James
MyGaming Alumnus
Anti-depresasnts successful in treating StarCraft addicts
Study shows Bupropion helps with gaming addiction.
Study shows Bupropion helps with gaming addiction.
Anti-depresasnts successful in treating StarCraft addicts
- Thread starter James
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HavocXphere
New member
But not spelling. /runs
Before I met my amazing wife I dated this girl that had bi-polar manic depression. She was on lithium and I only found out later in the relationship. It was the funniest thing though, she never really got too upset about anything but also never got too happy about anything either - like a b-flat solid line. Shame man. lol
RobRoy
New member
Addiction to anything ie alcohol, drugs, exercise etc etc is simply a symptom of underlying problems. Some people have an addictive personality, often shown to be genetic. Gaming just provides an easy scapegoat because of the stereotypes associated with it. Eg. The 40 year old WOW addict living in his mothers basement.
@ Tsar: They have that potential, but also the huge potential to improve a persons quality of life if administered and managed carefully.
@ Tsar: They have that potential, but also the huge potential to improve a persons quality of life if administered and managed carefully.
Tsar
The thing that should not be
And that is never done. I have seen plenty of people put onto those drugs and they did not do them any good.
RobRoy
New member
There could be several reasons for that. Some AD's don't mix well with certain individuals and can cause hectic side-effects, whereas the same drug could work wonders for another. It does depend alot on the doctor prescribing them. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for many GP's, who actually have no clue as to how they are meant to be used, to dish them out like sweeties. Only psychiatrists really have the know-how to effectively and safely implement drug therapy. Another huge problem is the tendency of these types of patients to not stick to their dosage creating the impression that they are not working, when in fact they are not even being given the chance to work.
I am curious though, how many people have you seen put onto those drugs? Do you work at a hospital?
I am curious though, how many people have you seen put onto those drugs? Do you work at a hospital?
Tsar
The thing that should not be
No but I have been friends with allot of people who are on them and my aunt and grandmother were on them at one point. And no the people I knew were not emos. I just think you can't solve mental issues with drugs.
RobRoy
New member
I agree with you there, they should never be thought to be a magical cure and should never be given out lightly. However, for some people there is no other option. Like people with borderline personality disorder or Type II Bipolar and even severe clinical depression cannot function in everyday life and no one, even therapists, can get through to them. This is when drugs can be very useful, as they can at least level the person out so that they may be more receptive to other forms of therapeutic treatment. The goal should never be to "fix" a person with drugs, rather to use them to complement other methods and eventually for the person to be able to function without them.
But if a person who has a mortgage to pay is allowed to at least work and function partially through the use of AD's whereas without them they can't even leave their house, then that is a success. Again however, should never be thought of as a permanent or long term solution.
But if a person who has a mortgage to pay is allowed to at least work and function partially through the use of AD's whereas without them they can't even leave their house, then that is a success. Again however, should never be thought of as a permanent or long term solution.
strawberry
New member
Human beings have evolved to only attain a sense of well being when we accomplish the satisfaction of certain needs. These needs are outlined in a theory called: Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs.
When one's life is dominated by gaming for an inordinate amount of hours per day (as is a requisite for the diagnosis of an addiction http://addictions.about.com/od/substancedependence/f/dsmsubdep.htm) then one cannot achieve those needs as outlined by Maslow. When one cannot meet the higher order needs, one becomes unhappy. When people become unhappy and remain unhappy over a long period of time due to bad life-style choices, statistics show that people re-attain happiness more easily and more certainly when the intervention process includes a pharmaceutical component (http://helpguide.org/mental/medications_depression.htm#effectiveness).
Entertainment is of course merely a tier 1 need. To attain happiness we must move up the heirarchy and satisfy increasingly higher order needs. At least, this is what the theory purports. I could be mistaken (my memory of this basic theory has faded with time and I am not abreast to new developments in research) but I do believe that this is a good theory that holds quite true when subjected to rigorous testing.
PS i dont know how to resize the image. my bad
When one's life is dominated by gaming for an inordinate amount of hours per day (as is a requisite for the diagnosis of an addiction http://addictions.about.com/od/substancedependence/f/dsmsubdep.htm) then one cannot achieve those needs as outlined by Maslow. When one cannot meet the higher order needs, one becomes unhappy. When people become unhappy and remain unhappy over a long period of time due to bad life-style choices, statistics show that people re-attain happiness more easily and more certainly when the intervention process includes a pharmaceutical component (http://helpguide.org/mental/medications_depression.htm#effectiveness).
Entertainment is of course merely a tier 1 need. To attain happiness we must move up the heirarchy and satisfy increasingly higher order needs. At least, this is what the theory purports. I could be mistaken (my memory of this basic theory has faded with time and I am not abreast to new developments in research) but I do believe that this is a good theory that holds quite true when subjected to rigorous testing.
PS i dont know how to resize the image. my bad
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Shamrock
New member
If pharmaceutical companies had things their way we'd all be diagnosed mentally ill. If I'm depressed I'd like to fix it instead of covering it up, and introducing a method of helping me use 30% of my gaming time for something else by putting me on hard core drugs sounds absolutely retarded. But hey, that's just me.
Also, giving anti-depressants to addicts isn't a treatment, its substitution, like no longer using crack but then becoming an alcoholic. Anti-depressants are also highly addictive because they are a crutch! In the case of giving it to Starcraft addicts, they should stick with the Starcraft, far less side effects and long term health/mental implications and you can make a career out of it.
The more I think about it, this really is just about pushing anti-depressants to people who don't need/shouldn't use them for extra cash.
The more I think about it, this really is just about pushing anti-depressants to people who don't need/shouldn't use them for extra cash.
stabularasa
New member
I agree with some of what you're saying, that anti-depressants are pushed unnecessarily far too often at the moment, but drug mentioned in the article, buproprion, which is better known as Wellbutrin, has had quite some success and I've personally seen it work to help people quit smoking. Also blanket statements like "giving anti-depressants to addicts isn't a treatment, its substitution, like no longer using crack but then becoming an alcoholic" are a bit near sighted. Consider the marginal effectiveness of weaning heroin addicts off the needle by using methadone.
"Starcraft addiction" does sound quite ridiculous to me though. I've been playing games for 25 years and I've never felt addicted to any of them. It's difficult to imagine but I guess anything is possible.
RobRoy
New member
Not really, the point about giving these drugs to addicts is that addiction comes about as a result of an underlying problem, such as depression. These drugs have been shown to be effective in many cases with the treatment of depression in conjunction with other forms of treatment such as therapy. If a person can be helped with their depression, chances are it will be easier to treat their addiction problem. Also, many of the newer drugs have far less side effects than the ones that came before, although they are still there. However, as i mentioned before, drugs should never be seen as a permanent solution but rather an additional measure to allow other long term treatments to have effect. In addition, with proper management, people can be weened off these drugs without much trouble.
Of course the pharmaceutical companies want people to use more drugs. We live in a capitalistic society. They're in it to make money. Like antibiotics, which are becoming less and less effective due to over-prescription, but the pharma companies arent complaining. Any AD's should be given on an individual basis by a doctor qualified to do so and in conjunction with a psychologist. Unfortunately, like many things, the system isn't perfect and we have to rely on the ethics and knowledge of the doctors to use these drugs correctly.
Cobalt
New member
wow, most generalised statement ever. "NEVER". I can honestly say that out of all medications I have seen prescribed, I have seen the best patient improvement on SSRI's. Anxiety and depression are crippling diseases which when treated correctly have an amazing prognosis.
Please refrain from making unsubstantiated claims like that. I am sure you have friends that have not done well. I also have seen patients not respond to asthma meds, diabetic meds, epileptic meds etc etc. You are propagating a stigma which is causing people to look for help too late...(often after suicidal attempts etc)
Sorry for this bit of a rant, but its a sensitive issue for me. I accept your difference of opinion (and when it comes to games I almost always agree with you).
I also saw your later comment...that you treated your depression yourself...I am very glad for you. But just like any illness there are varying degrees. If only we were all the same human being, with the same genetic code capable of the same efforts. Unfortunately not. I am sure there are many people reading this forum right now feeling "weak" for relying on medications which "hide your illness". SSRI's do not merely mask the symptoms of depression and anxiety. I would really recommend a lesson in tact and sensitivity.
Sure, this article seems to imply that gaming addiction is an illness which requires medical treatment. Absolute rubbish. Often asocial people with severe anxiety/depressive disorders become withdrawn into fantasy worlds as a means of coping. Treatment of their underlying conditions could very well be needed...but to label gaming the illness is just dumb.
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Shamrock
New member
I'd respond but it's probably not the right place for it. My main idea is I feel much better knowing I control my feelings rather than them being monitored by random chemicals on my brain. If I'm depressed I'd like to fix it, not take heavy drugs.
Cobalt
New member
Unfortunately your feelings ARE "random" chemicals in your brain. With long episodes of depression, as a result of environment or biological/genetic factors, your neuroreceptors in your brain down regulate. So no matter how much you try to "look on the bright side" you quite simply do not have the ability to improve your mood. By this i refer to extreme depression. not merely I'm feeling sad.
I do agree that antidepressants should be the last line of treatment. Psychology, exercise, improved diet are the first lines of treatment, but where these fail (i.e. the neurochemicals in your brain are to far downregulated) drugs become necesary. People also seem to have the misconception you are on them forever. Mostly you will be on an SSRI for between 6 - 9months before tapering.
But I think I'm getting to medically opionated now, so each to his own. But if anyone is reading this that suffers from depression. DO NOT HESITATE to seek medical advice. You are not weak. Depression is just like any other disease...you wouldn't stop "depending" on your insulin if you were diabetic. We are a product of our biochemistry, no matter how much we like to believe that we are in control.