are built around the intermittent-incosistent reward system, which is the most addictive reward system possible. Whether the developers do this on purpose or whether its just a side effect of the loot system is anyones guess. Fact remains, an addiction is defined by the behaviours the person exhibits. Just becasue your case (which doesn't fit the criteria, and you yourself even said you weren't gaming, so I don't knwo why you're trying to use it as proof) doesn't fit doesn't mean the criteria don't fit. Try making an educated arguement for once please.

[Lilija]

Just becasue your case (which doesn't fit the criteria, and you yourself even said you weren't gaming, so I don't knwo why you're trying to use it as proof) doesn't fit doesn't mean the criteria don't fit.

I was gaming as well... For someone who wants to seem as someone who knows stuff about psychology you aren't exactly good at it focussing on single statements without really knowing the case and trying to discredit someone basing on that.

I'm a musician. I am extremly passionate about singing. According to your article I have a music addiction. In fact I have an addiction to tons of things I am doing.

Psychology is not math (or at least not math at our state of knowledge of it). You just can't label people - you need to know them first.

[Deleted]

There's a fine line.
I have crossed it.

[Shiny212]

It can become an addiction, but I don't play games because I HAVE to, and as long as you're not doing it because you HAVE to it's not really addiction. Play if you want, but ofc everything in moderation;p

[Sunnydee]

IM addicted to my biggest passion. ok?

ok.

[Glaziola]

To me gaming has been an addiction. I started when i was 3 years old and never stopped. During my teen years until recently i used gaming as a way to escape the world because to me it was terrible. but recently i;ve kinda beaten the "addiction" I find myself playing games way less than i use to which is a good thing i guess.

Thats my life haha only games screw the world outside :P

[Jeleh]

I love gaming. I been gaming ever since I was a kid and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. But my family looks at it like it's an addiction and you are grown up why you still playing blah blah. They don't realise what gaming is now days and how people feel about it. Yes, I have tried explaining this to them but my folks are the type that don't believe in what they don't know.

So what do you guys think? What do you gamers see yourself as? Does your family and friends understand this?

I bet they sit in front of the TV every night like zombies? The majority of video games are far more stimulating and develop several skills and traits, it's better than watching tv 6+ hours an evening.

Gaming like anything else in life CAN be an addiction, hell going to the gym and working out CAN be an addiction. It's not a general umbrella which fits all however. The majority of gamers operate without addiction it's an issue of the individual at the end of the day. If you MUST play games and you can not function normally in society without them/they impair your ability to function, yes you may have an addiction.

[Deleted]

Hobby. I can, and quite happily do, stop gaming when I travel - which is quite frequently. It's offset with reading, writing, exercise and other activities so I don't see my love of gaming as harmful.

Edit: As Jeleh points out - most people that criticise it will happily veg in front of the TV all evening without doing any thinking or moving whatsoever.

[Deleted]

It's not an addiction for me, been playing games since I was 7 but after my football and playground days gaming is just the most convenient time waster to have. I sometimes play 9+ hour days but I lose interest in playing as soon as there's something I want to do more and I don't look back until I'm bored of that.

[forwards1ca]

I was gaming as well... For someone who wants to seem as someone who knows stuff about psychology you aren't exactly good at it focussing on single statements without really knowing the case and trying to discredit someone basing on that.

I'm a musician. I am extremly passionate about singing. According to your article I have a music addiction. In fact I have an addiction to tons of things I am doing.

Psychology is not math (or at least not math at our state of knowledge of it). You just can't label people - you need to know them first.

You stated that most of the time you weren't gaming, ergo, your case doesn't fall under the question of whether gaming is an addiction. You seem to be confusing passion with addiction. Passion about somethign is great. When I was in EMS and was competign in MMA, I was very passionate about both of them, Was I addicted to them? NO. Well, maybe to MMA. I'd have to go look at things to see if enough of the criteria were met.

If you meet enough of the criteria, then, yes, you are addicted to music. You saying that according to the DSM-V criteria (which is the definitive tool to diagnose mental disorders) leads me to believe that you have an addictive personality. THis is not an insult. There are many people with such a personality - I am one of them. For me, things tend to be an all-or-nothing scenario. I am almost never "meh" about activities. I am either "GUNG-HO, this is the best thig ever" or I really don't care. This makes for some challenging lifestyle decisions.

And I am not trying to label people. What I am doing is stating that if your behaviour fit the criteria for a certain disorder, then it's likely that oyu hae that disorder. That's why there is a requirement of 5/7 of the total criteria. We all could fit just about everythign into2 or 3 of them. But fitting 5 and not being addicted to the activity/drug/whatever? Extremely unlikely.

---------- Post added 2013-02-24 at 11:30 AM ----------

And I applaud all these people who can play WoW and don't let it become an addiction. I can't, but at the moment, I don't care to change things. THat will change, and it willbe very difficult, because the only real reason I play now is to hang out with a bunch of friends on skype.

[Deleted]

No withdrawal symptoms means it cant be an addiction. Doesn't mean it can't be unhealthy but overdoing almost everything is. Besides, addictions usually get worse and need bigger doses to get your fix but when gaming too much, it just gets boring and most people want a break or to do something else instead.

[forwards1ca]

No withdrawal symptoms means it cant be an addiction. Doesn't mean it can't be unhealthy but overdoing almost everything is. Besides, addictions usually get worse and need bigger doses to get your fix but when gaming too much, it just gets boring and most people want a break or to do something else instead.

Do you peopel even read through the thread before posting things? The fact of the matter is, your premise is false, and you are wrong. Go look at one of my earlier posts witht he link to what the criteria are for addiction are, and you'll realize that withdrawal symptoms are 1 of 7 possible criteria, and are not necessary for a diagnosis. In fact, the withdrawals don't even have to be physical.

[Ron Burgundy]

It's bordering addiction for me, I guess, and if I said I haven't ever been addicted to gaming, I'd be flat out lying. However, I think a lot of the reason I game so much is that I have nothing better to do with my time as of right now.

My parents are cool with it, sometimes they take jabs at me for it, but as they put it, they are happy it's gaming, and not drugs or alcohol, neither which I do.

i can cure ur addiction

[Wolfbear]

Both. Same with comic books. Both a large money sink!

[Berri]

Probably a little bit of both

[Papier Light]

I love gaming. I been gaming ever since I was a kid and I don't see myself stopping any time soon. But my family looks at it like it's an addiction and you are grown up why you still playing blah blah. They don't realise what gaming is now days and how people feel about it. Yes, I have tried explaining this to them but my folks are the type that don't believe in what they don't know.

So what do you guys think? What do you gamers see yourself as? Does your family and friends understand this?

Same story here, but I've got graphic work behind my computer as well, so most of the time they don't know if I'm illustrating or gaming wich is a good thing for me lol

Even though I must admit, I get pretty addicted to games very quick because I somehow always want to be the best. And in WoW that takes a shit ton of dedication lol

[Lilija]

You stated that most of the time you weren't gaming, ergo, your case doesn't fall under the question of whether gaming is an addiction. You seem to be confusing passion with addiction. Passion about somethign is great. When I was in EMS and was competign in MMA, I was very passionate about both of them, Was I addicted to them? NO. Well, maybe to MMA. I'd have to go look at things to see if enough of the criteria were met.

If you meet enough of the criteria, then, yes, you are addicted to music. You saying that according to the DSM-V criteria (which is the definitive tool to diagnose mental disorders) leads me to believe that you have an addictive personality. THis is not an insult. There are many people with such a personality - I am one of them. For me, things tend to be an all-or-nothing scenario. I am almost never "meh" about activities. I am either "GUNG-HO, this is the best thig ever" or I really don't care. This makes for some challenging lifestyle decisions.

And I am not trying to label people. What I am doing is stating that if your behaviour fit the criteria for a certain disorder, then it's likely that oyu hae that disorder. That's why there is a requirement of 5/7 of the total criteria. We all could fit just about everythign into2 or 3 of them. But fitting 5 and not being addicted to the activity/drug/whatever? Extremely unlikely.

---------- Post added 2013-02-24 at 11:30 AM ----------

And I applaud all these people who can play WoW and don't let it become an addiction. I can't, but at the moment, I don't care to change things. THat will change, and it willbe very difficult, because the only real reason I play now is to hang out with a bunch of friends on skype.

I would still blame it rather on a tendency of obssesive behaviour rather than addiction. Because I do know that I have a tendency to obsses over things - it's not as strong that I can't ever do anything about it, however, I get anxious when someone tries to take me away from my current activity. It's as hell similar to an addiction but I will still stand that it's not one because all those things I can't stop doing in one moment I can get bored with when I start feeling overwhelmed.

What I want to say is that if you try to hard to fit some disorder criteria to yourself, you will fit almost every disorder because there are extremly thin lines everywhere.

WoW is important part of my life and it takes a lot of time in it. However, it never was and never will be an addiction. You can't get bored of addiction and there have been many times I would rather do something else than play WoW. I also doubt that WoW is really addicting for you - it can be very appealing but still without a chemical part it simply can't keep you focused on it and only it 100% time.

[Deleted]

Do you peopel even read through the thread before posting things? The fact of the matter is, your premise is false, and you are wrong. Go look at one of my earlier posts witht he link to what the criteria are for addiction are, and you'll realize that withdrawal symptoms are 1 of 7 possible criteria, and are not necessary for a diagnosis. In fact, the withdrawals don't even have to be physical.

It doesn't cause mental withdrawal symptoms either.. It's really fun and I want to do it isn't a withdrawal symptom, especially if you find it boring one day and exciting the other. Withdrawal symptoms are consistent, you always feel bad if you havent got your "fix" for a while. Wanting to be entertained or being bored and seeking cure is not an addiction. It's exactly the same with reading, watching TV, swimming and almost every other activity.

Also don't confuse a habit with addiction. If someone plays games for 2 hours after school for example and then one day the computer breaks and they can't, it's not a withdrawal symptom when they find themselves thinking about playing when they normally were or getting bored and not finding things to do.

[forwards1ca]

I would still blame it rather on a tendency of obssesive behaviour rather than addiction. Because I do know that I have a tendency to obsses over things - it's not as strong that I can't ever do anything about it, however, I get anxious when someone tries to take me away from my current activity. It's as hell similar to an addiction but I will still stand that it's not one because all those things I can't stop doing in one moment I can get bored with when I start feeling overwhelmed.

What I want to say is that if you try to hard to fit some disorder criteria to yourself, you will fit almost every disorder because there are extremly thin lines everywhere.

WoW is important part of my life and it takes a lot of time in it. However, it never was and never will be an addiction. You can't get bored of addiction and there have been many times I would rather do something else than play WoW. I also doubt that WoW is really addicting for you - it can be very appealing but still without a chemical part it simply can't keep you focused on it and only it 100% time.

You're missing a huge part of what the chemicalportion of addiction is. Just becasue a chemical is addicting doesn't mean somethign that isn't a chemical can't be addicting. Chemicals are addicting because they mimic, boost, or otherwise artificially increase the effects of certain neurotransmitters, usually seretonin or domamine. Many activities do the same thing. You think a chemical has to be introduced in order for there to be an addiction. Why don't you go ask someone who is addicted to gambling or sex or food about their addiction? You'll get a huge eye-opener. Just because your case may or may not have been an addiction doesn't mean you can extrapolate that to every gamer out there. THats liek saying there's one black guy who is a drug dealer so every black guy is a drug dealer. Its called eithe rinductive or deductive reasoning (can't ever remember which is which), and it's a very poor way to come to conclusions.

[Machomaije]

It depends. For me, at this point, its an addiction. I rarely have any fun at the game anymore, I hardly really do anything when im online, but I still play it. It is also some times fucking up for my real life. Thats addiction.

Before I started playing wow like seriously, I played Counter Strike 1.6 for years. I have so many good memories from that time. All my best friends played it, we had a semi-pro team. We went to big LAN's, sometimes we won sometimes we lost, and we all felt like champs when winning, and horrible when losing. Thats passion.