5 Signs of a Gaming Addiction
Although many people laugh about the term “gaming addiction” in relation to video game addiction, the behavior is actually quite serious and problematic. Interestingly, South Korea is the world’s leader as far as identifying and treating gaming and Internet addiction. After inserting the world’s fastest broadband infrastructure into their nation, South Korea’s government now spends millions per year to pinpoint and treat gaming and Internet addicts. And it’s necessary: according to a government study in South Korea, about 8% of the country’s population ages 9 to 39 suffer from Internet or gaming addiction.
In the U.S., Internet and gaming addiction are not yet listed in the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, the American Psychiatric Association has proposed that “Internet Use Disorder” be listed as warranting further study in the next revision. In South Korea, action has been taken to treat gaming addicts in similar ways alcoholics are treated for their addiction.
CNN.com interviewed a South Korean expert on this kind of treatment, Dr. Han Doug-hyun, from Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea’s capital. Han gave his list of the top five warning signs that a person should seek professional help for Internet or gaming addiction to CNN.com and they are quoted below.
“Han’s top 5 warning signs of gaming or Internet addiction:
1. Disrupted regular life pattern. If a person plays games all night long and sleeps in the daytime, that can be a warning he or she should seek professional help.
2. If the potential gaming or Internet addict loses his or her job, or stops going to school in order to be online or to play a digital game.
3. Need for a bigger fix. Does the gamer have to play for longer and longer periods in order to get the same level of enjoyment from the game?
4. Withdrawal. Some Internet and gaming addicts become irritable or anxious when they disconnect, or when they are forced to do so.
5. Cravings. Some Internet and gaming addicts experience cravings, or the need to play the game or be online when they are away from the digital world.
Although this addiction many not seem as serious as other well known addictions, research indicates that if an individual struggles with an addiction it can carry over to other additions. Further, as research shows, gaming addictions can be extremely harmful in and of themselves.