All Counseling Solutions
  • Home
  • Counseling Services
    • Marriage/Couples Counseling
    • Family Counseling
    • Adolescent and Children Counseling
    • Individual Counseling
    • Substance Abuse
    • Autism Counseling
  • Sessions & Rates
  • Counseling Blog
  • Contact
  • Counselors
    • Counselor Jon
    • Counselor Jennifer

"Gaming Disorder” is Now a Thing

6/26/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially adopted “Gaming Disorder” as a mental health diagnosis in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).  The official definition is, “a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”  It includes gaming on any platform: cell phones, tablets, computers, and consoles.  The diagnosis will fall under the ICD’s section on addictive disorders. 
The issues/questions surrounding gaming addiction are nothing new and remain controversial; however, adding gaming disorder as an identifiable and diagnosable problem aids treatment.  If there are people that fit this description and want to seek help, it will be much easier for them to get insurance reimbursement for therapy if this is a recognized mental health diagnosis.  That can be a huge relief to people and/or parents who are seeking help.  For example, there are some young kids and teens that will stay awake all night playing Fortnite.  In turn, their grades and mood suffer.  This could warrant attention since video gaming is causing problems in other important areas of their life.
Diagnosing any mental health condition is not an exact science.  There are no blood tests or x-rays to be done.  So the question for people and parents is this: When does an interest/hobby cross the threshold to become a gaming disorder?  It’s not clear but the key symptoms are this:
  • Impaired control over gaming (onset, duration, intensity, frequency, location)
  • Increased priority given to gaming  (gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities such as caring for family, working, eating, hygiene)
  • Continuation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences (social, family, employment, educational)
  • Changes in physical or psychological health and social functioning
  • Hiding or lying about the amount of time spent gaming
  • All symptoms must be present for at least 12 months
Millions of children, teens and adults play video games for enjoyment without any problem or need for concern.  Current studies suggest that the number of people with Gaming Disorder is somewhere between 1-10% of the population.  Thus, this new diagnosis could potentially help individuals who experience problematic gaming behaviors but does not mean that every “gamer” has a mental health disorder.  We must remember to be careful not to overgeneralize or over diagnose.  If you do have a loved one that would like to seek help, it may be difficult to find a therapist that currently specializes specifically in “Gaming Disorder.”  It may be easier to seek out someone that specializes in impulse control or substance abuse disorders.  And as always, All Counseling Solutions is here to help!
1 Comment

    Author

    All Counseling Solutions is focused on helping families and individuals find hope and solutions through proven therapeutic counseling techniques.

    Archives

    March 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Professional, Dedicated, Solution-Focused Counseling in Macon, GA

Counseling in Macon - All Counseling Solutions

What Our Clients Are Saying

"I initially was unsure and embarrassed to reach out for help but I took a leap and am extremely happy that I reached out to Jon.  He is a fantastic counselor and I truly felt heard. He took the time to problem solve with me. I felt like he really cared about what was going on in my life. Two thumbs up for All Counseling Solutions!"
Contact Info
Call Now with Any Questions: 478-305-9913

Email: Jonathan@AllCounselingSolutions.com

Address: 2607 Vineville Ave Suite 107
Macon, Georgia 31204
​
  • Home
  • Counseling Services
    • Marriage/Couples Counseling
    • Family Counseling
    • Adolescent and Children Counseling
    • Individual Counseling
    • Substance Abuse
    • Autism Counseling
  • Sessions & Rates
  • Counseling Blog
  • Contact
  • Counselors
    • Counselor Jon
    • Counselor Jennifer