Excessive Video Gaming Will Soon be Recognized as a Mental Disorder by the World Health Organization

[JonasDarkmane 19,788]

4 minutes ago, Photon Jet said:

Pfft! Oh, please. Gaming as a health disorder? Ridiculous. Best not to believe in this sort of news. They'll do anything to stir up some drama.

I would suggest reading more into this as Yamet suggests before reaching an outright conclusion. 

The keyword here is "excessive" gaming wherein where it reaches the point where it can be classified as an addiction. 

[Ganondorf8 11,370]

I was actually surprised when I first learned about it watching the news this morning but I don't see it affecting me personally. Do I think it's a bizarre decision? Yes but then they are the experts on this sort of thing and they know what is best. I'm going to take a neutral approach and allow things to fall into place where they may.

[Photon Jet 5,491]

Okay, okay! I'm sorry! It's just that I don't believe this information as I thought it's another one of those media stuff that only does this to cause drama. For me, I love playing video games as it's one of my hobbies I do but I don't think it'll go that far sayyyyying...Oooooooh now that you've mention it...I'll shut up and move along...

 

Pardon but as soon I saw the first comment on here saying the news was an insult to the gaming community, I just had to comply.

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

20 minutes ago, JonasDarkmane said:

Directed at everyone. 

As nonsensical as it is, it is nothing to get riled over either. No one is ever "in a mood" for anything though, are they? Formalities do go a long way.

No one ever has to go easy on anyone though, that is your choice of approach in the end. 

That’s fair. I agree with that sentiment. I don’t actually have a problem with any of the people in this thread. Some of the things said are kind of absurd, but it seems to stem from panic/defensiveness or not knowing better rather than malice.

[JonasDarkmane 19,788]

3 minutes ago, ShadOBabe said:

That’s fair. I agree with that sentiment. I don’t actually have a problem with any of the people in this thread. Some of the things said are kind of absurd, but it seems to stem from panic/defensiveness or not knowing better rather than malice.

Indeed and it saddens me when people react immediately without taking a better look at things and check out the keywords like in here, where the focus was on excessive gaming and not on gaming in general  . That's where discussion comes into play to wipe away those worries and panic defensive attitudes and prove those worries to be utterly wrong and unnecessary (also to just inject some common sense into folks) 

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

1 minute ago, Photon Jet said:

Pardon but as soon I saw the first comment on here saying the news was an insult to the gaming community, I just had to comply.

Gaming is one of the best hobbies on Earth imho.

But if giving official definitions to the plight of those who are compelled to ruin themselves over it makes it easier to get them real treatment, I don’t think it’s a bad thing, and certainly not an insult in any capacity.

[Mirage 24,771]

"The inclusion of gaming disorder in the ICD-11 means health care workers and doctors can now diagnose someone with the condition." (that means, it can be put on your health record).

"Gaming becomes a problem only when it causes "impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning." When you stop controlling the game and it starts controlling you — that's when WHO's definition of gaming disorder applies." (Kinda broad don't you think? Hey doc, I'm depressed. Do you play video games? Yeah. Hmm, very interesting...)

 

Virtually all millennials & Gen Z fall into that category, and ALL of South Korea.

So it's time to invest in water ski's, snowmobiles, ESPN channels and a Harley - you're not interested in the right things. 

 

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

1 hour ago, Mirage said:

Virtually all millennials & Gen Z fall into that category, and ALL of South Korea.

Which is probably why it’s getting more medical attention over other addictions. It’s widespread and a growing problem.

And I don’t see the problem with it being put on your medical records. If the problem people have with that is that they disagree with it, I’m sure gamblers and alcoholics don’t like being forced to face a seriously damaging habit of theirs either.

If people are upset with the idea of it being embarrassing, then they shouldn’t be. You have very real grounds to sue the ass off anyone that discloses your medical history without your consent.

Edited December 29, 2017 by ShadOBabe

[Mirage 24,771]

4 minutes ago, ShadOBabe said:

Which is probably why it’s getting more medical attention over other addictions. It’s widespread and a growing problem.

And I don’t see the problem with it being put on your medical records. If the problem people have with that is that they disagree with it, I’m sure gamblers and alcoholics don’t like being forced to face a seriously damaging habit of theirs either.

If people are upset with the idea of it being embarrassing, then they shouldn’t be. You have very real grounds to sue the ass off anyone that discloses your medical history without your consent.

I don't know how many job applications or insurance applications you've done lately, but if you are asked if you have ever been diagnosed with a mental illness, you must disclose it.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

48 minutes ago, Mirage said:

I don't know how many job applications or insurance applications you've done lately, but if you are asked if you have ever been diagnosed with a mental illness, you must disclose it.

Yes, but they can't disclose your medical history to other people, so I don't really see the problem. 

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

2 hours ago, Mirage said:

I don't know how many job applications or insurance applications you've done lately, but if you are asked if you have ever been diagnosed with a mental illness, you must disclose it.

I haven’t done insurance, but disclosing mental health on my job applications here in Texas has ALWAYS been optional.

I’ll check with my mom, because she works in insurance, but I’m pretty sure it’s because of state laws. We don’t screw around with medical confidentiality in this state.

[Dan. 1,825]

This is silly..there's a saying too much of a good thing but I can agree but it's not a mental illness more so an addiction.
 

[Mirage 24,771]

11 hours ago, Yamet said:

Yes, but they can't disclose your medical history to other people, so I don't really see the problem. 

 

10 hours ago, ShadOBabe said:

I haven’t done insurance, but disclosing mental health on my job applications here in Texas has ALWAYS been optional.

I’ll check with my mom, because she works in insurance, but I’m pretty sure it’s because of state laws. We don’t screw around with medical confidentiality in this state.

I personally don't have a problem with it either - since I'll never see a doctor for anything, unless I break my arm or something.

It's rather easy at this point to say, 'eh, this won't affect me, it's no big deal'. But you're kinda not seeing the big picture. As I said, whether it's State laws or whatever, if you are asked to disclose, you must. Having mental illness on your record can affect your chances with things in life. That is a fact. That is why diagnosis is officially delivered - it's a flag. Everything from gun regulations to life insurance - authorities want to know as much as possible about you.

Things like this don't feel real until you get burned by them. So while I don't think this is panic mode, it does raise an eyebrow. That's all.

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

35 minutes ago, Mirage said:

Having mental illness on your record can affect your chances with things in life.

I don’t want to question you, but that sounds HIGHLY illegal. Equal opportunity employment means you’re not supposed to discriminate against someone for things like that. I’ll have to do more research.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

3 hours ago, ShadOBabe said:

I don’t want to question you, but that sounds HIGHLY illegal. Equal opportunity employment means you’re not supposed to discriminate against somepony for things like that. I’ll have to do more research.

Agreed, and with this, again, this brings up the point of discrimination. 

Also, on more serious terms, a petition has been made to prevent the WHO from making this move of making excessive video gaming a mental diagnosis. 

[Jeric 46,860]

4 hours ago, Mirage said:

 

I personally don't have a problem with it either - since I'll never see a doctor for anything, unless I break my arm or something.

It's rather easy at this point to say, 'eh, this won't affect me, it's no big deal'. But you're kinda not seeing the big picture. As I said, whether it's State laws or whatever, if you are asked to disclose, you must. Having mental illness on your record can affect your chances with things in life. That is a fact. That is why diagnosis is officially delivered - it's a flag. Everything from gun regulations to life insurance - authorities want to know as much as possible about you.

Things like this don't feel real until you get burned by them. So while I don't think this is panic mode, it does raise an eyebrow. That's all.

 

4 hours ago, ShadOBabe said:

I don’t want to question you, but that sounds HIGHLY illegal. Equal opportunity employment means you’re not supposed to discriminate against someone for things like that. I’ll have to do more research.

Yay! My lifetime of experience working in the public and private sector gets to pay off on a pony board again. 

Form CC-305 is the voluntary disclosure of disabilities. It's a federally mandated but to ensure that employers are complying with Section 503 of the ADA. 

To quote the form:

Because we do business with the government, we must reach out to, hire, and provide equal opportunity to 
qualified people with disabilities i To help us measure how well we are doing, we are asking you to tell us if you have a disability or if you ever had a disability. Completing this form is voluntary, but we hope that you will choose to fill it out. If you are applying for a job, any answer you give will be kept private and will not be used against you in any way. 

If you already work for us, your answer will not be used against you in any way. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we are required to ask all of our employees to update their information every five years. You may voluntarily self-identify as having a disability on this form without fear of any punishment because you did not identify as having a disability earlier.

 

I've made hiring decisions for three huge corporations, and one mid sized one. Unless you are applying for a specific job in public safety or security (or many Federal positions at specific GS levels or within specific Departments) your health records are private. If you need security clearance, that's a different story, and no a Video Game addiction Dx would not kill your chances. I have first hand experience in that as well. 

As a point of specificity, WHO doesn't set diagnostic standards for mental health in the US. They do set the ICD diagnostic standards in Europe. 

I'm not sure what, if any, privacy protections exist for Europeans related to mental health. For the US this is a non story. 

[Nature Tune 8,392]

Honestly I do think it’s addicting, but naming it as a mental disorder is just stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I love gaming, I just don’t do it because to me it’s addicting. I am definitely against this tho.

[Mirage 24,771]

7 hours ago, ShadOBabe said:

I don’t want to question you, but that sounds HIGHLY illegal. Equal opportunity employment means you’re not supposed to discriminate against someone for things like that. I’ll have to do more research.

On flip side, say you get fired for showing up to work late for a week straight. Maybe all you need to do is present your mental disability with video games and claim you're being discriminated against, then get your job back. 

3 hours ago, Jeric said:

 

Yay! My lifetime of experience working in the public and private sector gets to pay off on a pony board again. 

Form CC-305 is the voluntary disclosure of disabilities. It's a federally mandated but to ensure that employers are complying with Section 503 of the ADA. 

To quote the form:

Because we do business with the government, we must reach out to, hire, and provide equal opportunity to 
qualified people with disabilities i To help us measure how well we are doing, we are asking you to tell us if you have a disability or if you ever had a disability. Completing this form is voluntary, but we hope that you will choose to fill it out. If you are applying for a job, any answer you give will be kept private and will not be used against you in any way. 

If you already work for us, your answer will not be used against you in any way. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we are required to ask all of our employees to update their information every five years. You may voluntarily self-identify as having a disability on this form without fear of any punishment because you did not identify as having a disability earlier.

 

I've made hiring decisions for three huge corporations, and one mid sized one. Unless you are applying for a specific job in public safety or security (or many Federal positions at specific GS levels or within specific Departments) your health records are private. If you need security clearance, that's a different story, and no a Video Game addiction Dx would not kill your chances. I have first hand experience in that as well. 

As a point of specificity, WHO doesn't set diagnostic standards for mental health in the US. They do set the ICD diagnostic standards in Europe. 

I'm not sure what, if any, privacy protections exist for Europeans related to mental health. For the US this is a non story. 

Doesn't even need to get that involved.

https://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning.htm

The government doesn't force you to disclose, but if you don't disclose, then the employer can't accommodate your disability. If you actually have a diagnosed disability, and it's severe enough to affect your daily life and career, then you need to disclose your disability. But this only applies to employment - there's much more to life than employment!

I have had to fill out a lot of applications in my life - for various things (especially since I am in security). And very often there is a 'have you ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder?' Then at the the end of the application is (paraphrased) 'I certify that I have answered all questions honestly and to the best of my ability'.

 So it's not illegal in every circumstance to require disclosure.

The WHO's jurisdiction may not include the US per se, but that doesn't mean they don't have influence. I mean, they are the experts on health right? For legislation or regulation to be instituted in the US is now pretty much a non-issue. It has credentials, so if the US wants to adopt the conclusion - easy peasy.

I have some personal anecdotes I could add but, since this is just pony board, it makes no difference. Especially since it now feels like people have chosen sides and they intend to remain there. All the while I feel like I really haven't taken a side - I just like to think about things, and debate helps me think.

So thank you.

[Twilight Karamel 131]

Now, I've only done a bit of research into what their basis is, (I.E. seeing it on the news a few days ago and reading two or three articles online) but my main issues with it being classified as a "Mental Health Disorder" are A. At what point does the addiction become a disorder, B. Who decides when the addiction is severe enough to labeled a disorder, C. How do people plan to treat this "disorder", and D. What effects will it have on the industry and video game enthusiasts as a whole?

I mean, I can see their point in labeling a certain degree as a disorder, but exactly how many people in the world other than young children have the ability to play video games all day every day? Personally, I play games every day almost, but after a few hours I'm done and at that moment in time I'm ready to do pretty much anything else. I'm not against it possibly being labeled a disorder at a certain point like those examples in South Korea and China where people drop dead from play 36 hours straight or whatever, but I have a feeling this is just going to end up as a slippery slope when people try to mess with video games back during GamerGate, but at this point I suppose I'm just rambling.

[Libra 11,691]

23 hours ago, ShadOBabe said:

That’s fair. I agree with that sentiment. I don’t actually have a problem with any of the people in this thread. Some of the things said are kind of absurd, but it seems to stem from panic/defensiveness or not knowing better rather than malice.

Youre right. I re-read through ther article, and i agree that excessive gaming is a problem.

However, the who has been veryh vague about other excessive forms of entertainment. what about excessive internet? Excessive tv? Excessive reading? Excessive phone usage?

i mean, excessive amounts of anything is bad for you (almost everything is good in small amounts) but i just see a can of worms opening up.

i think the who would be much better saying "hey, excessive amounts of anything aren't good for you" and not trying to go for one piece of the "exessive blah is bad for you" pie. Go for the whole thing if thats the message.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Fennekin

[ShadOBabe 19,011]

6 hours ago, C. Thunder Dash said:

Agreed, and with this, again, this brings up the point of discrimination. 

Well acting like gamers are a persecuted minority that has been victized is silly. A lot of gamers I’ve seen have this attitude, like they’re a freakin’ marginalized ethnic or religious group or something. If someone thinks you’re hobby is weird or dumb, so what?

However, discrimination preventing someone from living life because they struggle with an addiction, gaming or not, is highly illegal. If it does not prevent you from doing your job then you’re fine. Which brings us back to Mirage’s smart alec remark...

2 hours ago, Mirage said:

Maybe all you need to do is present your mental disability with video games and claim you're being discriminated against, then get your job back.

You can’t be discriminated against just for having an addiction, but if you’re doing nothing to get yourself treatment and you’re actively damaging your workplace’s business, you can be let go.

[Mirage 24,771]

2 hours ago, Twilight Karamel said:

Now, I've only done a bit of research into what their basis is, (I.E. seeing it on the news a few days ago and reading two or three articles online) but my main issues with it being classified as a "Mental Health Disorder" are A. At what point does the addiction become a disorder, B. Who decides when the addiction is severe enough to labeled a disorder, C. How do people plan to treat this "disorder", and D. What effects will it have on the industry and video game enthusiasts as a whole?

I mean, I can see their point in labeling a certain degree as a disorder, but exactly how many people in the world other than young children have the ability to play video games all day every day? Personally, I play games every day almost, but after a few hours I'm done and at that moment in time I'm ready to do pretty much anything else. I'm not against it possibly being labeled a disorder at a certain point like those examples in South Korea and China where people drop dead from play 36 hours straight or whatever, but I have a feeling this is just going to end up as a slippery slope when people try to mess with video games back during GamerGate, but at this point I suppose I'm just rambling.

All good points. Don't be afraid to voice your opinions here. It might seem like we're getting all argue and stuff but it's cool man. It's Socratic.

[Jeric 46,860]

3 hours ago, Mirage said:

The WHO's jurisdiction may not include the US per se, but that doesn't mean they don't have influence.

There is an antagonistic relationship between WHO and the APA. My wife would return home with crazy stories of conferences as she regaled with the political intrigue of the field. 

And I did mention GS levels and security clearance in my post. 

3 hours ago, Twilight Karamel said:

A. At what point does the addiction become a disorder, B. Who decides when the addiction is severe enough to labeled a disorder, C. How do people plan to treat this "disorder", and D. What effects will it have on the industry and video game enthusiasts as a whole?

A. What classifies something as a disorder is when something crosses the point where you can't function normally. 

B. Medical professionals get together after years of research that is duplicated and with years clinical experience and decide a particular behavior meets the criteria for it's own classification. 

C. CBT and likely SRI's

D. Not much. If you are a minor I can see parents getting a little hot and bothered if their child spends too much time gaming, but that's a parenting thing. You need to monitor how your kids spend their time anyway to condition better habits. If you are an adult -- nothing is going to change. Literally nothing. If you realize you have a problem and reduce or eliminate gaming, some money is lost to publisher I guess, but that is the person's decision to make. 

[Mirage 24,771]

7 minutes ago, Jeric said:

There is an antagonistic relationship between WHO and the APA. My wife would return home with crazy stories of conferences as she regaled with the political intrigue of the field. 

Then...

7 minutes ago, Jeric said:

B. Medical professionals get together after years of research that is duplicated and with years clinical experience and decide a particular behavior meets the criteria for it's own classification. 

So who are the real professionals? No pun intended...

[Jeric 46,860]

8 minutes ago, Mirage said:

Then...

So who are the real professionals? No pun intended...

Both. 

It's mostly a case of "What works in France won't work in Florida". 

Environment and culture influences our behavior, and helps to guide how that field prioritizes focus. For instance, we in the US drink 75% more than Europeans per capital, but are more likely to die from alcohol related deaths. So a greater effort is found in the US for treatment of alcoholism and it's comorbid nature connected to mood and personality disorders.