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World of Warcraft: Doctor Entering Game to Help Addicts
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
Falling into the "not sure if this is going to work, but it's worth a shot" category, Daily Tech is reporting that a London Psychiatrist is planning to go into World of Warcraft in the hopes of helping to treat the disease.
Therapists around the world are still debating about whether gaming fixation can be an official addiction and thus a type of mental disorder. Incidents such as the occasional death of players in China or South Korea during gaming marathons certainly lend credence to such claims, but the American Medical Association still doesn't recognize the addiction. A recent Swedish study on the other hand, not only found gaming to be addictive, but found the psychological effects of gaming addiction to be more severe than those of crack cocaine addiction.
However, the debate over the legitimacy of the possible mental health affliction rages many are looking to actively treat it. Among these is Dr. Richard Graham, a prominent London psychiatrist. Dr. Graham is taking an innovative approach to treat the disease -- he's entering the world of the gamers, joining World of Warcraft this fall. He hopes other therapists and mental health experts follow his lead.
The article itself is unclear on Dr. Graham's actual method for trying to cure WoW addicts, but going into games in an attempt to help to solve the problem is a... unique approach
Read more here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
Why do I have a feeling this might be something he won't be able to handle, and we may hear of our Doctor's adventures in Naxx soon?
Just lol... but I got respect for they guy, he atleast trys to do something , takes initiative ! I can only cheer on that
Next article posted will be:
Doctor who entered World of Warcraft to help addicts becomes one himself.
Just kidding, I hope he has a successfull time. I'm sure he will. I wonder what he picked for a character? hmmmmm
Having played WoW a few years back, I recognize that there are addicting aspects to the game. With what I read of the new features of the game since I quit, it would seem that WoW developers has certainly taken measures to ensure member retention. I don't think it's necessary to name how WoW can sap your life, if you let it.
The article is an interesting read, although gaming addiction is nothing new. Rather than blindly trying to "cure" people; instead, more focus should be aimed at those who are more at risk. Not everyone sinks into addiction in the same way or to the same degree, so identifying factors in other aspects of a player's life that would lead to likelihood of addiction is more effective, because those are curable/preventable social phenomenons. I think it's going to be very difficult to discourage addictive behavior. However, if you take away some of the factors that encourages addictive gaming tendencies, then you have already won half the battle.
As a player, I would be offended if a random character claiming to be a psychologist implies that "You need help". Not all players are addicts, and only those (for the sake of sticking to the point) who are motivated to change their own lifestyle will benefit from psychological help via cyberspace.
An ounce of prevention > a pound of cure.
The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
Truth be told if they were not addicted to WoW and other games they be addicted to something else such as crack,drink,sex,pie etc. Understand it all you like but theres no cure for addiction if your that sort of person.
Eh... MMORPGs are just being looked at like rock/metal music was looked at 20-30 years ago now that it is growing...
Lol he will probably crack once he sees barrens chat.
Trolls = Hardcore
Fanbois = Carebears
The only posts I read in threads are my own.
I just don't know how seriously I'd take a dr. who has his own char. And how does he find people to help? Does he wait and whisper people who publically say they're addicted? Seems weird. People who are compulsive are going to find something. If you really want to help them you get to the root of their problems which can be a lifelong process and only if they're ready for it.
Should games be considered as beeing addictive ? Yes
Should MMO games be considered as more additcive than other kinds of games ? Yes
MMO games are alot of the time created to get you hooked on a satisfactiory feeling that gets dragged along the further and further you get into the game. These games are CREATED to get ppl addicted. Pay only 15$ a month (and ruin the rest of your life - as as subtext).
Why is there no time limit on these accounts btw? Maybe its something that the MMO comunity should start to take into consideration.
Whats an addict ? One definition is that you are addictive to things that you think about more than 5-10 times per day in real life situtations. Now.... I know that school ofc isn't really considered as RL and half of students could get through it thinking about WOW all the time... but then... whats there left for those kids further down the line ?
I personally know of few cases where ppl litterally played their life away as adults - loosing pretty much everything they had worked for in the past - including house and family. It is real - and it is a disorder and these ppl are addicts.
You know... Asian countries are now resticting internet use (including gaming time). Maybe its time that Western countries do the same. Maybe its time that kids realise that noone will remember who "IAMDABEST" lvl 80 EPIC character was in 10 years time. That character is worth absolutly nothing.. And the sad truth is that the person playing it will probably be worth the same....
Think about it...
How about no? Oh, wait! I don't live in one of those western countries so I don't really care.
I'm just cool like that.
ITT: retards with little to no self control
Hah, yeah and while we're at it let's have the government decide -where- we can go on the internet. Then let's have them decide what we can look at, what we can download (legally of course), who we can talk to and so on and so on. It's complete and utter trash.
Video game addiction starts young. It's when PARENTS don't monitor how involved their kids get with video games, especially mmo's. When did responsability for your children become the last thing anyone brings up? Why is it such a taboo thing to bring up when parents make a mistake? Let's say I make a mistake on a term paper, well you KNOW that the doctor looking at it is going to let me know about it. That's just a freaking academic paper, not me RAISING ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. You're not a bad parent if you let your kids play too many video games for too long, you're a bad parent when you think you can't try to be a better one.
Alright, sorry to get all after school special, but I'm just sick of crap like this. I don't have kids myself, but I had great parents and mentors. It's time for people to stop giving people practicing passive parenting more ammo to brush their mistakes under the rug. /rant off
The only way I can see his game time being at all effective, is that with first hand experience of the game, he could conceivably be better equipped to help someone that is addicted to online gaming. I would think his future patient would feel more connection with a doctor that had actual gaming experience.
That, or he already plays WoW and is just trying to find a legitimate way to get paid to play.
So if ppl can get addictive to MMO games then these games can be considered addictive ? Anorexia or smoking doesn't make Game addiction any less of an addiction. Or is anoerxia officially a mental disease and smoking the legal way of beeing stoned ? Anorexic person will not smoke ?
How long is it since sigarette companies claimed that smoking did not in any way increase the likelyhood of ppl getting lungcancer ? 30 years ? Who paid the price other than the ppl that got additive to Nicotine ? --- Society maybe ? Not the sigarette companies until few years ago...
Don't do it! Its a TRAP!!! Its not called Warcrack for nothing!
Come on people wake up the story is false.... The good doctors mom didnt let him play Diablo 2 when he was younger and this is just an excuse for him to start playing a game. eleos
True that, if you have an addictive personality you can pretty much get addicted to anything. WoW not being one of them for me but oh man FFXI was like space crack for me. I'm getting better with my addictions I rarely drink, I only smoke herb when I can afford it, Ive tried to occupy my self with playing the guitar. Now lets see if I get addicted to Aion or Fallen Earth its been a long time since Ive been addicted to a video game.
i've been playing games for over 20 years i highly doubt i could be helped by someone saying that they are a doctor in WoW or any other game, for me it'd be kinda hard to believe them.
Lol this will be interesting to say the least.
However, I think categorizing gaming addiction as a disease is a misnomer. That would be like saying any addiction (drinking, gambling, smoking, x-treme sports) is a disease. It's a state of mind, yes, but it isn't something that requires medical attention or any kind of medicine. Most of the stated is simply habitual. Just my 2 cent.
Western countries should not limit time spent on mmos..If they do it should only be as a "prescription" from a diagnosing physician. They said the psychological effect of mmo addiction is worse than crack.?,,,really...a bit extreme. I know it can be bad for some but I've never heard of regular shooting deaths, and daily"overdoses" caused from playing mmos. No one has ever jacked my car to support their monthly subscription habit.
Addiction or no addiction, I can tell you my wife is just glad I am home playing games & not at the bar several nights a week.
Oh the horrors, the HORRORS!!
Can you imagine what a shrink could do with some of the conversations that we've all seen WAY too many of there?... 
Oh the horrors, the HORRORS!!
Can you imagine what a shrink could do with some of the conversations that we've all seen WAY too many of there?... 
ah the good old barrens chat with all the lame chuck norris jokes after playing WoW for 5 years i try and stay away from there.