Written by Matthew Leardi LCSW
Introduction
In recent years gaming and its effect on individuals have become a huge conversation, spanning across all areas of media, with opinions on both sides stating that gaming is positive while others say that it has negative effects. To help explore either narrative, it is best to view gaming from the lens of passion. In this case, we will define gaming addiction, explain the ideas of harmonic and obsessive passion, and combine the two to provide a different look at gaming addiction.
Internet Gaming Disorder
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems tenth revision (ICD-10) defines Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a pattern of repetitive or persistent gaming behavior. Within a twelve-month span, five out of nine characteristics of an individual must be met. Those characteristics are: preoccupation or obsession, withdrawal, tolerance, loss of control, loss of interest, continued overuse, deceiving, escape of negative feelings, functional impairment. It is important to remember that characteristics can not be explained by another reason or mental health diagnosis (Jo et al., 2019). It is worth noting that the APA (American Psychological Association) has only added it to section 3 of the DSM-V stating that more research is needed before endorsing it as a disorder. With this understanding in mind, it is important to differentiate a gaming disorder from passion.
Harmonious and Obsessive Passion
Passion can be defined as a strong feeling toward an activity where an individual will devote time and energy. Typically the activity will provide satisfaction and makes life feel more fulfilling. Passion typically makes an individual happy to have the activity in their life (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Passion, at its core, is meant to help motivate everyday life and provide a sense of well being. Yet passion can instill more negative emotions that can lead to an imbalance in life. The negative side of passion can lead to similar symptoms that define IGD (Vallerand, et al., 2003).
Looking at passion deeper, we can split it into two different forms: Harmonious Passion and Obsessive Passion. The level of passion is determined by how the activity becomes part of an individual’s identity and is incorporated within their life. Harmonious Passion (HP) takes the above definition of passion and builds upon it in terms of a person’s motivation and control. An individual who has a HP shows more autonomy within their passion. There is an acceptance of their activity and they have control over the activity. An individual can freely choose when to engage in their passion and are not compelled to. With this level of passion, an individual shows a more positive identity in conjunction with their activity and chooses not to let the passion overpower them (Vallerand, al., 2003).
Obsessive Passion (OP) by contrast controls the person and attaches negatively to the person’s identity. The motivation becomes less self-fulling and more so a need for social acceptance or a need for self-esteem. Additionally, someone may have an obsessive passion when the excitement of the activity gets to an uncontrollable level. When a person becomes dependent on their passion for positive feedback or emotions it can be seen as more of OP nature. Some things to look out for when discussing this level of passion include does a person’s mood depends on them engaging in this activity or does someone have difficulty imagining life without the activity. This negative connection to a passion can result in similar symptoms to that of an addiction (Vallerand, et al., 2003).
The Connection
Harmonious passion is what we should strive for when it comes to an activity that we enjoy. The goal of a passion is to fulfill us and bring an individual joy without harm and without inhibiting other needs. When our passion becomes obsessive is when we begin to see addictive-like behavior such as unhealthy lengths of time devoted to the passion, a reduction of social or family interaction, lying about time/money spent on the passion, and many more (Vallerand, 2012). An obsessive passion for video games fits what the ICD-10 have defined as an Internet Gaming Disorder, and can even touch upon an addiction disorder as well. The importance of understanding the distinction between passions allows not only professionals but also everyday people to recognize when an activity is healthy versus when it’s not. A better understanding of this passion can also educate all on healthy and unhealthy gaming habits, and to truly understand when someone has a gaming addiction and when they are just having fun playing games with friends.
Conclusion
Having a harmonious passion is what sets us apart from others. It allows us to be unique but also helps us to form a sense of self and identity. Yet when that passion begins to become obsessive, it begins to hurt us and the people around us. This is a signal for us and the people around us to intervene and seek out support for some positive change. Being able to differentiate between the two passions allows us to focus more on the ones who need help and support and allow the others to continue to find identity in a passion that they enjoy, in a healthy manner.
References
Jo, Y. S., Bhang, S. Y., Choi, J. S., Lee, H. K., Lee, S. Y., & Kweon, Y. S. (2019). Clinical
Characteristics of Diagnosis for Internet Gaming Disorder: Comparison of DSM-5 IGD and ICD-11 GD Diagnosis. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(7), 945. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8070945
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology:
An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.
Vallerand, R. J. (2012). From motivation to passion: In search of the
motivational processes involved in a meaningful life. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 53(1), 42–52.
Vallerand, R. J., Blanchard, C., Mageau, G. A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C., Leonard, M.,
Gagne, M., & Marsolais, J. (2003). Les passions de l'ame: on obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of personality and social psychology, 85(4), 756–767. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.4.756
Matthew Leardi is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) based in Staten Island, New York. Matthew is currently employed as a Therapist specializing in Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents and Adults. You can catch Matthew on the Guardians Mental Health Podcast, Twitch.tv/Guardiansmh, and @cryrush920 on Twitter.