A wilderness-based addiction and substance abuse treatment center in Utah has added a rehabilitation track for young men addicted to the Internet and videogames.
Passages to Recovery begins treatment with a 40-day wilderness experience, which is then followed by on-site treatment. The center announced that its Clinical Director, Lucy Taylor, LPC, recently completed certifications in online gaming, anonymity in online relationships, pornography and infidelity, and the psychology of Internet misuse. Taylor was tutored by Kimberly Young, PsyD, from the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery.
Videogame addiction treatment will begin with “an assessment of the client’s patterns of use and the needs that are being met by gaming.” As Taylor explained, “Most people abuse the Internet or video games to meet an underlying need. Our goal is to help our clients decrease stress and increase pleasure without numbing themselves or trying to fill a void through video games or the Internet.”
Taylor continued, “An Internet addict may spend as much as 15 to 17 hours gaming, creating an online persona or acting out in an irresponsible way,” adding, “Because the behavior fills an important need for the individual, without treatment a desire to play can quickly turn into a need to play.”
While some can enjoy activities like gaming in moderation, Taylor warned that, “others are lured in by the fantasy, power, anonymity and freedom of the online world.”
Comments
Re: Go into the Wild for Game Addiction Treatment
This kind of seems like a lot of work to just tell people, 'GO OUTSIDE! STOP PLAYING GAMES AND GO OUTSIDE!'
People playing video games to massive degree is often a sign of a problem, not the problem itself. For me, the problem is utter boredom in a town that literally has nothing to do. We got a Wal-mart and that is it. Video games are a time sink I use to chill out for the bulk of my down time. I also fiddle around with musical instruments and read books from time to time too. I really want those activities to get an addiction support group. Getting guitars out of the hands of emo kids incessantly practicing their G Chord is just as important as keeping some dorks off their video games and internet.
Re: Go into the Wild for Game Addiction Treatment
I hope hunting isn't included, because giving real guns to those dangerously psychotic gamers with all their murder training would be a really bad idea. (sarcasm)
Re: Go into the Wild for Game Addiction Treatment
I kinda hope they do give them guns. It will either prove that video games do not make people violent or end with the deaths of some more sanctimonious bastards.
Re: Go into the Wild for Game Addiction Treatment
The last stamement seems confusing. Don't tell me they think moderate gamers are not lured by the same qualities of the online world. That's why every gamer goes online to play games, regardless whether you do it moderately or excessively.
GameSnooper
Re: Go into the Wild for Game Addiction Treatment
"“Most people abuse the Internet or video games to meet an underlying need.""
Solution:
""Our goal is to help our clients decrease stress and increase pleasure without numbing themselves or trying to fill a void through video games or the Internet.”"
Translation: "We don't like the sand you're sticking your head in, so we'll help you find some other sand to stick your head in."
"... and freedom of the online world."
Yes, because freedom is such a horrible thing, in ALL its forms.
Nightwng2000
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