What's claimed to be the first in-patient clinic for computer game addicts in Europe is to open next month, while the Priory clinic is warning about super-sized wine glasses. Are we addicted to more than we like to admit?
"There were 15 year olds being brought to us who were showing the same behaviour as 50-year-old gambling addicts," says Keith Bakker, director of an addiction consultancy in Amsterdam, Holland.
Except the compulsion of these youths - almost always boys - was playing computer games.
"We knew about drugs like crack, but we couldn't find a programme anywhere for kids like this," he says. "And we saw enormous parallels between problems with gaming and alcohol and gambling."
source: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5034756.stm
"There were 15 year olds being brought to us who were showing the same behaviour as 50-year-old gambling addicts," says Keith Bakker, director of an addiction consultancy in Amsterdam, Holland.
Except the compulsion of these youths - almost always boys - was playing computer games.
"We knew about drugs like crack, but we couldn't find a programme anywhere for kids like this," he says. "And we saw enormous parallels between problems with gaming and alcohol and gambling."
source: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5034756.stm
