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IMO video game addiction does not exist. Addiction is when you put a chemical into your body and then become dependent on those chemicals to feel "normal". I am behavioral Psychologist at PSU and feel the term addiction is taken out of context too often and is being deluded by the layman. However, you may be obsessive and compulsive about your video game play which could cause a problem. However, real addiction will prevent people from going to work or even selling things like their cars or stealing to feed their addiction. Anything else is just a lack of personal control and responsibility. Now of course that is just my opinion, have fun and don't let your life be based around games.Trigun1
ad⋅dic⋅tion
/əˈdɪk
ʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation
[uh-dik-shuhn] Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
The dictionary disagrees with you. I've put the important part in bold and italics for you, to show it is not restricted to inducing chemicals to feel normal.
[QUOTE="Trigun1"]IMO video game addiction does not exist. Addiction is when you put a chemical into your body and then become dependent on those chemicals to feel "normal". I am behavioral Psychologist at PSU and feel the term addiction is taken out of context too often and is being deluded by the layman. However, you may be obsessive and compulsive about your video game play which could cause a problem. However, real addiction will prevent people from going to work or even selling things like their cars or stealing to feed their addiction. Anything else is just a lack of personal control and responsibility. Now of course that is just my opinion, have fun and don't let your life be based around games.dazman31
ad⋅dic⋅tion
/əˈdɪkʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-dik-shuhn] Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
The dictionary disagrees with you. I've put the important part in bold and italics for you, to show it is not restricted to inducing chemicals to feel normal.
Look I found a few dictionaries that disagrees with you. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary Addiction Function: noun : compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-formingsubstance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substanceknown by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful Addiction Worldnet Noun 1. being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs) 2. an abnormally strong craving Legal usage in a court of law. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law Addiction Function: noun : compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming drug (as heroin) Now take a look at compulsion. American Heritage Dictionary compulsion a. The act of compelling. b. The state of being compelled. c. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation: "The compulsion to protect the powerful from the discomfort of public disclosure feeds further abuse and neglect" (Boston Globe). d. An act or acts performed in response to such an impulse. 2. a. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation: "The compulsion to protect the powerful from the discomfort of public disclosure feeds further abuse and neglect" (Boston Globe). b. An act or acts performed in response to such an impulse. Worldnet compulsion Noun 1. an urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid; "he felt a compulsion to babble on about the accident" 2. an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will; "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly" 3. using force to cause something to occur; "though pressed into rugby under compulsion I began to enjoy the game"; "they didn't have to use coercion" American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary An uncontrollable impulse to perform an act, often repetitively, as an unconscious mechanism to avoid unacceptable ideas and desires which, by themselves, arouse anxiety. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary compulsion Function: noun : an irresistible impulse to perform an irrational act How about obsession? American Heritage Dictionary obsession 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion. WorldNet obsession Noun 1. an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will; "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly" [syn: compulsion] 2. an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary Function: noun : a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; also: something that causes such preoccupation After this dictionary lesson what have you learned? Nothing probably. Moving on to critic number 2.[QUOTE="Trigun1"]IMO video game addiction does not exist. Addiction is when you put a chemical into your body and then become dependent on those chemicals to feel "normal".noles82
Are you out of your mind? What kind of "behavorial psychologist" are you? Funneling foreign substance into your body is not the only way to become addicted. Bulimics are addicted to binging and purging, anorexics are addicted to not eating--the obsession here being losing weight, not any chemical or object induced. How about cutters? What are they inducing? Nothing. How about thumbsuckers? Porn addicts? Nail biters?
Video game addiction is a huge problem. There are a myriad of stories that prove this. Such as the EQ player who killed himself with a shotgun after his in-game girlfriend stole money. Or the other EQ player whose toddler died because he put her in a closet to avoid hearing her crying while he played EQ. How about the man in South Korea who played for some 72 consecutive hours and fell over dead in an internet cafe. Those guys weren't addicted, huh? Just casual gamers? Just "obsessive and compulsive"?
Get a clue, go back to community college, and rethink your career choice.
Notice how there is not a mention of addiction for the definitions of these illneses? Anorexia Nervosa is a syndrome featuring the inability to maintain even a minimal body weight, excessive fear of weight gain and significant disturbance in body image. Individuals suffering from Anorexia perceive themselves to be overweight even when severely underweight. Anorexia Nervosa, which loosely means "a nervous loss of appetite", does not actually include a physical loss of appetite. Rather, it is a psychological desire for control and perfection. It is a reaction to stressful and unpleasant surroundings and emotions, and an attempt to cope with them. If you would like further evidence of you being wrong, I will list how Anorexia Nervosa is diagnosed from the DSM IV-TR. If you don't what that book is then that would explain your severe lack of knowledge on the subject. Moving on… Bulimia Nervosa is a condition characterized by binge eating followed by extreme measures to undo the binge. Self induced vomiting (purging), excessive use of laxatives and inappropriate use of diuretics are common undoing behaviors of the Bulimic. Unlike anorexics, bulimics are aware that they have an eating disorder. They binge (consume a large amount of food in a short period of time) and purge (rid themselves of the food by taking laxatives or vomiting) to punish themselves or to avoid or express feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger. Aside from these just being anecdotal stories you pulled from catchy news headlines, what proof do you have? A man is betrayed by his intimate partner and commits suicide? I could list a hundred cases where a man attempts or commits suicide because they were betrayed by their partner and is not related to video games. Did anybody think to ask "was the EQ player who put their child in closet is just a dick and bad parent?" Do you even know if there was a history of abuse of the child even when the father wasn't playing EQ? No you don't, what about parents who give their infant alcohol to shut them up? Bad parenting has nothing to do with video games. One story about a man who played 72 hours in an internet café, you would hope someone would notice a man playing a game for solid 3 days IN A CAFE before anyone noticed. Maybe the man was depressed with his life and sought an escape into a world where he had power and took that delusion too far? You list no empirical proof to your statement just news headlines that are meant to incite emotion so you can watch the ads. Are you deeming people with obsessive and compulsive illnesses? I hope not because that would suggest that you are very intolerant of the people in the world with uncontrollable urges that are illnesses. Why are you attacking people who cannot afford to go to a university? So you are going tell everyone here that because they went to community college that their education is not up to par to yours? And to keep the facts straight I am dual enrolled in a tier 3 and tier 2 researching university. If you actually believe what you have posted here, then I am truly sorry for you. drufeous: This guy says the truth. I had a gambling addiction. Wasn't putting anything in my body to become addicted to that. So by your theory I would have to put quarters in my rump and spew tokens out of my mouth to be a true addiction. Right pal. And original poster, if gaming has come to a point were you are feeling unhealthy in your life, sell it and move on. I gave up gambling cold turkey. It was very hard but I asked a friend to help me and they did. If you have someone you can trust and takes your addiction seriously, they can help. If its just habit forming and your just doing it because you are bored, then game on. Not a big deal. I am terrible sorry about your history of gambling but what you had was an illness that is not addiction. It was out your control stop because it was an illness. It is good to hear that you recovered. However, the American Psychiatric Association disagrees with your assessment that you had an addiction. Now, do not believe that trivializes your previous condition in anyway, it is just different that is all. Pathological gambling can be as dangerous to your life as a chemical addiction and in some cases harder to deal with because of the views of society. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! Pathological gambling is a progressive disease that devastates not only the gambler but everyone with whom he or she has a significant relationship. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association accepted pathological gambling as a "disorder of impulse control." It is an illness that is chronic and progressive, but it can be diagnosed and treated.[QUOTE="dazman31"][QUOTE="Trigun1"]IMO video game addiction does not exist. Addiction is when you put a chemical into your body and then become dependent on those chemicals to feel "normal". I am behavioral Psychologist at PSU and feel the term addiction is taken out of context too often and is being deluded by the layman. However, you may be obsessive and compulsive about your video game play which could cause a problem. However, real addiction will prevent people from going to work or even selling things like their cars or stealing to feed their addiction. Anything else is just a lack of personal control and responsibility. Now of course that is just my opinion, have fun and don't let your life be based around games.Trigun1
ad⋅dic⋅tion
/əˈdɪkʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-dik-shuhn] Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
The dictionary disagrees with you. I've put the important part in bold and italics for you, to show it is not restricted to inducing chemicals to feel normal.
Look I found a few dictionaries that disagrees with you. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary Addiction Function: noun : compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-formingsubstance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substanceknown by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful Addiction Worldnet Noun 1. being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs) 2. an abnormally strong craving Legal usage in a court of law. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law Addiction Function: noun : compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming drug (as heroin) Now take a look at compulsion. American Heritage Dictionary compulsion a. The act of compelling. b. The state of being compelled. c. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation: "The compulsion to protect the powerful from the discomfort of public disclosure feeds further abuse and neglect" (Boston Globe). d. An act or acts performed in response to such an impulse. 2. a. An irresistible impulse to act, regardless of the rationality of the motivation: "The compulsion to protect the powerful from the discomfort of public disclosure feeds further abuse and neglect" (Boston Globe). b. An act or acts performed in response to such an impulse. Worldnet compulsion Noun 1. an urge to do or say something that might be better left undone or unsaid; "he felt a compulsion to babble on about the accident" 2. an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will; "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly" 3. using force to cause something to occur; "though pressed into rugby under compulsion I began to enjoy the game"; "they didn't have to use coercion" American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary An uncontrollable impulse to perform an act, often repetitively, as an unconscious mechanism to avoid unacceptable ideas and desires which, by themselves, arouse anxiety. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary compulsion Function: noun : an irresistible impulse to perform an irrational act How about obsession? American Heritage Dictionary obsession 1. Compulsive preoccupation with a fixed idea or an unwanted feeling or emotion, often accompanied by symptoms of anxiety. 2. A compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion. WorldNet obsession Noun 1. an irrational motive for performing trivial or repetitive actions, even against your will; "her compulsion to wash her hands repeatedly" [syn: compulsion] 2. an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary Function: noun : a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; also: something that causes such preoccupation After this dictionary lesson what have you learned? Nothing probably. Moving on to critic number 2.[QUOTE="Trigun1"]IMO video game addiction does not exist. Addiction is when you put a chemical into your body and then become dependent on those chemicals to feel "normal".noles82
Are you out of your mind? What kind of "behavorial psychologist" are you? Funneling foreign substance into your body is not the only way to become addicted. Bulimics are addicted to binging and purging, anorexics are addicted to not eating--the obsession here being losing weight, not any chemical or object induced. How about cutters? What are they inducing? Nothing. How about thumbsuckers? Porn addicts? Nail biters?
Video game addiction is a huge problem. There are a myriad of stories that prove this. Such as the EQ player who killed himself with a shotgun after his in-game girlfriend stole money. Or the other EQ player whose toddler died because he put her in a closet to avoid hearing her crying while he played EQ. How about the man in South Korea who played for some 72 consecutive hours and fell over dead in an internet cafe. Those guys weren't addicted, huh? Just casual gamers? Just "obsessive and compulsive"?
Get a clue, go back to community college, and rethink your career choice.
Notice how there is not a mention of addiction for the definitions of these illneses? Anorexia Nervosa is a syndrome featuring the inability to maintain even a minimal body weight, excessive fear of weight gain and significant disturbance in body image. Individuals suffering from Anorexia perceive themselves to be overweight even when severely underweight. Anorexia Nervosa, which loosely means "a nervous loss of appetite", does not actually include a physical loss of appetite. Rather, it is a psychological desire for control and perfection. It is a reaction to stressful and unpleasant surroundings and emotions, and an attempt to cope with them. If you would like further evidence of you being wrong, I will list how Anorexia Nervosa is diagnosed from the DSM IV-TR. If you don't what that book is then that would explain your severe lack of knowledge on the subject. Moving on… Bulimia Nervosa is a condition characterized by binge eating followed by extreme measures to undo the binge. Self induced vomiting (purging), excessive use of laxatives and inappropriate use of diuretics are common undoing behaviors of the Bulimic. Unlike anorexics, bulimics are aware that they have an eating disorder. They binge (consume a large amount of food in a short period of time) and purge (rid themselves of the food by taking laxatives or vomiting) to punish themselves or to avoid or express feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger. Aside from these just being anecdotal stories you pulled from catchy news headlines, what proof do you have? A man is betrayed by his intimate partner and commits suicide? I could list a hundred cases where a man attempts or commits suicide because they were betrayed by their partner and is not related to video games. Did anybody think to ask "was the EQ player who put their child in closet is just a dick and bad parent?" Do you even know if there was a history of abuse of the child even when the father wasn't playing EQ? No you don't, what about parents who give their infant alcohol to shut them up? Bad parenting has nothing to do with video games. One story about a man who played 72 hours in an internet café, you would hope someone would notice a man playing a game for solid 3 days IN A CAFE before anyone noticed. Maybe the man was depressed with his life and sought an escape into a world where he had power and took that delusion too far? You list no empirical proof to your statement just news headlines that are meant to incite emotion so you can watch the ads. Are you deeming people with obsessive and compulsive illnesses? I hope not because that would suggest that you are very intolerant of the people in the world with uncontrollable urges that are illnesses. Why are you attacking people who cannot afford to go to a university? So you are going tell everyone here that because they went to community college that their education is not up to par to yours? And to keep the facts straight I am dual enrolled in a tier 3 and tier 2 researching university. If you actually believe what you have posted here, then I am truly sorry for you. drufeous: This guy says the truth. I had a gambling addiction. Wasn't putting anything in my body to become addicted to that. So by your theory I would have to put quarters in my rump and spew tokens out of my mouth to be a true addiction. Right pal. And original poster, if gaming has come to a point were you are feeling unhealthy in your life, sell it and move on. I gave up gambling cold turkey. It was very hard but I asked a friend to help me and they did. If you have someone you can trust and takes your addiction seriously, they can help. If its just habit forming and your just doing it because you are bored, then game on. Not a big deal. I am terrible sorry about your history of gambling but what you had was an illness that is not addiction. It was out your control stop because it was an illness. It is good to hear that you recovered. However, the American Psychiatric Association disagrees with your assessment that you had an addiction. Now, do not believe that trivializes your previous condition in anyway, it is just different that is all. Pathological gambling can be as dangerous to your life as a chemical addiction and in some cases harder to deal with because of the views of society. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! Pathological gambling is a progressive disease that devastates not only the gambler but everyone with whom he or she has a significant relationship. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association accepted pathological gambling as a "disorder of impulse control." It is an illness that is chronic and progressive, but it can be diagnosed and treated.There is one definition of addiction in there that mentions that it is a sole dependence on substance mate. The other one stated that it is a "1. being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)" so you supported my argument because notice it says 'especially' not 'only'.
Just one last note, i asked my mother who is a psychiatrist and has been for a good 20 years what she would define as an addcition, and yes she said that it has a lot of compulsive aspects to it but it is generally the need to DO or use something beyond control, nothing about restriction to only inducing substances. So with her experience compared to yours, especially with the trusty DSM-IV which you rely on so heavily and which i have in my possession also, concede that you are wrong.
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