I'll preface this by saying my background is in education, not psychology or psychiatry. I'm approaching this from a direct, frontline mindset, not a clinical one. I do believe that gaming addiction does share SOME similarities with other addictions, but I will say I also believe there are inherent, critical differences between gaming and, let's say, alcoholism or drug use which make dealing with it a much different task. The DSM-5 lists internet gaming addiction as a condition for further study, and I feel that is appropriate. Certain social conditions make gaming addiction an issue, and those need to be corrected before progress can be made against the growth of this problem. Do I support classification as a separate condition? At the moment, I'm not sure, but I lean to "no". I feel the precursory matters of gaming addiction are different enough from other addictions to warrant another approach.
As for the concept of moderation, I understand this is a divisive issue. Knowing as many alcoholics as I do, I can offer a comparison. It is (for lack of a better term) easier to avoid alcohol than video games. Don't go to a bar or restaurants that serve it, avoid the ballpark, etc. Yes, it can be sold at the grocery store, but aside from that, places that specifically serve alcohol can be avoided, despite some lifestyle changes being necessary. I may enjoy Applebee's, but I'm not going to go there if I'm getting dinner with a friend struggling with alcoholism. It's much harder to avoid video games. Practically every major store carries them. If someone needs to get an ink cartridge at Best Buy, they'll walk past a rack with the new World of Warcraft expansion. Any Wal-Mart or Meijer (a Michigan and Great Lakes area department store chain) has a massive electronics section. The average shopping mall has 2-5 stores that carry games, if not exclusively than to a great degree. If I buy a board game or even clothing on Amazon, I get recommendations for the last Call of Duty installment. Visit any webpage on a phone and the ad space will tout the newest "free-to-play" (a phrase that should be completely banned) game which can be downloaded with a couple taps.
Simply put, alcohol can be for the most part avoided, gaming must be actively, and perpetually, resisted. For some, mitigation can come in the form of moderation, and I believe that for those who can achieve this, it is a worthwhile goal. This, however, should not be attempted if the person addicted has already tried and failed self-regulation, and any medical professional who suggests this after knowing a history of failure should not be visited again. Being on here only briefly, I will say I strongly support the general vibe I'm getting (and anyone may correct me if I'm wrong) - abstinence is better than playing with fire. I think a great task for all those trying to help is to figure out strategies for the recovering gamer to avoid a temptation as common as water in the ocean.
Just my thoughts. Thank you for listening.
Josef