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Interview With the Founder of a Video Game Rehab Clinic
Ten Ton Hammer has posted the transcript from an interview with Dr. Hilarie Cash, co-founder of the "reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program," a relatively new clinic that deals with adults who feel that they are addicted to video games. The interview contains some.. interesting nuggets of wisdom. If you want to avoid addiction, you'd better spend less than two hours per day on online entertainment! The good news is that she doesn't recommend beating people.
"When people come, they come for 45 days. It is only for adults; patients must be 18 or older. When they first come, they come for a minimum 2 days to be interviewed and to interview us, because we don't want anyone there who doesn't want to be there. So if they decide they want to be there then they stay for 45 days or longer if they choose. During that time they don't have access to the internet. The idea is that it takes at least 30 days for the brain to make some adjustments it needs to make to get over this addiction, so the brain can begin to rewire back to normal. During that time we are helping them look at why they got addicted, what motivated their addiction and we're assessing to see what skills they are lacking so they can be successful in their adult lives. We try to make a good start at helping to build those skills."
No internet access for 45 days? But there's nothing else to do!
http://twitter.com/onion2k
I wonder if they have a website?
So do what everyone else does in these institutions.
In this case, they hold role-playing classes. People get to give themselves a new identity for the duration of the treatment. They are then encouraged to refer to the other patients by their new names.
They aren't allowed to bring in money from the outside, but they are given gold-coloured tokens which they can spend at the tuck shop for food, or they can go to the costume room and spend it on clothing accessories. If they save up enough tokens, they can spend them on keys to hidden rooms at the centre where they can learn the secrets of beating addiction. They can also buy weapons to further aid them in their epic quest for freedom from game addiction...
Squirrel!
I've played video games for the last 19 years, since I was 12, and I never got addicted.
Actually, I don't have any addictions. I only smoke and drink when I play video games...
... I can't believe people are paying for this.
... noobs !
Just cast cure to remove the confusion status
Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
Does a smoking addiction sprouts from "lack of skills needed for success in adult lives" as well? How about achool addiction? What sort of skills might a person be "lacking" to "fall" into a smoking habit?
The same skill as with any addiction. Self-control. Except with smoking 1 cigaratte is already too much, and in the case of alcohol or gaming the limit isn't quite as low. (yes, i realize that for someone who is already an alcoholic 1 drink is 1 too many).
I don't see anything implying that gaming is only for kids, just that doing it excessively is harmful. And since adults typically don't live with parents that revoke their computer rights anymore, they turn elsewhere for help.
People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
Hi,
if you are into games or long programming sessions, PLEASE do check http://www.dvtawarenesscampaign.com/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_vein_thrombosis
DVT are blood clots formed in legs etc., that can block your blood flow in the particular limb or travel around in your veins, and in worst case, damage your heart or lungs.
I'm now probably up for a lifetime treatment with blood thinners and compression stockings. Ironically, I probably developed DVT after I quit smoking (I didn't smoke indoors, and thus went out of the house/up from my seat every hour to get a cigarette)
Once again, DVT is dangerous and it affects a huge number of people every year, and quite a few of those are ganked permanently.
The scary part is that I also know several other programmers and gamers who've had DVT the last 5 years. Don't be a fool like me: Game, program and work responsibly.
If you are diagnosed with DVT, it will hit you like a hammer physically and mentally.
A few years ago, I started playing eve-online, well I must admit that I was instantly hooked-up. I spent the next 3 years playing this game hardcore, and became very good at it. Eventually, I managed to become quite wealthy and amassed a ton of very expensive items and ships. I was very successfull in this game... That was until I lost everything, when my freighter was blown up by other players. In a heartbeat,I lost everything I had, everything I spent time for. I realised that it took only a second to destroy three entire years of efforts. I finally "woke up", cancelled all of my 4 (!!!) accounts and never touched it again. Peoples need to understand that "virtual worlds" are just that - it doesnt exist - the only real thing is the time and commitment one can spend on theses games.