Ex Pennsylvania lawyer Mathew Eshelman has a problem with gaming. It's not that he's sucky or anything, it's that he says he's addicted to games. Eshelman lost a job with a firm back in 2007, then tried to set up his own practice, but was stymied both times by his seemingly overwhelming need to play video games.
"When attempting to conduct his own law practice, he sought refuge from his problems by playing video and computer games with an even greater intensity. He described himself as 'addicted' to the games," according to a state disciplinary panel concluded last week.
Eshelman's supposed gaming addiction resulted in 17 mishandled cases, including bankruptcy, divorce, and debt collection cases. According to the panel's report, he missed deadlines, lost track of client money, and even lied in a divorce filing. Also, he ignored calls from clients. I'll bet he still managed to show up on raid night for his guild, though.
Ultimately, the disciplinary board agreed on a three-year ban.
My question: Is gaming addiction a real thing? When otherwise successful people like Eshelman essentially throw away their lives in order to play video games, it sure starts to seem like more than a media invention. But I don't know, it's not heroin, I suppose, but games do have a strange allure that really can make you "blow off" otherwise important things... like sleep, for instance.
Source: Philly.com
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MisterBrown
Of course it can be addictive, and an addiction, even without the physically addictive chemicals that you'll find in smoking, drugs, etc. It's just like gambling, though it's hours of life that can be more easily thrown away. As any addictive activity or pastime, it won't affect everyone, but those that it does, it can be rough.
RP_Puzzle
Maybe if he played some Phoenix Wright he would've found more desire to do his job by seeing that being a lawyer is a good thing :).
koolboricua
Well Stephen, you are the exception. Working in a gaming community gives you the chance to play video games like an addicted and not worry about losing your job. Heck, it might get you promoted, lol. On other notes, i know people who are addicted, who have lost their family because they paid more attention to their games than their family need. I for one im glad that my gaming time is less than 3 hours per week and thats if im looking. But is fine, playing a video game for like an hour or 2 should be great to get someone's mind from all the stress. But when fiction becomes your life, then there is a problem. As you can see by the example from such lawyer.
camaro72toy
Guilty,Doushhhh!! Down goes the gavel.
nbl54
This article assumes Eshelman is successfully because he is a lawyer. There are foul balls in every profession. Knowing as many lawyers as I do, I wouldn't be surprised if he just pulled this "addiction" out of a hat to cover his incompetence. You can't be addicted to video games, sex, or anything else that doesn't involve a drug. Don't even try to say the chemical euphoria he feels when playing is the same a s a drug addiction. If that were the case, the chemical euphoria you get after working out would make going to the gym addictive, which it apparently isn't judging by most peoples waistlines. More self control and responsibility are needed.
SavageHenry2012
Maybe he didn't want to be a lawyer anymore but couldn't tell his dad who spend a million dollars getting him through law school so he threw it away and blamed the most logical thing that did not include drugs or hookers...
Bigburito
gaming itself is not addictive, what causes it to be is that those "addicted" have a mental breakdown due to real life issues (money, women, work, whatever) and use games as an escape, where there problems no longer exist, with such a breakdown they stop caring for real life, believing that their fake life is more entertaining and more pleasant than the outside world.
Gaming is an escape for the average person they can come and go as they please/need but when real life causes a mental lapse anything that takes the persons mind off of it becomes their "addiction" whether it be video games, gambling, drugs, alcohol, or in unusual cases eating crayons (seriously) lets them forget about what they have to worry about.
Silky08
It is unfortunate but the addiction is real. There are reported deaths via self-negligence. A person played WoW for 3 days straight with little to no sustenance. Towards the end of the third day his heart basically just stopped.
I'd say moderation is key, but sometimes you can't. I'd show signs of addiction by pulling all nighters but then I'd never touch the game again just because there is a much more better distraction at the time...
LTman86
It's all a state of mind. People can get addicted on placebo pills, but that in itself is not inherently addicting. I think game addiction is akin to adrenaline junkies because achievements in games give you a rush of endorphins, a feel good hormone.
LTman86
It's all a state of mind. People can get addicted on placebo pills, but that in itself is not inherently addicting. I think game addiction is akin to adrenaline junkies because achievements in games give you a rush of endorphins, a feel good hormone.
nofxmike06
Dopamine is triggered by habits. Some actions and rewards in video games are proven to trigger Dopamine.
Jaime0102
I think of addiction as something that interferes with your life (such as work, school, etc) in a major way. In his case, video gaming interfered in his work, which makes it an addiction (in my opinion).
GangstahLove
"The stress was more than he could bear." - Doc
Acerz666
all it was is a lack of self control. if you think you're "addicted" you're not, you just lack self control
RagingPenguin4
I think anything you get so into you start blowing off important things in your life its an addiction, so why would gaming be any different?
superbluff5
It depends on if he goes through withdrawal symptoms when he is deprived of video games.
Konkrypt
Human beings have grown so weak now, they get "addicted" to any and everything.
chubi-_-
im pretty sure i was once addicted to fallout 3 it got to the point of sleep deprivation because i couldn't stop thinking about the game
fyrestarter00
Honestly, I'd say I'm addicted to games; not to the point of losing my job or neglecting school though... I play a minimum of 80 hours a week but I still go to work, go to college classes where I maintain a 4.0 and am married. Granted I work at GameStop and my wife games too...but still, self control is the key here, this lawyer character didn't have any apparently. Like first post said, you have to have self control. I'd rather be addicted to gaming than curled up in a crack induced coma underneath some hooker named Wildcat.
CapAmerica08
Edit: I meant NO real addiction. There's no such thing as a video game addiction, it's just an excuse we use to play more. I could say the same about my wife and facebook.
Also sorry for my computer posting it so many times... -_-
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