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Detox for Gamers

Detox clinic opening for video addicts



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.
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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.'"


So how many of you guys will be signing up? Shall we send this over to the FFXI forums and ask if anyones interested? WoW? C'mon, fess up. How many of you think you could actually see yourself doing something like this down the road?

Wow. They picked amsterdam for a rehab clinic? I R O N Y.

I don't need anything like that. I play games in moderation these days. Seriously. Only a few hours each of EQ and AA. It's not like I'm going crazy because I fu[black][/black]cked up my Tiger Wood disc after only a month. No sir. *twitch*

Oh, Tiger Woods golf. I forgot about that!

Mr. Tare and I used to stay up all night playing that. I was pretty damn good too. That was before EQ hit us.

The husband is a total gamer. Walk into our house and you'll see just about every console ever made in the last 30 years, HOOKED UP SOMEWHERE. Only reason why we bought our 61" TV was so the hubby could have life-sized fragging. I objected to that until I watched Friends up close and personal. There's been times when he hasn't been able to put down the controllers or he passes up doing other things because he just had to camp some stupid mob.

I game, but not to the extent of my husband or the kids. My two younger ones, if given the choice, will go play outside instead of play games. My oldest one would probably game for 12 hours at a time if I let him. I'll put in 30 minutes if I have the time, of which I haven't had any time at all lately.

When I see that the family has been gaming too much lately, I start filling up their days with other things. Let's go to the movies or shopping or something else.

Sounds like my house Thumbelyna

I just realized that I can place some blame for my gaming for the last 30 years, on Jonwin.

Way he tells it, is that he was coming back from a gaming convention in Ohio with a friend, when they began to wonder about having a convention in Maryland. One phone call to a friend who work at Avalon Hill, and Origins was born.

My Boyfriend back then talked me into going to Origins II and I spent all my spare cash on war games. Meanwhile at the same time I was in the Dealers room, Jonwin was busy GM'ing and help running the convention. I did play a few games while there and was surrounded by guys wanting to steal me from my boyfriend. Being the only female there who actually played war games, make me very popular.

Soon I was spending all my spare time, at friends houses, playing DnD.

Jonwin's friend recently asked him to help out with a gaming convention the end of July. I'm thinking of studying up the rules for Rail Baron and King Maker. Jonwin has the original game boxes and play tested many of the BookCase Games.