Less than 24 hours after we found out about a BlackBerry addict cold-turkey service offered by a Chicago hotel, we came across a recent story from the Associated Press about a "detox clinic for game addicts" in Amsterdam.

No, this is not a joke. Apparently the program director at the addiction center likes to compare video game addiction to that of gambling and drugs. His main concern is that excessive gaming can lead to a collapse of a person's social network.
Though the program is not set to officially open until July, several people have already been treated at the center for their video game addiction. According to the AP story, the program runs "four to eight weeks, including discussions with therapists and efforts to build patients’ interests in alternative activities."

Alright; come on. Is a video game "addiction" really something that requires an overdramatized rehabilitation program? I mean, Fatal1ty seems like he's doing alright to me. It also seems a lot of the case studies for this program are people who had drug problems and then blame gaming for the root of their more severe addiction. I don't expect this treatment to catch on in any other detox clinic in the world.

Read the full AP story

Report Published by: Mark Raby