Internet junkie detox center claims US first

A dedicated internet and gaming addiction recovery program has opened shop in Fall City, Washington, which claims to be the first of its kind in the US. The center, called reStart, is a 45-day anti-internet detox program located at the soothingly-named rural Heavensfield Retreat Center located some 20 minutes away from …

[Cliff]

A Higher Power

You pray to the IBM Roadrunner? Or Turing?

[Adam White]

RE: A Higher Power

Almighty Mozilla!

[Rainer]

Hopefully...

...they have good wireless signal strength all over the place, so you can at least get your mail via iPhone while you're there.

;-)

[Ian Ferguson]

I have a better solution

There's a much better solution, which might take a bit of initial effort but brings all the same benefits, without ANY cost. In fact, you'll make a profit!

It's called, 'Getting a Job'.

[Adam White]

Don't ask, do collect

It doesn't sound like this new law will be particularly onerous on the marketeers. As long as they don't ask anybody what their age is they won't be knowingly dealing with minors.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm

a "heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and internet activities," "craving for more time on the computer and internet,"

Bit hard to avoid those considering what 80% of all websites are

Can I spend my personal time on a computer?

[Rosuav]

The price of this place

"Cost of enrollment is a whopping $14,500..."

They should knock $100 off the price for people who use dial-up.

Whoops, I think I just admitted that I need the place...

[Tony Paulazzo]

So,

how do you know if you're addicted? I've not robbed a granny to maintain my habit, but I do have broadband at home and the office, and the 'net has become my secondary nature - for research, fun and shopping. I don't do online gaming, am on Facebook (been to the site twice this last couple of months), don't Twitter, don't internet thru my phone.

Whilst round at friends houses I don't whip out my laptop and logon to their wireless (unless for a pressing reason - waiting for email, win on Ebay, comment on El Reg, etc), but... when the 'net goes down, I do feel a sense of loss.

But maybe there is a silver lining, as the 'net gets twisted and bent into a global shopping mecca, with constant tracking and spying and attempts at cashifying, something smaller and more cliquey will appear that I can get into, where the acquisition of easy money isn't the driving force.

Sorry, don't know what that's got to do with internet addiction, but what the hey...

[Neoc]

Wrong name...

Surely they should have called it "ReBoot", not "ReStart". And am I the only one who read the description of the daily programme and thought "indoctrination centre"?

[Mad Hacker]

RE: A Higher Power

Atari Transputer Workstation!

[Colin Barfoot]

downgraded

On their website they've referred to el Reg as The A Register. They could have given you an EAX, at least. I mean, Z80.

Still, it's pretty impressive that a couple of psychologists have that kind of hardware knowledge.

[NRT]

An odd (though increasingly common) use of "addiction"

It seems to work like this:

1) I do not understand/disaprove of activity X

2) You enjoy and engage in activity X

3) I tell you to "Stop that, it's very silly"

4) You tell me to "Go away"

5) As it is (obviously) not possible that I may be wrong.....

You are ADDICTED!!!

Nick

[dunncha]

Credit Crunch Tips - No1

Telephone your ISP and ask them nicely to disconnect your interTUBES

Switch the computer off, walk to the library ask the Librarian lady to give you a nice book to read.

Get a life/Get a job/Get a girlfriend/boyfriend

Saving $14,500 and maybe your life.

People do love to create new problems.

No stomach for drugs.......... Claim your addicted to something else like...hmmm Sunshine!... fresh air... hmm Paris Hilton perhaps?

[Anonymous Coward]

A higher power...

...So does this mean a "higher power" in the traditional sense of the leader having sex with underage girls or a "higher power" where the leader takes your cash whilst having orgies with members of your own family, as so many "healing" centres have done in the past.

[Chris 191]

Obvious really

Once you've shelled out all that dosh you can't affort to pay for an internet connection.

Mines the one with the wrist support in the pocket.

[lukewarmdog]

Wow Killer

Everyone has been looking for one on the net, clearly looking in the wrong place.

Also would it be unethical for Blizzard to be shareholders?

[Hermes (nine inch) Conran]

@ Ian Ferguson

Did you (like me) submit this from your connection at work?

[Elmer Phud]

Booking places

Can you just turn up for a session or is it web-based enquiries only?

(I place these sorts of 'therapy' businesses in the same category as cards readings and mediums)

These pirates are only after your money - no matter how nicely they package it all up.

[Anonymous Coward]

LFG, detox centre

>"discovery quest,"... "life quest"

Participants will be able to find their way to these by looking for someone with a giant exclamation mark floating above their head.

[Cliff]

Actually, exactly which higher power is important

Narconon, for instance, has now widely been demonstrated to be a recruiting front for Scientology. Anyone know which deity these guys are turning to? Any 'addict' is a vulnerable person if you think about it, they've already proved they have a $15,000 problem.

[Corrine]

What?

"Symptoms include... carpal tunnel syndrome."

If you use a computer you're addicted to the net, even if that computer has no internet.

"The American Psychiatric Association currently does not recognize internet addiction as an actual disorder"

And I don't recognize the APA as being able to tell the difference between their head and the stick up their ass.

"addicted to browsing the internet, gaming, or even text messaging."

These people can't tell the difference between an Internet and gaming dependency. Which means they didn't even read the research in question.

"discovery quest," "life quest," vocational skills, "reflection group," a "mindfulness" session

These will not help with dependency. These will make the patient hate your guts, and resist any future attempts at treatment.

"12 step program"

Not useful without weekly treatment, this is pretty much begging for a relapse in a treat and release setting like this one.

[Andy ORourke]

Am I the only one......

Who read "opened shop in Fall City," as "opened shop in FAIL City,"

Oh dear, I must be addicted

[CD001]

Icanhaztreatment?

-------------------------

For example, a typical monday involves waking up at 7:00AM, breakfast, exercise, chores, a "discovery quest," a follow-through session, lunch at noon, a "life quest," vocational skills, evening chores, dinner, a "reflection group," a "mindfulness" session, personal time, and lights out at 10:30PM.

-------------------------

Shit - so even if you get OUT of WoW you STILL have to level grind to break the addiction - do you get let out of the "clinic" when you reach level 70? Or does that just give you access to bigger, scarier clinics?

[Aaron Em]

It's a retreat for rich people.

Must be nice. "Internet addiction" makes the perfect excuse, don'tcherknow?

[Anonymous Coward]

A higher power?

OK... I choose the internet, the most powerful of all 'higher powers' and the only one that actually exists.

[Anonymous Coward]

...[I]t's (not) even funny.

This is so wrong on so many levels it's (not) even funny. For the price of this place, speaking as an economist, you can certainly afford your addiction and that's even tossing in a T1/T3 connection or a ten or so wireless broadband modems so you are never without!

Next off, recent research into the actual nuerochemical reactions/interactions in the human brain finds that it is rewarding us when we solve a particular problem, such as a search or a puzzle, so addiction to the reward (endorphins) should come as no surprise. You get similar rewards from running (runner's high), overeating (natch), even chocalate. Should the APA persue this and incorporate 'internet addiction' into the DSM, there are more than a few other behaviors that would require incorporation as well (see prev. sentence). And you thought insurance costs were bad now? Still, a vaction from the 'net for an extended period with natural adventures tossed in at no cost? I'll take it.

Back to the lighter side: I think they call it 'ReStart' to imply that you get to restart your life. Actually, having serious experience with various programs, I think ReStart is entirely appropriate. 'Cause that's what the 'participant' will do as soon as they get near a 'net connection!!! I would.

[Chika]

Um...

If you can make the sort of calculation in terms of the number of WoW weeks you could be playing, should you not consider a booking?

[Jacob Reid]

@Andy

Not at all, I thought exactly the same thing.

FAIL city indeed.

[E_Nigma]

Internet Addiction Doesn't Exist

Just like the sentence near the end says, real psychiatrists agree that, even with people who do get obsessive about it, Internet "addiction" is not a true addiction and is usually only a manifestation of other existing disorder(s). That implies that places like this one are run by quacks looking for people to fleece. In my opinion, this amounts to a fraud.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey man

read about this on the net, man. Sounds awful. For less than a tenth the price, I can give you a week 24/7 high speed broadband and all the red bull you can drink and all the gnutella you can eat. Way to go. Addiction is all in your mind, man

[Pete "oranges" B.]

Sad.

@ dunncha:

Don't be so quick to judge, have you seen Project Gutenberg and Archive.org, it's practically the stuff of ST:TNG come to life!

________________

In short, use the power of the net wisely; read, write, study, learn, create, share important knowledge with others and ideas and always strive to better understand the technologies that makes this all possible.

[Anonymous Coward]

Higher Power

At first I thought they meant some kind of sky-fairy. Then I realised that would prevent atheists from shedding their internet dependency and that can't be right. Surely it would be better to also cure people of their addiction to the tale of whatever sky-fairy they believe in?

After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that a higher power really means "x to the power (n+1)" rather than just "x to the power n".

I'll get my coat (the one with the subscription to WoW inside).