Is there such a thing as video-game addiction and if so is it a psychological illness that can be treated through medical procedures? This is what a group of doctors is currently trying to discuss. The signs are common: individuals that keep staying in their rooms ignoring friends and family, showers, food while grades keep going down. If you see this with your child there is a big chance he is addicted to a video game. Some doctors consider such an addiction to be even stronger than cocaine so danger is very high.

A group of important USA doctors are trying to get this type of behavior officially classified as a psychiatric disorder in order to raise awareness on the situation and to enable those that suffer from it to get insurance for the treatment.

A special report was prepared for the American Medical Association’s annual policy meeting which is scheduled to start Saturday in Chicago. The ones attending will be asked to lobby for the disorder to be included in a special mental illness manual that is published by the American Psychiatric Association. Starting on Monday the proposition can start receiving votes. Debate is definitely expected as many video game makers could attach this statement. It is not good for their business that it would be officially affirmed a video game can cause a psychiatric illness. Combine this with the fact that many doctors consider the labeling to be extreme and you can clearly see why sparks are sure to fly.

Data cited in the report states that up to 90% of American youngsters play video games and that around 15% of them might be suffering from video-game addiction. A special attention has been given to Blizzard’s popular online video game “World of Warcraft”. Michael Protopapas from Texas is a 17-year old that is considered an addict. In two years doctors said that addiction to WOW made him transform from a successful and talented individual to a guy with no friends that dropped 2 10^th grade classes.

There is also an On-Line Gamers Anonymous organization that has different postings from gamers that ask from help. Guys say they want to kill themselves after loosing something in games and some time ago on Asian individual killed his brother after he deleted one of his saved characters from an online game.