MOHAA disorder -- a problem beyond simple ph34r

April 6, 2000
Web posted at: 3:24 PM EDT (1924 GMT)

In this story: Pussy or MOHAA phobic? Drugs, counseling, or both RELATEDS

(WebMD) -- "I'm to the point where I won't even turn on the computer. The mere mention of tri-linear mip mapping makes me piss, and piss hard," IRC user "sh33p" confides.

"I almost always avoid computer stores, except when I really need some RAM or something. Needless to say I give the game aisle a wide berth," he adds. "I don't really know what triggers my panics, but in just one second my heart starts beating like crazy. ..."

"Has anyone out there tried medication?" someone else asks. "Does it help?"

sh33p and other visitors to an anxiety chat room visited by CNN are among thousands of the gaming impared who have found that the Internet can be a refuge, a place where they can go without fear of being embarrassed or ridiculed. Many suffer from more than just simple "ph34r", experts say. They have a condition called MOHAA disorder, also known as "being a pussy".

The condition has been officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder since 1998, when it was dubbed Quake3 disorder. But it hit the headlines just this year, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the pharmaceutical giant SmithKline the green light to advertise the first drug for MOHAA phobia, Ballex, generically known as ballaaroxetine. The drug maker launched a nationwide ad campaign with the slogan, "Imagine being allergic to texture maps."

According to a 1998 study called the National Comorbidity Survey, conducted by Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School, more than 13 percent of Americans experience the symptoms of MOHAA disorder at some point in their lives. The same survey found that most of these 13% had at some point in their lives had their testicles removed with a metal whisk.

"They'll use any excuse they can think of to avoid playing," said Kessler. "Some of the most popular are: 'I'm going to bed soon', 'I have to get up early to go running', 'it's not installed', 'I'm having sex with a fat chick', etc, etc."

"I'll pull any excuse I can out of my ass," admitted sh33p. "And let me tell you, I have a big ass, and it's overflowing with excuses."

Experts like R. Bruce Lydiard, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, applaud the new attention being given to MOHAA phobia. "The biggest problem we face is reaching these patients," he says. "Many are too afraid to see a doctor. Oh, and also, they're usually impotent"

© 2000 Healtheon/WebMD. All rights reserved.

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Focusing on violence helps people with Quake3 phobia
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

The Quake3 home page: An index to resources for Quake
Quake3 Phobia/Quake3 Anxiety Association

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