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Feeling like you want to play something but no particular game interests you.
Playing games as alternative to boredom, rather than entertainment. Playing, but not enjoying. Playing for the sake of playing.
Playing a lot, so much that it is a detriment to the rest of their life.
I think the first two are more depression. #3 is addiction.
All are a problem - recognize them as such and seek ways to correct. I think actual therapists have gotten better about taking shit like this seriously. If you can't afford that, I'd shoot for some kind of hobby (especially one with a social component), but with the understanding that those can murder your time management as well, so proceed with caution.
Yeah, this. I have a history of depression, and the first two are, no kidding, legitimately how I know I’m spiralling down.
Good that you recognize it. Our brains are sneaky little assholes, so shining the spotlight on their bullshit when it starts to pop up is a HUGE first step.
Took me half a lifetime to get there, and I still don’t have any real coping mechanisms, but yeah, at least I can tell the wife that things aren’t doing so well.
some kind of hobby (especially one with a social component)
Okay, I just joined a guild in WoW and started doing 40-man raids. What's the next step?
Farm materials for consumables and/or do big business on the AH to purchase them. Do your dailies for attunement. In your spare time, you can fly around a little, as a treat.
Weirdly, I'll do the first two points from time to time. But for me, it's not depression. It's just that I don't like video games anymore even though I did as a child. Occasionally I'll try playing one to hope to get back into it, but it never really pans out. Video games are just too much like work to me, but it's such an easy and relatively inexpensive "hobby" to pick up that I try it now and then. Never really ends up panning out but such is life.
Oh god
First two (as others have mentioned) can be symptoms of Anhedonia
Regarding the "no particular game interests you" part... Holy shit does it feel good when a game genuinely interests you. Lately, I've been doing chores or errands or having a tough time at work and in the back of my mind I'm like "omg I could be playing Jedi Survivor right now and I'd be having the time of my fucking life, but instead I'm dealing with this fucking bullshit." I don't get excited about a game like that very often anymore.
Best part is they're not exclusive. You can enjoy video games while being depressed and addicted!