Despite the fact that videogame addiction continues to be outside of standard psychological diagnoses, scientific and anecdotal evidence continues to mount, suggesting that individuals can become dependent on gaming. This type of addiction can cause major harm to a person's social and family lives if they fail to seek substance abuse help.

For example, a mother in Pennsylvania recently was forced to surrender custody of her six children because her obsession with gaming impaired her ability to care for them, according to the Associated Press.

Local law enforcement officials said that the family home was filthy, with animal waste on the floor, moldy food in the refrigerator and unmade mattresses that looked as if they had been pulled from junkyards.

The woman's husband said that she had become so addicted to online videogames that she had lost interest in caring for their children. He said his work schedule made it difficult to find time to clean the house himself.

The story backs up the results of a study published earlier this week in the journal Pediatrics, which found that videogame playing can become pathological over time.