Rehab For Gamers Now Open
Take me to your retailer.Published 04/11/2009 at 10:14 by Gastos84
They tried to make me go to rehab, I said…up, down, select, triangle. That’s right, you can now enter rehab for game addiction (consoles and PC, not pheasants). Broadway Lodge in Somerset, which deal with regular addictions such as drugs, drink and gambling, have now opened their doors to welcome those with an addiction to gaming.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Broadway Lodge’s chief executive – Brian Dudley – told how they have modified their Minnesota Method Twelve-Step programme to include gamers. It’s used to slowly draw people away from their vice. According to Mr. Dudley, the problem is quite serious.
…I would stick my neck out and say between five and ten per cent of parents or partners would say they know of someone addicted to an online game.
They have recently treated one such case whereby a 23 year-old male was playing up to 8 hours straight without eating or interacting socially and was brought in by his family. Apparently, in this man’s case, the 12-step programme was successful and he now has the ‘mechanisms to cope with it’.
Whilst at the lodge, patients can expect to undertake activities such as vacuuming, washing dishes and listening to various types of theraputic media; all in attempt to kick the habit, which can lead to malnutrition, social exclusion and posture problems, in serious cases.
However, Peter Smith, a counsellor at the rehab center believes the addiction is a very serious one, that needs to be resolved.
It’s not unusual for people to get so obsessed with online gaming that they forget to eat and drift towards an anorexic and undernourished state
He went on to add:
You have a relationship with characters in the game that give you an artificial feeling, created by your body’s natural endorphins, when you have killed some monster or solved a problem
Now, call me a cynic,but isn’t that the whole appeal of videogames? Why aren’t the parents getting involved if they are that worried about their loved ones? I’m not saying people can’t be additcted to games, but why would a rehab center be needed? If it were me, and I noticed that I hadn’t seen my child for 8 hours, including at dinner times, I would intervene well before I thought of rehab!
Obviously, not everyone agrees with Broadway Lodge. The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association denies any possible addiction to games:
Playing video games is becoming increasingly mainstream in the UK and we firmly believe in the positive impact playing games can have
Is it me, or are people becoming so dependant on everyone else to sort out their problems?
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
kevatron400 | 04/11/2009 10:17
Don't call him Kevatron400.
1756 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
They should extend their services to a Second-Life Broadway Lodge.
Gastos84 | 04/11/2009 10:18
Team TSA: Writer
3888 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
LOL Nice one.
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 10:17
Member
4781 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
So that’s the World of Warcraft servers quiet for the next few months.
bajere | 04/11/2009 12:56
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
haha just what i was thinking…
lots of pasty, oily nerds heading to Broadway Lodge only to be told to get a life!?!?! haha. But on a serious note; it seems a waste of time to me. people game because they enjoy it, if they game instead of eating then my guess is they are young, so the parents should step in waaay before the need of a 23 year old going to game rehab!!!
Doddsy | 04/11/2009 10:24
Totally Oscar Mike
728 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Meh, I know cases when the addiction does become seroius but I still believe parents and partners should get involved first.
The main problem is with those who live alone or in unstable households, i.e. their partner works different shifts to them or parents work late shifts. Then the problem can get extreme, though I still think it can be dealt with without therapy.
BrendanCalls | 04/11/2009 10:27
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc - YOHIMBÉ!!!
1417 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Oh for goodness sake,
Re-hab for those addicted to collapsing and inflating their lungs at 1-2 second intervals throughout the day is nect up, I heard that people who do this even do it while they are at the dinner table and even worse they can’t stop doing it even when they are asleep.
colmshan1990 | 04/11/2009 16:26
Member
1102 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Withdrawal symptoms include death
Ryan1991 | 04/11/2009 10:30
Member
1985 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
I would never forget to eat food so that I can play a game. Food is too important to me. And tasty. Especially cheese. Oh and Christmas dinner. And sausages.
SirGregThorn | 04/11/2009 16:55
Member
894 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Especially sausages
hazelam | 04/11/2009 10:34
Member
3937 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
and where do i go for my pheasant addiction then?
you didn’t think of that did you?
tease us and then leave us hanging? shame on you
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 11:01
Member
4781 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
My girlfriend’s children will happily play on the PS3 until we step-in. Breakfast? What’s breakfast? Seriously… not good. It’s the reason why we don’t like them playing for long periods of time but you can see how easy it is to forgo sustenance.
davidjmclare | 04/11/2009 11:03
always on easy
1094 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
i think it is a good idea to have a gamers rehab. it sounds stupid i know, but i bet there are so many people (in particular who play world of warcraft, and not children, i mean adults here) who feel the only place they belong is in those worlds, so they become a social recluse… and malnutrition surely comes into play at some point. also i wouldnt be suprised if some of those gamers became extremely depressed if something went wrong to their account. i think there are people out there like it, so rehab makes sense.
BrendanCalls | 04/11/2009 11:18
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc - YOHIMBÉ!!!
1417 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I agree with that but what a sad state of affairs it is when a person loses all sense of reality. It’s not really re-hab they require it’s a whole psychiatric evaluation.
And some real-life friends to out with would also help these individuals,
Deathbrin | 04/11/2009 11:13
Member
945 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
8 hours? Bah. That’s just one all-nighter or less.
I admit you’ve got to realise you’re actually gaming and at least to drink something in between though.
Person678 | 04/11/2009 11:20
BOOM! Headshot!
1793 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Drugs = Gaming.
Riiiight…
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 11:21
Member
4781 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I used to enjoy a good portion of the day on a game but always took breaks, listened to my body (eg. it wants food… it wants to stretch limbs… it wants pee-pee!)
Hopefully no one’s gone the whole hog and bought a commode to avoid being away from gaming for even a second.
BadBoyBoogie | 04/11/2009 11:34
Let There Be Rock
2689 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
A commode…now there’s an idea!! Thanks mate!!
Roynaldo | 04/11/2009 11:30
Member
2979 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
Im sure that guy with 75 platinums needs to head over to this rehab place. Or maybehe IS this 23 year old male! Hmmmm
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 11:34
Member
4781 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
…and you wonder why Peter’s stepping down.
3shirts | 04/11/2009 12:17
Member
2486 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
I think a lot of the comments above are downplaying the seriousness of this. Addiction can manifest in many forms. Just becasue drug and alcohol addiction are long established and widely understood doesn’t mean there aren’t other extremely harmful addictions too.
The fact is that while people close the addictee (is that a word?) should notice and help that can be very difficult. If you have a teenage child addicted to Warcraft or something, trying to stop them playing isn’t easy and sometimes you need professionals to help. It’s no different from if they were addicted to alcohol.
I agree that a lot of cases it is probably just bad parenting just trying to get someone else to fix their broken child becasue they failed to be in control but in many many cases (as the example of a 23 year old) these are adults who are responsible for their own behaviour so there is no one to ‘make’ them stop
bunimomike | 04/11/2009 12:28
Member
4781 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
It’s a fair point, matey. However, I think most replies are glib only because we’re probably all well-adjusted and realise that good parenting/being responsible means that 99% of this shouldn’t happen in the first place (prevention being better than cure). Sadly, as you point out, reality kicks in and it’s not all white-picket fences and happy families. Psychological addiction is possible with anything so it’s good that things are recognised. Helps us teach our children in the future.
Gastos84 | 04/11/2009 12:33
Team TSA: Writer
3888 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
I understand that there could be serious problems in some situations, but for the most part the solution is easy.
If I had a kid that was becoming ‘addicted’ to WoW for example, my answer would be to disconnect him/her from the net for a period of time. Or conviscate the computer. It should never be allowed to get to the point whereby the affected becomes malnourished! That’s just insane.
Jamie Solo | 04/11/2009 13:28
Member
445 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Well I game quite a bit… but I gain weight so I don’t know what these people are talking about
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 04/11/2009 16:58
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I agree about the seriousness of this topic, but I can not always take it seriously as it is just so damn sad to get that addicted to a game.
However, I am aware of past cases e.g. when someone apparently died in an internet cafe playing an online game for days and days straight before breaking down.
Also, addicted players can truly become agressive and then the topic is not so funny I suppose.
Crazy_Del | 04/11/2009 12:34
Member
478 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Huh I always thought that playing video games is a good thing becuase you cannot get into trouble with the law lol, like binge drinking or drugs with your mates up town or anywhere, but a rehab for gaming addiction that’s new and weird lol. I agree with the part if a Parent hasn’t seen or spoken a child for the past 8hrs would intervene rather than phoning up a rehab lol. Also as for the 23 year old does he not have a job or college surely a parent or parents should encourage their child to get a good life after finishing high school and expect them to be out of the house when they reached 21 lol. I have been playing games since I was 4 but not saying I’m addicted to it. I do have a life…. honestly lol. I have great friends and family support and a great job, (It’s the only way I have to work in order to get new games from a big fat wage-slip) But there were times I did play ver long in this case 8hrs striaght or an all nighter, like Uncharted 2 or Halo 3 because I was so excited to play it hell even took a day off, but that doesn’t mean I’m addicted to it….. Am I
. But then again I do have a life I even spend time with my gf going to the cinemas and drunken nights out with my colleagues or friends, hell travel to another country for a heavy metal concert. (Next stop Manchester – Rammstein) It is the parents/adults responsiblity to look after the child or keep in touch despite being on games 24/7
Gastos84 | 04/11/2009 12:42
Team TSA: Writer
3888 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Everyone has pulled an all-nighter or long session for their favourite games. I took Uncharted 2’s release day off of work! But that doesn’t make us addicted. That just means that we are passionate about our hobby. Like you say, I have a very active social life, as I’m sure the majority on this site do, but I love to relax with the PS3. I say relax, 99% of the time I’m getting frustrated and stressed because I’m crap
The problem comes when people stab someone to death and then turn round and say ‘It was GTA. It made me do it!’ lol
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 04/11/2009 21:50
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Yeah, agree 100% with you there. If you do an all-nighter on something like COD with a few mates then it can be a real laugh and you forget about the fact you can rightfully be called sad. I find gaming an excellent way to simply wind down and chill, without having to leave the house and spend any money (except for the 1 or 2 pence it costs an hour to run a PS3 through the mains
).
The only way I can see myself getting addicted is if I can be bothered to try for the FIWC or something, a games competition where I can money would be quite addictive.
Tuffcub | 04/11/2009 12:48
Team TSA: Writer
4070 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
“It’s not unusual for people to get so obsessed with online gaming that they forget to eat and drift towards an anorexic and undernourished state” – Yes it is very unusual you mong, havent you seen the governemnt ads with all the fat kids playing video games. What a muppet.