"...I thought I'd relate a little of my story because I think it offers some insight. I'm a 33 year old guy, not married and no kids and a long time video game junkie. While I was playing video games all the time, it never dawned on me that I might have been depressed, but then...Whamo! I was hit with a couple of panic attacks about two months ago. (Panic attacks and depression are commonly linked). This was followed by two weeks of extreme nervousness that landed me at the doctor. He put me on some meds and advised me to clean up my diet and take some supplements. The fact is that prior to the panic attacks I had no idea I was depressed...I thought it was just my natural state. Now, I see otherwise, because I'm feeling a WHOLE lot better.

Last night I had a choice between staying home by myself and playing some video games or going karoaking with some friends. An easy choice to go karoaking. It dawned on me today that I would have NEVER made that choice when I was depressed...I would have chosen to spend the night alone with my computer.

My thought is that playing video games could be a symptom of depression and/or anxiety. It's a form of withdrawing from the world to a "safe" place. Maybe treating the depression would help rid the obsession of the game."