Gaming disorder officially recognized as mental health issue

FILE PHOTO: An Xbox One controller is used at the Microsoft Xbox booth during the Electronics Expo.

Put down the controller. Experts say you can be addicted to video games.

It's called gaming disorder and it's being officially classified as a mental health condition in the latest version of the International Classification of Diseases published by the World Health Organization due out next year, The Independent reported.

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The classification will tell health providers that gaming disorder is serious enough to be monitored.

The exact write-up has not been released, but criteria is needed to determine if someone suffers from the disorder. New Scientist reported.

The publication said that the draft wording about the disorder says that if "gaming takes precedence over other life interests" then someone could be diagnosed with condition, New Scientist reported.

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