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Psychiatrist: WOW addiction more shameful than porn

Portland psychiatrist Dr. Jerald Block specialises in treating those who have a massively multiplayer online game problem.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Block added to the argument that he put forward in an editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry that 'Internet Addiction' should be a recognised term.

The good doctor believes that his clients are more ashamed of playing World of Warcraft than looking at pornographic images. He said, "Some people come in for trouble with Internet porn. But the computer gamers tend to be harder to treat. People feel a lot of shame around computer games. Whereas, it's socially acceptable to have a porn problem."

Regular Joes and many psychiatrists just don't understand the complex world of games or the jargon that goes with them, says Block. The struggle to reach level 70 is not understood, nor is being a member of a guild, or the mundanity of grinding.

He gave the example of a client who was a regular player of massively multiplayer online game EVE Online, and who after playing for years, had built up around $17,000 of virtual assets. Then another player took out a virtual contract on his life, and his character and assets were lost. Block said, "How does he describe that experience and have any of his friends understand it? It's so bizarre and otherworldly. In fact, it's so bizarre that many therapists don't want to go there."

360 Comments

  • dijad1

    Posted Dec 18, 2008 10:15 pm GMT

    What many people dont understand about EVE is that getting to that point takes alot of time. You can't grind through hordes of enemies to get experiance, training is just a turn on and wait thing. And money on that scale, $17,000, converted to ISK (eve money) would be insane. Game time cards for 60 days (about 28 dollars) sell for around 500mil isk, give or take, as the player driven economy fluctuates on real supply and demand. The point is he spent alot of time and effort to get to there, but the wierdness is its a virtual world. People who havent done it have no frame of referance. To make it simple : You've spent the last three years at a job you love, worked hard, risen in the company, and made alot of money. Somebody takes your job, steals all your money, and you're left to pick up the pieces.

  • downloadthefile

    Posted Dec 9, 2008 5:26 pm GMT

    wow....my first reaction was that EVE Online must really suck if all that work is lost....and $17,000 is seriously too small of a number for me to believe it was a lot. I mean, come on, doesn't it take place in the future? With inflation, thats like $5.00 today.

    and obviously porn is a more acceptable addiction....it just says you like watching people have sex as opposed to leveling all the time.

  • Aternal

    Posted Dec 7, 2008 7:32 pm GMT

    Crying to a psychiatrist about playing video games? Interesting...

  • The_Blademaster

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 10:06 pm GMT

    oooookkkkk....sooooo I dunno, start a new game maybe? Try something new? If its that big of a deal for someone to die in a video game, don't play the game. This is really kinda lame...

  • vietboi89

    Posted Nov 25, 2008 5:15 pm GMT

    huh wat would be more embarrassing to tell a girl? the fact that u are strangely addicted to porn or u like to spend some time playing a video game
    seriously if there are losers out there who are ashamed of playing whatever game then they fail if u do feel embarrassed about it then dont do it its a video game for christ sake its not like ur chronically masturbating to it, are you?

  • DivineChampion

    Posted Oct 13, 2008 12:22 pm GMT

    Don't let these Psychiatrist douchebags be the judge.
    LET YOUR MOMS BE THE JUDGE!

    Besides Porn and WoW go hand to hand. Its like wine and cheese.

  • snake_6483

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 5:26 am GMT

    Man... what have i been missing...
    i leveled to 70 three times now and havent gotten to porn yet...
    according to this im above that ^_^ feels good to be a nerd!

  • PieCrusher

    Posted Jul 20, 2008 12:31 pm GMT

    lmao. that is so sad. in a way it makes sense but seriously!

  • mynamesnotjohn

    Posted Jul 18, 2008 10:45 pm GMT

    World of Warcraft is an extremely addictive game. It may not be after a month or so of game play but once you learn the game mechanics level a toon and find yourself raiding or PVPing and getting good at it... thats when you can get into trouble. I played for a couple years before I just had to put the game down. It just took way too much time. A simple hour of questing in my mind could turn into 8 or 10 without even realizing it. I'm not sure if its the social aspect of the game or the unique way Blizzard has create a virtual economy but it can suck you in. As you find guilds to raid with later on at your level cap you actually become friends with some of the members you meet and the game is extremely fun and simple with endless quests, instances, battlegrounds, raids, skills, etc. to do. Yes the game is fun to play but if you decide on playing this game know it can suck you right in to a point were you lose a concept of time.

  • thicknick

    Posted Jun 28, 2008 6:35 pm GMT

    I love porn and I love MMO's but if I had to give up one, it'd be MMO's. In fact I've been MMO sober for 4 months now

    Actually I do understand that MMO's can be addicting in a much more severe way than porn. Any serious gamer who claims that WoW or CoV never got in the way of their homework or something else is probably lying. Whereas you could easily be done looking at porn in 20-30 minutes, you'll be playing your MMO for hours. Additionally, MMOs offer community which makes the addiction much harder to break.

    It's a real phenomemon. It's just like getting addicted to drugs. Sometimes after a while you just don't like doing the drugs but you keep doing it because your body needs it and because you are surrounded by people who expect you to do it.

    Anyway, I am ashamed of gaming sometimes because my friends and I are sort of a hybrid group of jocks and nerds, and I fall in between. So when I'm picking up chicks, I won't bring up my account on City of Heroes or list all the free MMO's I've played. And I think people who are addicted to any game should seek to break that addiction. There are many more productive things to do.

    I was sickened by the group of 20 or so people who would do nothing but play games for 9 hours in the Student Union at my university every day. Many of them were friends of mine but I just find that level of obsession difficult to respect. To all those of you who aren't ashamed of playing games, good for you. I just hope you keep it to a healthy level (and I don't mean Level 70).

  • Bonzeemer

    Posted Jun 28, 2008 1:33 pm GMT

    I'm addicted to reading articles about people who are addicted to WoW and Porn.

  • smartgrunt

    Posted Jun 21, 2008 7:57 am GMT

    Honestly, its all bull **** The American Medical Association is considering adding video game addiction to its list of disorders. Ive been taking psychology for about a year in college, and you have to understand that people can get addicted to anything that is self gratifying. Its simple, they want you to pay money for your problems; medication, therapy, research. You are not addicted, you have no self discipline or responsibility. Quit blaming it on "disorders" and take responsibility for your actions.

  • I_pWnzz_YoU

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 8:20 pm GMT

    I'm not ashamed of play MMO's or looking at porn.

    Take that "Jerald"!

  • Dzoldzaya

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 3:48 am GMT

    Although, in my opinion, porn is infinitely more shameful than games, I can totally understand why gamers feel ashamed of MMO's. Except for about ten minutes of fun questing or atmospheric feeling every few hours, they are pathetically, desperately dull and they are, in my experience, more of an addiction than a game. I, like many others, start a game wanting to 'be' a character in a beautiful fantastical world, discover the intricacies of it's nature, characters and politics and have an inflluence on the events within the world. However, after this excitement passes, almost everyone just plays to reach the next level, using socialising, usually completely out-of-role, in a futile attempt to relieve the boredom. It's a cruel, addictive world out there in MMO-land.

  • ian5678

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 12:48 pm GMT

    His clients are probably nerds who play wow all day and when they go to look at porn and stuff they get all flustered and turn off the screen and go play dungeons and dragons to relax.

  • Pork_Lord

    Posted Jun 16, 2008 1:05 am GMT

    I'm ashamed of how LITTLE I play MMO's

  • sher30kayla

    Posted Jun 13, 2008 5:28 am GMT

    Honestly, I can see how some people may get addicted. I mean, you can spend hours playing and not really see that the time flew by. But, for me, I have my job, my house, my kid...etc. so life kind of took me away from WoW probably more often than I wanted LOL! So I guess...lucky me! haha! Anyways, I think it's probable but for most people they need to make a living and all that good stuff so it doesn't happen as often as porn or other types of addictions. You gotta make money to pay for your monthly fees.

  • ph4zr

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 10:17 pm GMT

    "Psychological dependency is a dependency of the mind, and leads to psychological withdrawal symptoms **(such as cravings, irritability, insomnia, depression, anorexia, etc)**. Addiction can in theory be derived from any rewarding behaviour, and is believed to be strongly associated with the dopaminergic system of the brain's reward system (as in the case of cocaine and amphetamines)."

    Also from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

    Just to sort of point out what "gaming addiction withdrawal" //might// look like if it was real. So if a cessation of gaming causes you to experience those effects, it //might// mean you are addicted.

    Obviously, again, the sources are not cited in that section, so take it with a grain of salt unless you find it somewhere else (preferably a reputable source). Eventually I'll probably look further into it myself, rather than just taking a casual glance at the matter as I'm doing now.

    Unfortunately, the article itself is not locked against random revisions, so the above warning can't be over-emphasized with such a popular topic as addiction.

  • ph4zr

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 10:03 pm GMT

    "Nowadays, however, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction

    Admittedly, that particular part doesn't cite its source, but the point is that you can potentially become addicted to anything. It doesn't specifically have to be "addicting". The psychologist in the article assumes the addiction, and comments on the shame felt by those who are //already addicted// and are seeking help, and says nothing about the process of becoming addicted or if MMOGs cause an addiction for the majority of their players. You may note the fact that he says only that //his// clients indicate greater shame for MMOG addiction than for porn addiction. He isn't saying one is more "morally depraved" or anything like that. As far as THAT topic goes, I'm not going to comment either way.

    With regard to the $17k worth of online assets snippet, which seems to have bothered one or two of you, it doesn't necessarily imply that the person paid for the in-game assets, just that their valuation (for example, based on average eBay prices) is estimated at $17k. For arguments sake, lets say that 100mil in game currency is worth $5, then 1bil is $50, and 500bil is already $25k.

  • Wigster666

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 1:50 pm GMT

    I dont see why people play wow, it looks like a kid has drawn it nd yes i have played it i didnt see the appeal. Its just a bit sad people will spend all their time on that game and runescape (cant believe people still play that).

  • Viryn_Sane

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 7:48 am GMT

    Never understood the whole addicted to a game thing. That's ridiculous. Addiction affects people who abuse narcotics, opiates, etc. Not a freakin' computer game! Get real!

  • welshingham

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 5:42 am GMT

    This is obviously another dumbass with nothing better to do trying to take another stab at the gaming industry. Maybe its possible i dunno never met a person like that and i know alot of gamers but honestly its sounds like crap to me. Just another idiot trying to make a stab at the gaming industry.

  • invis444

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 4:09 am GMT

    Carp!!

  • Nawras

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 3:19 am GMT

    Well at least this good doc is trying...

  • DriveLink

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 2:38 am GMT

    Screw that, if your playing just play and don't be ashamed of it. Those "Weak minded cowards" who diss you and don't even try to understand the others can just bend over and take it up the shaft. Of course you have to get out every once in a while. Bet when you get back the game is even better.

  • stziggy

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 12:23 am GMT

    All those years of my mother telling me I'm throwing my life away on video games does take its toll when I fire up the PC or PS2. Dr. Block is right on the money.

  • samfreak

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:30 pm GMT

    who cares about those WoW addicts? They choose not to do anything else other than play WoW... Or spend money on an online game. its their fault... they should pay the consequences. People like them make the world go round by spending so much money.

  • nappan

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 7:25 pm GMT

    While I agree that being addicted to something as repetitive and bland as a MMORPG is a shameful thing, this is clearly the move of someone fluffling the field he specializes in. Frankly I think it's unethical for a medical doctor (which a psychiatrist is) to do such a thing. Imagine the outrage if a plastic surgeon came out and said "Anything Less than a full C cup breast is deformed, get it fixed girls." People would catch on to that right away. Besides, just what shame is supposed to be attatchjed to porn and how does one man define and quantify or qualify shame? Ridiculous. Gamers and fellow SA goons should say this kind of thing, not someone with an MD.

    "How does he describe that experience and have any of his friends understand it? It's so bizarre and otherworldly. In fact, it's so bizarre that many therapists don't want to go there."


    Oh right... therapists can talk to patients about being the victims of rape or incest, but losing virtual property? WHOOOAAAA too freaky man. *rolleyes*

  • KamuiFei

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 6:26 pm GMT

    I played WoW for over 2 years, and I felt the addiction slowing starting. Thankfully, I knew enough to quit before it got out-of-hand. Porn isn't shameful at all, it's honestly a natural thing and I don't know a single guy that hasn't watched or seen porn before. The problem with porn sometimes is that sites that show porn display it as a dirty thing, when its only a man and woman having sex.

  • xMakaveli

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 6:02 pm GMT

    um....IMAGES??? who even looks at images anymore?

  • shipleyre

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 4:37 pm GMT

    Hey Dr. you're full of crap. Wow is entertainment just like watching TV, going to the movies etc...And even porn. You should concentrate on Alcoholics, drug addicts and serious mentally handicapped people. So unless you have played WoW keep your ideas private with your clients. All you know about WoW is what your weak-minded clients tell you. Sign up for World of warcraft level your toon to 70 and the professions to the max level then get all the correct Tier Armor you can then come back and give us your comments.

  • eiadrtr

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:55 pm GMT

    man who watchs porn has some problom if u watch porn then u are sick

  • eiadrtr

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:54 pm GMT

    man im start to feel bord from wow and i once knew people whp play wow for 2 years every day none stop in the end they stoped playing it and they went to college

  • Warghost2k

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:40 pm GMT

    In other words, this "specialist" isn't good enough at diagnosing and treating REAL ailments, so he has to fabricate problems in society that typically don' t exist. Fact is, games have improved many traits in people, including memory function, hand-eye coordination, stress relief, and general problem solving. As a whole, I think humanity will benefit from games more than it will hinder us. Yes, we have all heard the stories of people becoming addicted to games. Some people can become addicted to ANYTHING. There are people who are addicted to eating, smoking, driving, working, etc. A good piece of advice would be to stay the hell away from those people if you can. Anyway, most people would probably consider playing an MMO for more than 20 hours a week to be "addicted", but those same people are watching 20-40+ hours of television per week and think nothing of it. The bottom line is that most people can control themselves and do things in moderation, and needing this "specialist" to cure people from video games is just stupid.

  • Wutang233

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:29 pm GMT

    WoW people are wierd

  • Warghost2k

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:26 pm GMT

    Ashamed of playing video games? That's ridiculous. Ashamed of being addicted to an MMO? First of all, most ignorant people would consider 20+ hours a week playing a game as "addicted". But, those same people of lesser intelligence also don't understand when you tell them that they are addicted to television, since they spend WELL over 20 hours a week watching it. Anyone who has ever tried to tell me I play too much usually gets a laundry list of reasons why playing video games is more conducive to a higher quality of life that their hobby (stress relief, hand-eye coordination, decision making, etc). Personally, I think video games in general are helping the human race evolve our minds. It's much better for the body and mind than manual labor ever was.

  • wotchadec

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:05 pm GMT

    I used to play an MMO. Then I discovered women, parties, alcohol, drugs and music. Thanks to those things, my life has made a turn for the better. Wait...is that better...?

  • LycoFenris

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:17 am GMT

    "WormyTheWorm" said "If some people are addicted to MMO games and others are addicted to porn.... imagine if someone made a MMO game that didnt have a sword and sorcery or futuristic theme, but was SET IN A DIMENSION WHERE EVERYTHING IS PORN ! "

    lol... World of Whorecraft

  • techpunk

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:07 am GMT

    I think they should try something I've seen on poker sites. If you're having a gambling problem you can lock yourself out for a number of days (I forget, but I think it was like 30-90). This means you can't play or deposit money, no matter what, for that time. I think it might be at least some help in the MMO world, in that, you come to a realization one day and use this feature. If you have a weakness or whatever later, tough, you can' t play.
    Younger player's parents should be able to lock them out anyway, but they could use this on them too.

  • Crapperson

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:06 am GMT

    I know for me, I'm not the biggest fan of WoW or anything like that. However, I did one time think I was depressed (I was living with four girls and I'm a dude, so I started to think like one and was deprived of all manliness, WHO WOULDN'T BE MESSED UP!?) and some quack psychiatrist (like all of them) gave me medication. That was the solution?! To them it was. Why would/should anyone believe a crowd like that?
    On the opposing side, there are certain things that can be mitigated and cured through psychologically altering medication (i.e. schizophrenia), so psychiatrists aren't all bad. But ADD people shouldn't necessarily be put on meds, they should be helped through more effective means. The whole thing's just another way to control people.

  • BadAshJL

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:06 am GMT

    I'd be ashamed of playing WoW too

  • Mcgnnis1

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 10:10 am GMT

    I don't think that I'll ever be ashamed of playing an MMO no matter what..in fact i would proudly say that i am an MMO player and would continue to do so.

  • edhc44

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 9:42 am GMT

    I'm no longer ashamed of being a gamer, although I've been for too long. The problem is, gamers are a socially impaired croud, but not BECAUSE we play, we were like that to begin with and found in gaming a relaxing escape from this cruel reality. And we know we have problems with society accepting us but since society labels us "gamers" as a synonym to all the problems we have that LED us to become gamers, being a gamer or a game addict seems something shameful. I can say that based on my own experience, but I've set myself free from those problems but never stopped being a gamer, and today I'm proud not only of showing that but as I'm proud of trying to get to work in the industry and telling people that.

  • Proman84

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 9:27 am GMT

    ...Well, as long as it's good porn...

    Now imagine what would happen if they combined Pr0n and WOW!

  • Timstuff

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 9:09 am GMT

    Let's see... Supporting an industry that regularly exploits women, contributes to sexual disorders, aggressively peruses teenagers and children as customers for sexual entertainment, and has overall degraded sexuality in America, versus playing a dumb video game... And it's the dumb video game is considered shameful. Only in America, people...

  • jonzilla_basic

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 8:58 am GMT

    hahahaha thats so funny. This is a true addiction. But to feel ashamed more of that than Porn just goes to show you the Morales of this world and its value.

  • Elythecool

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 8:50 am GMT

    I feel sorry for most WOW players, There probably addicted to porn too lol

  • Mr_Unko

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 8:40 am GMT

    Those who are ashamed of playing wow SHOULDN'T play wow. Damn hypocrites

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