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MUMBAI: Gaming addicts spend 10-14 hours a day playing and most of them have underlying social and psychological conditions, doctors say. “When gaming interferes with eating, sleeping, work and other functions, it becomes a disease,” Dr Shekhar Saxena, director, department for mental health and substance abuse, WHO, told TOI.

WHO experts said the recognition of gaming as a harmful behaviour was based on evidence collected over a decade from countries world over.

“There is evidence to show it causes disability and can have serious public health repercussions. Its inclusion in the ICD would pave way for doctors to diagnose and treat it better, while governments can use it to develop public health strategies to tackle it,” Dr Saxena said.

“But it’s crucial to remember that it affects only a small percentage of gamers,” he added.

Experts say WHO’s inclusion may come as a boon for addicts in India that has only three prominent clinics to treat the condition. Of this, the two big clinics at Nimhans in Bengaluru and AIIMS in New Delhi cater to nearly 30 cases a month and are witnessing a growing demand.

“There were hardly any patients when we started the first clinic in 2014 but now the numbers are rising with growing awareness,” said Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, coordinator of Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic at Nimhans.

His clientèle mainly comprises teenage boys and young male adults brought in by their parents after a drastic personal or professional setback.

“Most play games for more than 10-14 hours a day. Their parents wake up to their condition only when there is a drastic drop in academics, a failure in professional life or visible social alienation,” said Dr Sharma.

By the time they come to the clinic, most have sleep deprivation, irritability, lack of communication with friends and family, among other problems. At the Behavioural Addictions Clinic (BAC) run by the psychiatry department every Saturday at New Delhi’s AIIMS, most come with similar symptoms.

“Gadget addiction is perhaps at the top followed by technology and social media dependence. We see female patients too but fewer,” said Dr Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, associate professor of psychiatry at AIIMS.

The journey to recovery is not easy either, he added. “It could take 6-8 weeks of intense cognitive therapy during which they are taught how to handle the craving for playing games, how to counter discomfort, if not gaming what else they can do,” he said.

Dr Sharma said one in five may need hospitalisation to deal with sleep disturbances.

According to Dr Balhara, most victims suffer from underlying social anxiety, phobia, depression and even drug abuse. Echoing his view, Dr Sharma said gaming addiction is not different from other psychological issues born out of societal changes. “We treat boys who are given expensive playstations by their parents who don’t have enough time to spend with the children,” said the doctor.

Dr Ajit Bhide, president of Indian Psychiatric Society, the WHO move will definitely usher in better awareness. However, Dr Balhara, cautioned that more study needs to go into the extent of gaming disorder.