Detox for SL? WOW? The SIMS?

Detox Clinic Opening for Video Addicts
Jun 08 4:12 PM US/Eastern
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By FIA CURLEY
Associated Press Writer


AMSTERDAM, Netherlands


An addiction center is opening Europe's first detox clinic for game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.

Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs _ and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants.

Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, including discussions with therapists and efforts to build patients' interests in alternative activities.

"We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to- face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer," Bakker said. "Their social network has completely disappeared."

It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won.

Bakker said he has seen signs of addiction in children as young as 8.

Hyke van der Heijden, 28, a graduate of the Amsterdam program, started playing video games 20 years ago. By the time he was in college he was gaming about 14 hours a day and using drugs to play longer.

"For me, one joint would never be enough, or five minutes of gaming would never be enough," he said. "I would just keep going until I crashed out."

Van der Heijden first went to Smith & Jones for drug addiction in October 2005, but realized the gaming was the real problem. Since undergoing treatment, he has distanced himself from his smoking and gaming friends. He says he has been drug- and game-free for eight months.

Like other addicts, Bakker said, gamers are often trying to escape personal problems. When they play, their brains produce endorphins, giving them a high similar to that experienced by gamblers or drug addicts. Gamers' responses to questions even mirror those of alcoholics and gamblers when asked about use.

"Many of these kids believe that when they sit down, they're going to play two games and then do their homework," he said.

However, unlike other addicts, most gamers received their first game from their parents. "Because it's so new, parents don't see that this is something that can be dangerous," Bakker said.

Tim, a gamer who is currently under treatment, agreed to discuss his addiction on condition of his last name not being used. He said he began playing video games three years ago at age 18. Soon he wouldn't leave his room for dinner. Later, he began taking drugs to stay awake and play longer. Finally he sought help and picked up other hobbies to occupy his time.

Symptoms of addiction are easy to spot, Bakker says. Parents should take notice if a child neglects usual activities, spends several hours at a time with the computer and has no social life.

Bakker said parents of game addicts frequently echo the words of partners of cocaine addicts: "'I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was.'"

I start shaking when the forums get sluggish, sum bodah hep mah!

Surefire cure for video game addiction... a broken heart.

I hope that's not the voice of experience speaking and if it is <hugs> and I hope things are better now. Oddly, it seems to work the other way for me, the sadder or more worried I am, the more buried in the computer I seem to get. Mostly I think that's because I can't sleep when I'm that way and when I'm happy I want to be outside fishing and working with my garden.

.

Oook. Computers are BAD mmmmmK.

I particularly enjoy working on them whether it be in a game, or work. However, I do know when there are limits. But.. there's an addiction for everything these days.

And who the hell needs a social life when all that gives you is DRAHAMA anyway?

Awww... hugs you back.

Great!!! That explains all the geeky looking ppl on the corner, shaking & asking passer-bys for change to get their WoW fix.

Next we'll start seeing LAN dens where gaming geeks lay around, logging on all day.

Then property values go down, the neighborhood falls apart... gangs of online gamers start forming, turf wars break out.... IT'LL BE PANDEMONIUM I TELL YOU!!!

My name is Lianne and i'm a gamer.

It's been... 10 minutes since my last video game.

Sometimes I print out walkthroughs and read them in public bathrooms while i'm away from home just so I can play the game again in my mind.

I sold my kitten so I could buy time on my WoW game card.

When my boyfriend told me he thought that Final Fantasy: Spirits Within was a fantastic movie and a lot better than the games, I strangled him in his sleep with my PS2's power cord.

Oh, the irony

This is kind of like holding Gamblers Anonymous meets at the Blackjack tables of a Vegas casino.

Psst!

Got your Second Life right here...

Don't look! Be cool.

Hello, Lianne. My name is Cindy and I'm a gamer.

When my husband said we needed to cancel our cable and I would have to play on dialup, I drained his blood in his sleep and sold it to pay the cable bill.

I went to my parents' house for Christmas, but hadn't been there in so long because I'd been busy levelling in City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, Everquest 2 and Guild Wars that they didn't recognize me and called the police.

I told my boss I didn't need a raise as long as he twinked me another level.

Nobody around me knows what I'm saying anymore when I use terms like "FG", "AQ", "prim", "lag" and "AR". I get these blank stares ...