90% of Compulsive Gamers are Not "Addicts"

Founder of clinic says compulsive gaming is social, not psychological.

By Steve Watts, 11/25/2008

The BBC reports that the vast majority of people who seek treatment for compulsive gaming habits aren't addicted. The word comes from Keith Bakker, founder of the Smith & Jones Centre in Amsterdam, Europe's only clinic for treating game addiction. After treating hundreds of compulsive gamers, Bakker has found that only 10% of gamers are truly addicts. "These kids come in showing some kind of symptoms that are similar to other addictions," he said, "but the more we work with these kids the less I believe we can call this an addiction. What many of these kids need is their parents and school teachers -- this is a social problem." The clinic has started to alter its treatment to hone the social skills of the compulsive gamers, rather than traditional addiction counseling.

Bakker finds that 80% of their patients have been bullied at school and simply feel lonely, and have sought out online game communities as a form of social interaction. The best treatment for these cases is to introduce a social, real-life place that they feel accepted. He suggests that parents are generally the best solution for stemming excessive gaming, by taking away the games if a player is developing compulsive habits. But 87% of online gamers are above the age of 18, and have to make their own choices of how much is too much.

Excessive game-playing isn't just a matter of relaxing a bit with a game after work. One example from the clinic played Call of Duty 4 for at least 10 hours per day. "Call of Duty was somewhere I felt accepted for the first time in my life," the anonymous gamer said. "I liked gaming because people couldn't see me, they accepted me as my online character. I was aware that I played too much but I didn't know what to do."

As a result of the new treatment plan, Bakker feels we shouldn't even use the word "addiction" to describe the problem. "If I continue to call gaming an addiction it takes away the element of choice these people have," he said. "In most cases of compulsive gaming, it is not an addiction and in that case, the solution lies elsewhere."

You might remember that last year the American Medical Association was being urged to officially recognize videogame addiction, but ultimately refused. We also explored stories from compulsive gamers in our Hook It to My Veins feature. Though it's good to hear the word "addiction" discounted from an official source, games -- like any hobby -- can be overindulged. If you find some of these habits hitting a little too close to home, it might be a good time to talk to friends and family about it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm glad people are fnally spending time to research this, I have to agree with what they discovered too, speaking from personal experience, talking with people really curbs your desire to play games.

Pretty much all gamers will say "Im not addicted". However I know a few people that spend on gaming what they would on a drug habbit...and who are in their mid 30s...still renting...single. And these are not even the WoW gamers that we all know are psychos...

The moment you neglect your health, relationship with others, finances...for gaming...Id consider you addicted as you've lost sight of whats important.

But that's exactly what they are disproving, that it's not an addiction but a social problem. It's a vicious cycle, since the more video games you play the more detached you are which forces you to play more which makes you more detached and so on. It's VERY hard to break the cycle as well.

I always thought gaming wasn't an addiction and this has pretty much made me certain that it's more related to social issues.

If you gave the average WoW "addict" a girlfriend , a million dollars and loads of friends I'm certain they wouldn't look back ( for the most part ) . Many game "addicts" don't feel accepted by social groups in their school , workplace and life in general but in MMROGP's or online games they can be Heroes , Elite , Popular , Rich , Handsome ad Succesful things they may not have in real life.

but dont u think social issue is one of the "starter" that will make some people become addicted to drugg/gaming because they are trying to get with drugg or virtual world what they can't have in reality ... ?????????????????????

(libellule leaving because he prefers to play open his left4dead box for the first time ^^)

Indeed, games can give you what you can't have. It's part of what makes them so good, but also so dangerous.

I think this is true with younger kids playing videogames. However, a person in his late 20's and above should be able to have a developed personality in a manner that these social aspecs don't really influence his life anymore. Once you are 30 you really shouldn't care that you're the "uncool" dude in your office no? lol... Those people in that age group that chose to play videogames a lot I think should be considered addicts. 

i like to play games with my niggas, i also like to play solo or with online buddies, when a very good game that i like comes out you betcha i will be on it day and night and of course eat in between and bathe, work etc i guess if you are on 24/7 and miss work and miss a full week of school and become a total hermit then yea your fuc'd and should totally become a game tester.