The term “addiction” is often linked to the idea of substance abuse. While many addictive behaviors are related to the use of drugs, alcohol, and other substances, addictions to certain actions are not as researched. The addition of gambling disorder to the DSM-5 creates opportunities for the manual to explore the sphere of non-substance addictive disorders. I believe that the combination of these conditions is beneficial to their assessment and treatment. The findings of various similarities between addictive disorders suggest that treatment approaches and interventions can be created to help people with conditions not currently covered in the DSM-5. On the other hand, people may have different access to substances and actions that support addictive behaviors, which has legal and ethical concerns. For example, video gaming does not carry the same risks as cocaine or opioids, and it has many positive influences on people.
The research on Internet gaming disorder raises some questions about the ways people interact with the Internet. I think that addictions such as the Internet and videogames have to be separated, presenting subsections or separate disorders in the manual. The Internet is a broad collection of information and activities that cannot be limited to gaming – people can be addicted to social media, while not engaging in gaming. Another online source of addiction is the existence of online marketplaces. Many stores increase the addictive nature of shopping with fast delivery, phone and email notifications, the lack of effort to make a purchase, and the convenience of fast delivery. At the same time, video games exist in offline spaces where the Internet does not play a role in one’s addiction. Thus, I believe that the current terminology limits people’s understanding of behavioral addictions and does not cover the range of possible behaviors that lead to mental health issues.