Computer game addiction is now officially a disease

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published the new classification catalog of mental illnesses (ICD-11) on June 18th. In it, she officially recognized computer game addiction as an independent disease for the first time. This is good news for those affected: it will be easier for them to get help early on in the future.

With the recognition of computer game addiction (also known as "gaming disorder" or "pathological computer use") as a disease, it can now be made as the main diagnosis for the first time - comparable to other addictions.

But this is the prerequisite for the coverage of the treatment costs by the statutory health insurances. When assuming costs, these are based on one of the common classification systems for diseases. In addition to the ICD-11 of the WHO, this is also the DSM-5 of the American Psychiatric Society, APA.

From the accompanying illness to the main diagnosis

“So far, therapists have only been able to diagnose pathological computer use as a concomitant disease. The person affected had to have at least one other mental disorder before a therapy was recognized without major difficulties, ”explains Dr. Tim Aalderink, senior psychologist at the Schön Klinik Bad Bramstedt. Seven years ago he established the first acute inpatient treatment focus for patients with computer addiction in Germany.

Catch severe disease progression in advance

Patients with computer addiction who come to inpatient therapy there have usually already suffered for a long time from very complex clinical pictures with a long course. Concomitant illnesses such as depression or social anxiety disorders are more the rule. "If these patients can now find outpatient care earlier, then, in the best case scenario, serious illnesses can be dealt with beforehand," says the expert.

Computer addiction is "not a harmless fooling around"

Anyone who uses smartphones, PCs and the like in a normal way does not need to take action: “The pathological use of computers is not harmless, during which one forgets one's surroundings and the pizza in the oven for a moment. It is a serious mental illness that places a heavy burden on those affected and their social environment. "

Loss of control and withdrawal

In the ICD-11, there are three diagnostic criteria for computer game addiction that occur over a longer period of time and occur in connection with neglect of social contacts outside of social media:

• the loss of control over the duration and frequency of gaming
• giving up other interests or activities
• as well as the fact that the person concerned continues or even increases his behavior despite the negative consequences.

Tags:  healthy workplace home remedies toadstool poison plants