Are you or do you have someone in your family who suffers from video game addiction, also known as Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). A gaming addiction can rob a person of their friends, family, career, and even health.
The DSM-5-TR notes that IGD must cause "significant impairment or distress" in several aspects of a person's life. This proposed condition is limited to gaming and does not include problems with general use of the internet, online gambling, or use of social media or smartphones. The proposed symptoms of internet gaming disorder include:
Preoccupation with gaming
Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away or not possible (sadness, anxiety, irritability)
Tolerance, the need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge
Inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming
Giving up other activities, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities due to gaming
Continuing to game despite problems
Deceiving family members or others about the amount of time spent on gaming
The use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness
Risk, having jeopardized or lost a job or relationship due to gaming
Under the proposed criteria, a diagnosis of internet gaming disorder would require experiencing five or more of these symptoms within a year. The condition can include gaming on the internet with others or alone.
Andrew P. Doan, MPH, MD, PhD
My Gaming Addiction Videos on YouTube: YouTube.com/@DrAndrewDoan
*The views expressed are of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the U.S. Navy, DHA or Department of Defense.
Thanks Andrew
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Thank you for bringing this up. This must be a new addition into the DSM because when I checked a few years ago, the condition wasn't yet defined. Although I am not a professional in the field of mental health, I am not sure what to make of the "having 5 or more" of the criteria from the list. It's easy for someone to downplay or exaggerate some of these symptoms... added to that the result could largely depend on the mood of the person on the day these questions are being asked. I believe that for self-aware individuals, there is an intuition that they have a gaming problem... they just know it's there. Where I think this evaluation might prove useful would be for individuals in self-denial of the negative impacts of their gaming habits on their lives.
I remember Andrew saying several years ago on the forum that an informal indicator of gaming addiction is: anyone who plays more than 4 hours a day is probably an addict.
INFO
Help for gamers here
Help for parents of gamers here
Help for spouses/SO's of gamers here
Parent's online meeting THURSDAY 9pmEST/EDT click here
Online meetings gaming addicts click here
Please help! Donate here