Psychology is an odd science at times. It takes a lengthy process to get an affliction or disorder included in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental DIsorders IV). People can become addicted to drugs, alcohol, exercise and shopping just to name a few things. Many psychologists are beginning to point out that internet addiction is a truly real phenomenon and should be added to the books.

Stories reach back to Everquest, without a doubt one of the first smash hits in the MMO genre. It was often referred to as ‘NeverRest’ or ‘EverCrack’ because many people played endlessly. Gaming comics like Ctrl-Alt-Del and Penny Arcade have poked fun at this phenomenon, but truth be told relationships, marriages and lives were ruined as a result of the game. While some MMOs have attempted to address this problem by putting in various gameplay tweaks designed to limit usage such as a decrease in the amount of experience gained after long periods of time, for some that’s likely not much of a deterrant.

Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist in Portland, has found a disturbingly necessary niche: treating those with MMO addictions. According to him patients with addictions to computer games feel even more shame than those with addictions to porn. Consider the bafflement of your friends/girlfriend/parents at your excitement of getting a brand new game, or beating one. People who say things like “it’s just a game, why does it matter?” don’t exactly understand the level of personal and emotional investment involved in these ventures. It’s much simpler to understand the appeal of pornography: everyone is familiar with the appeal of sexual stimulation.