By: Selena Zhu

Hardcore gamers are at risk of a disorder that causes them to hallucinate images or sounds from the games they play in real life, research shows. Teenagers who are addicted to their video games to the point that they will skip meals or not sleep are at high risk of GTD.

Psychiatrist Kavita Seth said the problems begin when gamers play to the point where they are unable to stop themselves and become angry if someone else tries to stop them.

“They prioritize it over sleep, over having meals, going to school, completing school homework, completing social activities,” Dr. Seth explains. She said a 17-year-old gamer featured in the study started seeing “health bars” in real life.

“When I really was a hardcore player in WoW (World of Warcraft), when I got my adrenaline pumping, I started seeing health bars above people’s heads,” the gamer said.

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