Amsterdam

Na odwyk od gier do Amsterdamu


Stolica Holandii wkrótce może zamienić się w swoiste europejskie centrum leczenia nałogowych graczy. Pierwsza specjalizująca się w tej dziedzinie klinika otworzyła już swoją siedzibę.

Najnowsze gry wymagają od swoich użytkowników poświęcenia znacznej ilości czasu. I choć większość tytułów można ukończyć w zaledwie kilka godzin to nie sposób powiedzieć już tego samego w przypadku takich gier, jak "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" i "Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" oraz sieciowych tytułach pokroju "World of Warcraft".

Uzależnieni od gier

Brytyjskie BBC poinformowało o tym, jak złożona w Amsterdamie placówka radzi sobie z pierwszymi pacjentami. "Do tej pory przywożono tu zwłaszcza 15-latków, którzy wykazywali identyczne zachowania co osoby w wieku około 50. roku życia" - twierdzi Keith Bakker, dyrektor poradni. W opinii lekarza większość osób, jakie do odwiedziły już centrum, stanowili mężczyźni, którzy "chcieli uwolnić się od rzeczywistości".

Prowadzący ośrodek Smith & Jones Addiction Consultancy postanowili postawić na leczenie osób uzależnionych od narkotyków i gier wideo. Ta druga opcja to zupełna nowość, która ma pomóc tym, co nie mogą już samodzielnie przestać grać.

"Wstrząsająca" kuracja odwykowa

"Sporo znamy się na narkotykach takich jak kokaina, ale nie mogliśmy znaleźć związanego z nią programu dla leczenia dzieci, a wkrótce zauważyliśmy spore podobieństwo między problemami związanymi z grami, alkoholem i hazardem. Mogą pojawić się tu takie konsekwencje, jak: lęki, niepokój, problemy ze snem, śnienie o grach, koszmary, wstrząsy" - dodaje Bakker.

Chiny: Gry to narkotyk, który jest już normą

W przypadku nawrotów specjalista uznaje, że trzeba sprostać jeszcze kilku problemom: "Nie możesz zrobić testu moczu, aby sprawdzić, czy już przestali grać. Gdyby uzależniony od kokainy powiedział, że zamierza pójść do klubu i spotkać kilka osób, zaczęlibyśmy martwić się o to, czy spotka dealera. Kiedy zaś gracz mówi, że chce wyjść wieczorem i spotkać znajomych, moglibyśmy urządzić mu imprezę".

Po przeczytaniu nazwy tematu myślałem Myrtra, że na odwyk idziesz :>

Nie ma szans..kocham wszystkie moje nalogi

ja tam mam terapie odwykowa --- naturalna .... niestety..... ale jak znów zaczne grac ..... to zobaczycie ..... z pracy do kompa ( nie dawac czytac tego Gosi ! )

Trochę więcej o temacie:

Detox Clinic Opening for Video Addicts
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands


An addiction center is opening Europe's first detox clinic for game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.

Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs _ and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants.

Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, including discussions with therapists and efforts to build patients' interests in alternative activities.

"We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to- face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer," Bakker said. "Their social network has completely disappeared."

It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won.

Bakker said he has seen signs of addiction in children as young as 8.

Hyke van der Heijden, 28, a graduate of the Amsterdam program, started playing video games 20 years ago. By the time he was in college he was gaming about 14 hours a day and using drugs to play longer.

"For me, one joint would never be enough, or five minutes of gaming would never be enough," he said. "I would just keep going until I crashed out."

Van der Heijden first went to Smith & Jones for drug addiction in October 2005, but realized the gaming was the real problem. Since undergoing treatment, he has distanced himself from his smoking and gaming friends. He says he has been drug- and game-free for eight months.

Like other addicts, Bakker said, gamers are often trying to escape personal problems. When they play, their brains produce endorphins, giving them a high similar to that experienced by gamblers or drug addicts. Gamers' responses to questions even mirror those of alcoholics and gamblers when asked about use.

"Many of these kids believe that when they sit down, they're going to play two games and then do their homework," he said.

However, unlike other addicts, most gamers received their first game from their parents. "Because it's so new, parents don't see that this is something that can be dangerous," Bakker said.

Tim, a gamer who is currently under treatment, agreed to discuss his addiction on condition of his last name not being used. He said he began playing video games three years ago at age 18. Soon he wouldn't leave his room for dinner. Later, he began taking drugs to stay awake and play longer. Finally he sought help and picked up other hobbies to occupy his time.

Symptoms of addiction are easy to spot, Bakker says. Parents should take notice if a child neglects usual activities, spends several hours at a time with the computer and has no social life.

Bakker said parents of game addicts frequently echo the words of partners of cocaine addicts: "'I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was.'"