World of Warcraft : Doctor Entering Game to Help Addicts

Falling into the "not sure if this is going to work, but it's worth a shot" category, Daily Tech is reporting that a London Psychiatrist is planning to go into World of Warcraft in the hopes of helping to treat the disease.

Therapists around the world are still debating about whether gaming fixation can be an official addiction and thus a type of mental disorder. Incidents such as the occasional death of players in China or South Korea during gaming marathons certainly lend credence to such claims, but the American Medical Association still doesn't recognize the addiction. A recent Swedish study on the other hand, not only found gaming to be addictive, but found the psychological effects of gaming addiction to be more severe than those of crack cocaine addiction.

However, the debate over the legitimacy of the possible mental health affliction rages many are looking to actively treat it. Among these is Dr. Richard Graham, a prominent London psychiatrist. Dr. Graham is taking an innovative approach to treat the disease -- he's entering the world of the gamers, joining World of Warcraft this fall. He hopes other therapists and mental health experts follow his lead.