World of Warcraft is as addicting as heroin

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Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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Well some people will publish anything to get attention.

Let me be blunt, heroin addicts anyone who uses it at least physically. With WoW pretty much anyone who plays enough gets burned out (and this includes me) and goes through slow spots where they don't play much, or have taken lengthy breaks from it.

I won't deny that there probably have been isolated incidents of people messing themselves up with it, but then again those people were probably deeply unstable in some way beforehand. When I say "deeply" I mean it because I have emotional problems (and might be considered a video game addict in a general senses) and I've gone through periods of WoW burn-out, with heroin you literally can't stop yourself (and a good portion of it is physical).

I expect the theory about WoW-addiction to get some attention, a few people will use it as an excuse for their problems IRL, and an even smaller group will make money off of pseudo treatment (WoW addiction counseling). Then in the end it will either all fade away, or wind up giving WoW even more hype than it currently possesses (sort of like how arguaably the Dungeons and Dragons 'scare' did more to generate hype and sales for the product than it likely would have ever seen on it's own).

>>>----Therumancer--->
 

Fraught

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Aug 2, 2008
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MaxTheReaper said:
I'm going to say it's all bullshit until you provide a source.

And then that source proves to be trustworthy.

Get me God and I'll be inclined to believe you.
Even if the source proves to be trustworthy, centres meant to specifically treat WoW addiction?
Bullshit.
 

pirateninj4

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Apr 6, 2009
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How retarded do you have to be to not get that sufficient mental stimulation can cause addiction, even in people without addictive personalities? It's just as legitimate as addiction to pornography.

I'm sick of people who are so quick to defend a game that has claimed more lives than a certain drug I know, just so that they can feel good about sinking their lives into something that means nothing more than a pile of pricks at a biker convention.

WoW is addictive. Most people can deal with it, but that doesn't stop it being so. I know this because I was one of the ones addicted to it and I actually HAD a life outside of WoW.
 

Flying-Emu

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Oct 30, 2008
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Zenode said:
New Studies have shown that World of Warcraft, the highly popoular online game has the addictive traits of heroin. With some playing 24 hours non-stop before dropping on there floors. It has been called "the drug of the 21st century" with many centres popping up around the world that are designed purely to treat people with WoW addicition. Others believe that addiction habits of World of Warcraft are the same as heroinS Some reports have found that some are so addicted that some have hung themselves rather than give up the game. The properties of addiction in some patients includes taking craps in corners of the room so they dont have to leave the screen, prolonged concentration time which can cause heart failure, malnutrition and dehydration. As many as a few dozen due each year across the globe due to heart failure from playing WoW to long.

Do you agree with these reports, or is it just dribble.

This isnt saying that EVERYONE who plays it will get addicted but it is a problem faced by many people out there.

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80468 [http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80468]
http://www.mcvuk.com/features/233/Tanya-Byrons-TV-show-The-quotes-in-full [http://www.mcvuk.com/features/233/Tanya-Byrons-TV-show-The-quotes-in-full]
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10184845-71.html?part=rss [http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10184845-71.html?part=rss]
A better analogy would be gambling, considering there is no substance abuse in World of Warcraft, and WoW addiction is based on the same concepts as gambling addictions, I.E. operant conditioning.
 

USSR

Probably your average communist.
Oct 4, 2008
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MaxTheReaper said:
I'm going to say it's all bullshit until you provide a source.

And then that source proves to be trustworthy.

Get me God and I'll be inclined to believe you.
But Max, you are god. Your opinion is always fact =p
 

Fraught

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Aug 2, 2008
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MaxTheReaper said:
Fraught said:
Even if the source proves to be trustworthy, centres meant to specifically treat WoW addiction?
Bullshit.
God would know.
************ has connections.
Connections with the chair he plays WoW in, while there's some psychologist who's trying to cure him of his disease?
Sure.
 

Bad Neighbour

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Jan 14, 2009
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Ridiculous >_<

Sure WoW is addictive, but so is gaming in general. If I'm away from home with no computer for like 2 days it's actually easier to stay away from it than to pick it up again. I could put WoW down now and not care at all. I just like it. If WoW is as addictive as heroin (lol) then they should stop wasting money on rehab centres because it's obviously not as bad as people say it is.
 

DrCogSci

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Feb 4, 2009
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Hey, let's leave the discussions of what constitutes addiction, what is addictive, and whether or not games *can* be addictive to the professionals, a'ight?

The only acceptable evidence for this would be peer-reviewed scientific journal articles that were conducted to rigorous standards. There's been a lot of good work done on video games, but people like Baroness Susan Greenfield and other wackaloons are full of it. Check out Ben Goldacre, or the New England Skeptical Society, for rebuttals to this OMG gaming bad! trend.

Also, operant conditioning, to whomever mentioned it above, is not necessarily the reason why people become "addicted" to gambling. There's great stuff by Rachlin on the subject. If anyone wants to continue this discussion in earnest, drop me a line and we can talk real references.
 

bjj hero

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Feb 4, 2009
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Is the OP aware that things like heroin and nicotine contain chemicals that interact with the brain making people addicted? There is none of that in WOW.

Its why I get pissed off when fat poeple talk about being addicted to shit food. Its not the same. Show some will power.
 

The Clown

Don't bother running
Jun 29, 2009
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i agree but even though most games are addictive wow is the worst kind, it steals your money so yu can live a fantasy life and it slowly kills your social life
 

Abedeus

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Sep 14, 2008
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megatron2.0 said:
i play WoW about 3-6 hours a day and i have to say that this is false. they are so hung up on this, may be they have a mental issue?
Uh. 6 hours is 1/4 of the day. 1/3 of time you spend outside of a bed.

But if heroin = WoW, then I'm safe - I didn't bother playing it more than 3 hours.
 

Khazoth

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Sep 4, 2008
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Its not addictive.

These people would just move onto another MMORPG if World of Warcraft wasn't there. Its not that World of Warcraft is evil, its just that some people need to fill precious time that would otherwise be filled with social contact, or work.
 

DazZ.

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2009
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May aswell try heroin then if im not going to get addicted to it...

Really didn't enjoy WoW, as ive said alot. :)
 

Iammatt

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Feb 21, 2009
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So youre comparing the addictive traits of playing a fantasy MMO to injecting/snorting a terrible killer drug into your bloodstream, which causes that.

Effects-Heroin

Data from The Lancet shows heroin to be the most dependence causing and most harmful of 20 drugs.[17]Central nervous system:

Drowsiness
Disorientation
Delirium
Cardiovascular & Respiratory:

Bradycardia
Hypotension
Hypoventilation
Shallow breathing
Respiratory depression
Eyes, Ears, mouth, and nose:

Dry mouth (Xerostomia)
Miosis, or pupil constriction ("pinpoint pupils")

Main short-term effects of heroin usage.[18]Gastrointestinal:

Nausea
Vomiting (protracted)
Constipation
Dyspepsia
Urinary System:

Urinary retention


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