From Online to Board: Inside the Australian Clinic Treating Gaming Disorder, a WHO-Recognised Addiction

PERTH, AUSTRALIA: For 15-year-old Sadmir Perviz, Wednesday afternoons are now about rolling dice, not clicking a mouse. Sadmir is one of over 300 patients at the Gaming Disorder Clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Australia’s only publicly-funded center dedicated to helping people wean themselves off excessive online gaming habits.

Sadmir, who used to spend 10 hours a day playing online with strangers, now finds satisfaction in face-to-face sessions playing board games like Dungeons & Dragons. “You can interact with people, so you actually know who’s there,” he says, highlighting the stark difference from his isolated online experience.

The clinic’s founder, psychiatrist Dr. Daniela Vecchio, views excessive gaming as a serious mental health issue, likening its effects and treatment needs to substance abuse.

This view is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which formally recognized Gaming Disorder as a clinical diagnosis. A 2022 Australian study estimated that approximately 2.8% of Australian children are affected by the disorder, with many more considered at risk.

The consequences of the addiction can be life-altering. Former quantum finance intern Kevin Koo, 35, lost his job and confidence, becoming consumed by online gaming, a period he describes as “the wild west of internet usage” where “the damage has already been done.”

While the clinic treats patients for gaming addiction, Dr. Vecchio is critical of Australia’s new social media ban for under-16s for its failure to include major gaming platforms like Discord and Roblox. She notes that gaming and social media are inextricably linked, with users often consuming or live-streaming content on platforms like YouTube and X.

Despite the omission, Dr. Vecchio and her team focus on holistic recovery, helping patients slowly reconnect to the real world through “social prescribing”—encouraging family activities and replacing the void of boredom left by digital detox with meaningful, in-person engagement.