Like most extreme behaviors, excessive videogame playing functions as a cover or adaptive mechanism for underlying anxiety and depression. Compulsive gaming, like all pathological solutions (alcohol, drugs, gambling) makes a bad situation worse.
Case-based teaching, longitudinal application, and training in ethical deliberation can better prepare physicians to responsibly prescribe and manage opioids.
AMA J Ethics. 2019;21(8):E636-641. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2019.636.