maeniel
August 23rd, 2009, 08:54 PM
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The first U.S. retreat for Internet addicts opened its doors in Washington state this week, admitting a 19-year-old online video game junkie obsessed with World of Warcraft.
The reStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program tears gamers and Web junkies away from cyberspace and reconnects them to the land of the living.
“We are a cold turkey place; no technology,” reStart psychotherapist Hilarie Cash told AFP on Thursday.
“A gamer is not going to be allowed to game any time they are here because it is the gaming that is their drug of choice.”
According to reStart’s Web site, current research suggests anywhere from 6% to 10% of the online population is dependent upon one or more aspects of cyber technology and the Internet – with multi-user gamers like World of Warcraft among the most addictive platforms.
Compulsive gamers, texters and Web browsers trade instant messaging and conquering fictional galaxies for bottle-feeding baby goats and building chicken coops on the five-acre Heavensfield Retreat Center.
“It is about helping people addicted to technology get through the withdrawal and help their brains get wired back to normal and connected to the world in a positive way,” said Cash.
The live-in retreat is not cheap. The 45-day digital detox costs $14,500, plus cash for daily expenses like renting camping gear for wilderness adventures.
ReStart subscribes to a 12-step program, similar to drug and alcohol abuse, and schools residents with a series of social skills workshops to reenter the real world.
“The typical gamer is somebody who has fallen way behind in social skills and lacks confidence,” Cash explained.
Besides teaching conversation skills and how to read body language, reStart says that videogame addicts also typically need to be reprogrammed to be conscientious about everyday habits such as bathing, cooking, and household chores – not to mention dating.
Continue reading:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/08/21/2009-08-21_first_us_rehab_for_internet_and_online_video_game_addicts_opens_in_washington _st.html#ixzz0P0EDIaTK
The first U.S. retreat for Internet addicts opened its doors in Washington state this week, admitting a 19-year-old online video game junkie obsessed with World of Warcraft.
The reStart Internet Addiction Recovery Program tears gamers and Web junkies away from cyberspace and reconnects them to the land of the living.
“We are a cold turkey place; no technology,” reStart psychotherapist Hilarie Cash told AFP on Thursday.
“A gamer is not going to be allowed to game any time they are here because it is the gaming that is their drug of choice.”
According to reStart’s Web site, current research suggests anywhere from 6% to 10% of the online population is dependent upon one or more aspects of cyber technology and the Internet – with multi-user gamers like World of Warcraft among the most addictive platforms.
Compulsive gamers, texters and Web browsers trade instant messaging and conquering fictional galaxies for bottle-feeding baby goats and building chicken coops on the five-acre Heavensfield Retreat Center.
“It is about helping people addicted to technology get through the withdrawal and help their brains get wired back to normal and connected to the world in a positive way,” said Cash.
The live-in retreat is not cheap. The 45-day digital detox costs $14,500, plus cash for daily expenses like renting camping gear for wilderness adventures.
ReStart subscribes to a 12-step program, similar to drug and alcohol abuse, and schools residents with a series of social skills workshops to reenter the real world.
“The typical gamer is somebody who has fallen way behind in social skills and lacks confidence,” Cash explained.
Besides teaching conversation skills and how to read body language, reStart says that videogame addicts also typically need to be reprogrammed to be conscientious about everyday habits such as bathing, cooking, and household chores – not to mention dating.
Continue reading:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/08/21/2009-08-21_first_us_rehab_for_internet_and_online_video_game_addicts_opens_in_washington _st.html#ixzz0P0EDIaTK