Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 22 June 2018
Science Says: What makes something truly addictive

By LINDSEY TANNER ing may do the same thing,
AP Medical Writer and some experts specu-
CHICAGO (AP) — Now that late that it may be added
the world's leading pub- to the next update.
lic health group says too The manual doesn't include
much Minecraft can be sex addiction because
an addiction, could overin- there's little evidence that
dulging in chocolate, exer- compulsive sexual behav-
cise, even sex, be next? ior has similar effects on the
The short answer is prob- brain.
ably not. Many excessive gamblers,
The new "gaming disor- gamers and sex "addicts"
der" classification from the have other psychiatric con-
World Health Organization ditions, including anxiety,
revives a debate in the attention deficit disorder
medical community about and depression, and some
whether behaviors can mental health special-
cause the same kind of ad- ists believe their compul-
dictive illness as drugs. sive behaviors are merely
The strictest definition of ad- symptoms of those diseases
diction refers to a disease rather than separate ad-
resulting from changes in dictions.
brain chemistry caused by In this Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 file photo, a college student plays a computer game at an Excessive use of the inter-
compulsive use of drugs or Internet cafe in Seoul, South Korea. net and smartphones is also
alcohol. The definition in- Associated Press absent from the psychiatric
cludes excessive use that or disease, and says more ally increasing amounts are trol use "to the point where manual and World Health
damages health, relation- research is needed to de- needed to get the same you're failing at life," she Organization's update.
ships, jobs and other parts termine if it qualifies as an effect, and brain changes said. Psychiatrists disagree on
of normal life. Brain re- addiction. lead to an inability to con- WHAT ABOUT BEHAVIOR? whether that is a true ad-
search supports that defi- DRUGS AND THE BRAIN trol use. The only behavior classi- diction — partly because
nition, and some imaging Certain drugs including opi- WHAT ABOUT OTHER SUB- fied as an addiction in the overuse is hard to mea-
studies have suggested oids and alcohol can over- STANCES? American Psychiatric Asso- sure when so many people
that excessive gaming activate the brain's reward Caffeine is a stimulant and ciation's diagnostic manual need to use their smart-
might affect the brain in circuit. That's the system also activates the brain's is compulsive gambling. To phones and the internet for
similar ways. that under normal circum- reward system, but to a be diagnosed, gamblers their jobs.
Under a looser definition, stances is activated when much lesser degree than must have several symp- DOES THE TERM MATTER?
addiction is considered "a people engage in "behav- addictive drugs. The "re- toms including repeat- The World Health Organi-
disease of extreme behav- iors conducive to survival" ward" can make people edly gambling increasing zation's decision to classify
ior. Any behavior carried to including eating and drink- feel more alert, and fre- amounts of money, lying excessive video gaming as
extreme that consumes you ing water when thirsty, ex- quent users can develop to hide gambling activity, an addiction means "gam-
and keeps you from doing plained Dr. Andrew Saxon, mild withdrawal symptoms feeling irritable or restless ing disorder" will be added
what you should be doing chairman of the associa- when they stop, includ- when trying to stop, and to this year's update to the
becomes an addiction as tion's addiction psychiatry ing headaches and tired- losing jobs or relationships organization's International
far as life is concerned," council. The brain chemi- ness. Caffeine-containing because of gambling. Re- Classification of Diseases.
said Dr. Walter Ling, a UCLA cal dopamine regulates chocolate may produce search suggests excessive Doctors worldwide use
psychiatrist. these behaviors, but nar- similar effects. Neither sub- gambling can affect the that document to diag-
In its widely used manual for cotic drugs can flood the stance causes the kinds of brain in ways similar to ad- nose physical and mental
diagnosing mental illness, brain with dopamine, en- life problems found in drug dictive drugs. Since the di- illnesses. Insurers, including
the American Psychiatric couraging repeated use addiction, although some agnostic manual was last Medicaid and Medicare,
Association calls excessive and making drug use more coffee drinkers develop a updated, in 2013, studies use billing codes listed
video gaming a "condition" rewarding that healthy be- tolerance to caffeine and have bolstered evidence there to make coverage
but not a formal diagnosis decisions.q
haviors, Saxon said. Eventu- need to drink more to get that excessive video gam-
the same "buzz" or sense of
alertness.
The World Health Organi-
zation recognizes caffeine
"dependence" as a disor-
der; the American Psychi-
atric Association does not
and says more research is
needed.
"The term 'addiction' is
tossed around pretty com-
monly, like 'chocoholic'
or saying you're addicted
to reality TV," said Dr. El-
len Selkie, a University of
Michigan physician who
In this Friday, Nov. 3, 2017 file photo, a man plays a game at In this Sept. 22, 2017, file photo, customers look at iPhone 8 and
the Paris Games Week in Paris. studies teens' use of digital iPhone 8 Plus phones at an Apple Store in San Francisco.
Associated Press technology. But addiction Associated Press
means an inability to con-