Living in the technological age doesn’t always mean people are as quick to adapt as we’d hoped. Today, the smartphone and computers represent the most widely adopted consumer technologies worldwide. The proliferation of these devices provides amazing access to lots of useful information, connections, and of course, entertainment. Although video games have been around for several decades, it’s only now that we’re realizing the effect they have on mental health. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified “gaming disorder” as a legitimate mental health condition. Here we’ll discuss this classification and treating internet gaming disorder to keep you up-to-date!
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Classifying Internet Gaming Disorder
According to the WHO’s draft side of their 11th International Classification of Diseases (ICD), internet gaming disorder is poised to remain a clinically recognized condition. This report enables the sharing of health information between international healthcare providers, so it’s clear that this condition was serious enough to make the cut. But what exactly is gaming disorder?
The disorder is classified as behavior with “impaired control over gaming,” in terms of an individual’s capacity to quit, as well as factors like intensity, duration, and frequency. Of course, this falls under the umbrella of “disorders due to addictive behaviors,” although it’s characterized by a priority of gaming over daily activities.
The main reasoning behind classifying internet gaming disorder as a unique condition comes from the unique ways it integrates into a suffer’s life. Unlike addictions that fall outside of someone’s activities of daily living, treating internet gaming disorder presents specific considerations. Smartphones are hard to just turn off entirely. Someone addicted to playing a game on their phone may also use the same device to stay in touch with family, use it as an alarm clock, and many other activities that are important to one’s daily routine. Additionally, having gaming systems in one’s home makes recognizing the boundary between entertainment and a debilitating addiction quite difficult.
Treating Internet Gaming Disorder
Critics argue that internet gaming disorder represents a symptom of more serious underlying conditions than a standalone mental illness. Still, it’s agreed that the condition is serious and becoming prevalent now more than ever. For addiction medicine physicians wondering about treating internet gaming disorder, the general recommendations include:
- Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- 12-Step Programs
- Medication in combination with other treatments
The main ways treating internet gaming disorder is possible through one-on-one counseling and family counseling. This helps to understand the connections between a patient’s gaming habits and their school or job, emotions and moods, as well as their life goals. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are most commonly employed in these situations, although other methods like ‘wilderness therapy’ provide an alternative.
This method relies on removing individuals from the trappings of daily life, allowing them to grow comfortable with their emotions in a natural environment. Already, studies have shown the benefits of “forest bathing” and there is potential for treating internet gaming disorder in this way.
What’s truly remarkable is that despite our ability to create such immersive games to the point of addiction, we still have trouble escaping the trappings of daily life. Still, treating internet gaming disorder often requires patients to leave their environments in search of healing. Just like other types of addictions, the solutions do not always come through someone’s individual efforts to get better. That’s why addiction medicine is such an important field for many lives and the public’s health.
Overall, treating internet gaming disorder employs many of the same techniques used for other compulsive behaviors and addictions. It’s really about recognizing the unique aspects of this condition for the best solutions. Do you have experience treating internet gaming disorder? Thoughts or comments? Leave them below!
