A UK treatment facility has introduced technology addiction to its repertoire, claiming that the service was added in response to increased calls from parents concerned about their children’s over use of games, the internet or cell phones.
London’s Capio Nightingale Hospital’s Young Person Technology Addiction Service features programs that “are individually tailored to the needs of the young person and vary from intensive in-patient care, through day care to group and individual therapy.” Treatment includes processes such as interpersonal therapy, exploring “the meaning” of a users dependence on technology, the promotion of life skills and improving health and diet.
The hospital’s Dr. Richard Graham on the new service:
Mental health services need to adapt quickly to the changing worlds that young people inhabit, and understand just how seriously their lives can be impaired by unregulated time online, on-screen or in-game.
The Young Person Technology Addiction Service is aimed at kids between the ages of 15-17, but the facility would treat children as young as 12, a spokesperson told the Times Online.
The facility claims to be first of its kind to offer such a treatment, but another center in England—the Broadway Lodge— also offers a service for game addiction.
The hospital declined to disclose the cost of the treatment program.
Two tests are available on the Capio Nightingale Hospital website to determine possible addictions to technology and alcohol (Ed. I scored 5 and 4 respectively).
Comments
Re: UK Facility Offers Technology Addiction Treatment
Its all about the agency adapting to a changing world so that said mental health services can remain valuable to the public. They might better serve though if what they offered was life balance with self discipline and limit setting just generally.
Social networking is a natural instinct of our species so anything that keeps people in that loop with be a natural addiction.
Re: UK Facility Offers Technology Addiction Treatment
Here's your problem right here (emphasis mine):
Perhaps parents should learn how to set limits?