Ph.D. compares World of Warcraft to disorders, addictions

By Casey Lynch Feb 20, 2007, 16:03 GMT

Are you suffering from a World of Warcraft-sized disorder? Read on to find out.

This just in - World of Warcraft is addicting and on the level of disorders such as gambling.

At least Maressa Hecht Orzack, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and Director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, thinks so.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Orzack sees similarities between game addiction and more traditional behavior disorders.

In a recent post on Yahoo.com, she talks about her experience with some six or seven people she hears from a day seeking treatment for gaming addictions.

"Look at the fact that World of Warcraft now has eight million people playing it. Even if there are just five or 10 percent who can't stop, that's a large percentage, and I hear from a lot of them."

Dr. Orzack sees similarities between MMO addiction and more traditional behavior disorders such as compulsive gambling. "The same reward center in the brain is tapped -- the dopamine system. Gambling has all the components that go with these games," she explains, citing Solitaire as a simpler example of a game that can also lead to compulsive behavior.

Check here for more details and to find out if you need treatment for a WoW addiction.