By Ami Schmitz and Jessica Hopper
Rock Center
Brett Walker says he knew he was hooked to using his computer when his virtual life nearly destroyed his real life. He was unemployed, had started to neglect his personal hygiene and says he had no friends all because of his online game of choice, “World of Warcraft.”
“Whenever I went online, it really was like getting high on a drug,” said Walker in an interview with Dr. Nancy Snyderman. “I mean, I would log in and I could just feel the dopamine start coming as soon as I was typing in my password and stuff, just waiting for it to log in.”
Walker, 28, said that he started playing online games when he was 11. By his early twenties, the Texan devoted up to 16 hours a day to “World of Warcraft,” a game that has millions of players around the globe. As he got better at the game, he said, his life away from his keyboard crumbled.
“Whenever I was on the computer I would feel great,” said Walker in an interview airing Thursday, Nov. 8 at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams. “I was in this whole other world. I was excited. I was happy for that brief moment, but whenever I’m lying in bed at night, I would always … just think about how that day I hadn’t accomplished anything, about how I wasn’t what I wanted to be in life and that I was really, you know, miserable."
Was Walker suffering from a true addiction to the Internet or just a bad habit? An emerging area of research has developed to study those who are obsessed with logging on to the World Wide Web. Scientists say brain scans of heavy Internet users reveal changes in both the size of certain parts of the brain as well as its function. They say it is possible to become addicted to the Internet.
“The new research, whether it's imaging research or genetic research or other kinds of research, [is] pointing to a biological disposition, something in our biology that makes it easy for us to fall in love with a video game or with the Internet. And for a proportion of us, this love affair can start looking like an addiction,” said Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, who runs Stanford University’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Impulse Control Disorders Clinic and recently completed one of the largest studies to examine how common problematic Internet use is in the United States.
“When we talk about problematic Internet use, one common complaint is that there's nothing really different about it, that it's similar to, you know, when radio first came around or TV or even novels,” Aboujaoude said. “But I really do believe the Internet is different. It's different in that it engages you a lot more. You're immersed in it. It talks back to you. It's also different in terms of its penetrance, how incredibly common it is and how much access we have to it.”
Aboujaoude's research found that up to 13 percent of Americans experience some degree of negative impact from overuse of the Internet.
“Examples of this negative impact include things like damage to their personal lives because of their online patterns of use or feeling, that they cannot go for an extended period of time without logging in and that in and of itself has negative consequences,” he said, adding that other countries, such as China, have made the study of excessive use of electronic media a priority.
Chinese researchers recently compared the brain scans of average Internet users to the brain scans of Internet obsessives. The small study found changes in the areas responsible for decision-making, emotions, and self-control – the same areas that are affected in substance abusers.
Seeking treatment
Walker chose to get help for his problem, turning to reSTART, the first residential treatment program in the United States that helps people with Internet obsessions. Founders Hilarie Cash and Cosette Rae are among a growing number of mental health professionals who believe in the controversial theory that it is possible to become addicted to the Internet, just as some people get hooked on drugs, alcohol or gambling. Their program focuses on people hooked on online games, chat rooms, even blogs.
“We’re talking about a lot of young people who come to us who’ve actually gotten addicted at age five, six, seven, eight,” Cash said, “and so their brain development has been profoundly impacted because of that early onset of addiction.”
This year the American Psychiatric Association added “Internet Use Disorder” to the appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the standard text of the profession. The APA also said that more research needs to be done.
But critics question whether these behaviors constitute a real addiction or are just an unhealthy obsession.
WATCH VIDEO: Rehab focuses on treating Internet addicts
“Not every passionate interest in life is an addiction,” said Dr. Allen Frances, a psychiatrist and professor emeritus at Duke University who has been fighting efforts to add the diagnosis of Internet addiction to the manual.
“I’m not arguing against the fact that there’s a small group of people who suffer horribly from this,” Frances said. “What I’m arguing is that when you introduce a diagnosis into the system, it’s very likely to take off in directions you never imagined, and become a fad.”
“Where do you draw the line?” he added. “Why not include work addiction, sex addiction, shopping addiction, golf addiction, model-railroading addiction?”
The founders of reSTART say that Internet addiction is real and dismissing it is similar to the way some originally viewed drug and alcohol abuse.
“Isn’t that what we did to substance users, like, 40, 50 years ago?” asked Rae. “And we’ve now had plenty of research to show that drug and alcohol addiction is real and exists.”
Rae and Cash’s treatment is a major commitment, consisting of residential therapy for a minimum of 45 days in a seven-bed facility outside of Seattle, Wash. It is also expensive – and the nearly $400-a-day treatment is rarely covered by health insurers.
From young adults to middle-aged women, a range of people arrive to unplug. They often enter the program sleep-deprived, depressed and with a string of professional and personal failures tied to their inability to log off. In addition, they’ve often ignored health issues, such as having either lost or gained significant amounts of weight.
The withdrawal process can be brutal, Cash said.
“It takes about three weeks for the brain to make its adjustment and go through withdrawal and then after about three weeks, they start to be much more relaxed,” he said. “They’re not so depressed and anxious.”
Cash and Rae said that part of what turns computer use from a thing of enjoyment to an addiction is the “social factor.” ReStart patients say they find it easier to make friends with people online, than in person.
“We're social animals, right? So they find that in these games they can connect with people and try to meet their social needs that way. And that's a huge element in the addiction,” Cash said.
For Walker, the relationships he’d developed through online gaming were so important that he said it impacted the timing of when he got treatment.
“[I] actually waited until the end of the season....to leave so I wouldn’t just leave my teammates hanging. So I told them, you know, once this season ends, you know, I’m gone,” Walker said. “That’s how much my friends meant to me online. I mean, in real life, you know, my commitments didn’t mean anything to me.”
Stacey, a Washington woman who recently completed the reSTART program, said that her continued connections with friends she met online have led her to relapse. She is hooked on the AOL card game, Spades.
NBC News
Stacey, addicted to online card game, Spades.
“I still am friends with the online friends that I had made,” said Stacey, who asked Rock Center not to use her last name. “That probably is part of the problem, yes. But it’s one of the parts that I don’t know if I’m willing to give up. It’s sad to say.”
The teacher and mom of two said that she spent so much time in bed playing Spades that it led to divorce from her husband of 18 years. When Stacey moved out, her two daughters stayed with her husband. Stacey said that her obsession cost her at least five years of experiencing their childhood.
“When I’d go out shopping with the girls at the mall, all I could think about was going back and playing on the computer again. So, even if I was physically present, my brain was still on the computer,” Stacey said.
ReSTART has treated 500 people since it opened in 2009. To help patients get off line for good, therapy at reSTART focuses on socializing and patients are encouraged to go outside after having often been trapped for years alone in rooms with computers.
But Cash and Rae say that re-entering an increasingly digital world can be hard.
“So I don't think that abstinence is possible, not from all the technology in this modern age,” Cash said. “They can define what are those aspects of Internet use that are problems for them and be abstinent from those and then define for themselves how they're going to use computers and the Internet in a way that is healthy and sustaining,” Cash said.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s full report airs Thursday, Nov. 8 at 10pm/9c on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.
Leave a Comment:
$400 a day? Excellent racket!
This is one of the lamest "addictions" ever. Really? These are just social losers who don't want to work or just suck at it.
Very well said !
jake-really? How much time do you spend in "social rooms" and "discussion boards"? I know during the campaigns and election I spent more time on my computer than I should-and I am "retired". Those that criticize others addictions usually have one of their own they are in denial of-from my observation. And when Baldur's Gate first came out...then Call Of Duty...Crysis...da da da.
ANYTHING that entertains or feels good has the potential to be abused. Not just video games, but TV, food, exercise, SEX, politics, jogging can ALL become the focus of habits.
And you know one thing that doesn't help? Being a condescending twat. Belittling others with issues, especially when they are trying to HELP others while you mock. You have your own issues (we all do), and I doubt you'd be adult enough to list them on a website so others who also suffer can get help too.
Feel free to prove me wrong.
Whether or not internet use is an addiction is still up for debate but what's pretty clear is that digital media can lead to negative effects for SOME people - not everyone. Many of us have enough self-control and discipline to use technology to only benefit our lives. A growing number of us (including myself) are feeling overwhelmed, distracted and unproductive over constantly consuming digital info in the form of email, apps, websites and social media. Then for some people tech is absolutely ruining their lives - this is mostly what the Rock Center special seems to focus on.
A full spectrum exists and, as mentioned above, the difference is in the habits we build. We should have some content consumption platforms that help build healthier digital habits by encouraging users to have a few full info meals per day rather than compulsively snacking on info. That's the reason we're building Skim.Me - to help people keep up digitally in a less addictive and less overwhelming way. We'll be tuning in tonight.
I am an occasional internet addict. For example, last week I was glued to the computer looking for information about the election and participating in numerous message board
argumentsdiscussions, and it was hard to tear myself away and sleep. Not so much this week, though.400 bucks a day!! does that include Wifi access?
"Hello, I'm Dr. Stealyomoney and I'm here to talk to you about my treatment program for helping you overcome your addiction to the internet... In addition to online therapy I offer several links to other websites to hep you kick the internet habit once and for all... I also offer, as part of your $400 fee/day, free access to my website for ongoing support to help you maintain your internet-free lifestyle..."
Why on earth would anybody want to meet people off line? Think of the diseases, the psychos, the need to be nice or pretending to be interested in someone else and worst of all, the inability to touch yourself when you feel like it. Total horror story. Uh uh, as soon as the Matrix implants are available I'll be gone 24/7. I'd gladly be a battery in exchange for a cocoon.
Lol. I love this post. It's like I'm on the computer cuz people are so boring. Sometimes they are and so are we. I was on on-line a lot this year due to the election but I expect to cut down now. In fact I'm only here to check a story or two because I'm going out to visit a real friend. Going out. What a concept.
"Isn't that what we did to substance users, like, 40, 50 years ago?"
How about this for an addiction: STOP using the word "like" inappropriately? The sentence would read perfectly well if that word was removed.
The reporter did not choose to use this word. It was spoken by the person being interviewed. The reporter had to use the word. The only way to not include the word in the article and follow reporting guidelines would have been to write the quote as, "Isn't that what we did to substance abusers...40, 50 years ago?"
My method: View Facebook but don't ever post on it, use a Smartphone only for actual phone calls and important texts ( no games), and when bored work on real hobbies.
Seems to work so far.
When four of these folks get together and go to a restaurant no one talks to each other. They are just immersed with wasting time with their smart phones. They call this a night out with friends.
For $300 an hour I would sell these folks some actual reality.
Dude prob voted for Obama Biden. More free "stuff"
The election is over and your guy lost. Please grow up and stop trying to bring politics into a story that has nothing to do with politics.
I think there needs to be a rehab center for dealing with people who can't give up their obsessive right wing hate (their hate towards liberals). Obviously wakani need it... how can you make this story about Obama?
They were addicted to online games...not the internet ! The internet has much more to offer than just games. If someone spent all their money buying junk online they would a shop-aholic that was addicted to online shopping. In the past I used to spend a lot of time online playing games, paying bills, shopping, chatting, emailing, reading....all in one long session...and had there been an iPhone I would have been doing that in the car and at work and while walking...that could have been construed as being addicted to the internet. Sound familiar anyone ? anyone's kids ????
I agree--addicted to games is a whole different thing.
I know one person that's built up many internet "friendships" and I'm not sure if it's entirely healthy.
This is a big problem among young men and boys in South Korea where they have camps and rehab centers to get them off their computers and back in touch with the physical world.
oh this is major weak willed BULLHOCKEY. i am an internet tech and i play games. you know its funny how when you run out of food you might think about getting food...that means getting a job!!! DUH!! if you cant turn your cpu off for a bit i say just shoot yourself in the frickin head!!!!! you have no place in this world!!!! i just dont know what to say about an internet REHAB this is so stupid its funny. the guy is overweight and is not attracting girls so he hides behind his little monitor hoping he can be someone else....but alas it doesnt work that way. he now hes learning the hard way....se la vie!
If you were a real internet tech you definitely wouldn't use the phrase "turn your cpu off". BTW, se la vie?
se la vie --> C'est la vie.
<.>Seriously??? e.e Damn... Unplug yourself.. it fixes lots..
Isn't funny how they're making technological progress so advanced for us to be online all day long and then you're online all day long they say you have a problem with it and need help.
People with personalities prone to addiction can become addicted to most anything. News at 11!
Snark aside, what I just wrote is accurate. While there are substances that cause addiction themselves, the Internet - even online gaming - isn't one such substance. However, if someone has a personality that is prone to addiction - generally type A personality, perfectionist - then even non-addictive substances can become addictive. Often without the users even realizing it because it fits neatly with their own personality traits. Edit: Hell, I've worked with programmers who I could argue are "addicted" to coding.
Consider World of Warcraft. In and of itself, it's not addictive. Like most MMOs, however, it plays to the kind of person who thrives on always staying "competitive". I can sympathize. I spent 7 years behind that game, the first 3 playing very hardcore until I realized I had let Warcraft fill the void left behind by quitting smoking.
Addiction ? that term sure does get thrown around a lot, especially when $$ comes into play.(and finding a scapegoat)
Find a job staring at a computer hooked up to the internet and it's not an addiction anymore.....problem solved.
so I guess if you go and play golf every day, which requires interaction, decision making etc, that you have a golf addiction. Please. while it is easy to get immersed and want to do it, it really is just like watching tv. Actually there have been studies that have said playing video games is better for you than watching TV. I'd be telling these people to just get your money back.
My computer is on from 6am till 11 pm. However I do go out, eat, do housework. Does that mean I am still an Addict?
No. It would be an addiction if it significantly impacted other aspects of your life.
I'm on my computer, but I don't do housework... I didn't do housework before. I don't watch TV, but a little. I play with my dog go hiking and volunteer outdoors.
Of all these things, I would say the most damaging is that I'm addicted to NOT doing housework. Is there rehab for that?
I would give ANYTHING if my dad was still alive to hear this story. I'd love to hear his reaction. These people are addicted to laziness and self absorption. Well, that's my opinion.
I know people who think people are bad for doing anything that they don't find valuable. I used to get lectured by my mom for wasting time on the computer. I assured her I didn't spend that much time there. She decided she wanted to learn the computer so got one and now she's on it... maybe more than I am and now she doesn't criticize.
Knowledge is understanding. People that have little experiences judge BIG.
I am glad that no one on this board has ever been addicted to anything and does not realize how real the problem is. Good for you, now go somewhere else and leave people who are trying to turn their lives around alone. You don't have to call it internet addiction if you do not like the term, but if these people do nothing but think about playing online games when they are supposed to be spending time with their children and families and they throw away marriage and relationships in the real world for online relationships with people they will never see in person then they have a problem and need help. Life is hard and any substance that can be used to escape will be abused by people who have addictive personalities; sometimes it is drugs or alcohol, sometimes it is food or sex and apparently sometimes it is online gaming. If you cannot understand that be thankful, it means that you are mentally healthy and generally happy with your life. It does not mean you get to abuse those that are not so fortunate.
There are lots of people who have never had a problem with addiction. And there are many people who have compulsive behaviors. But . . . what parent allows a child to become immersed in poor behaviors at age 6, 7, 8, etc? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Parents have a responsiblity to help their children develop socially as well as physically and emotionally. Therapists need to deal with the root problem rather than call every inappropriate behavior an "addiction." People use many things to avoid interacting with people face to face.
Which came first: the compulsive behavior, or the lack of ability to interact with people in normal/appropriate ways? Poor social abilities lead to isolation in front of the computer. I think the root of these new "addictions" was already present before these people had their technology devices. Call a spade a spade.
He was unemployed...???
OK who enabled him with internet access he obviously did not have the money for? Is this something people feel they are entitled to have given to them? Hey how about getting off the computer and getting a fricken job you freeloader! And now we want to declare this an addiction, medically so we can force health insurance to pay out treatment, and hell lets just say the poor sap is disabled because of his addiction and let him receive a monthly check taking it from the people who "WORK" for a living! Turn of his internet trash his laptop and get rid of his "Obama" phone and send his lazy ass out and get a JOB!!! Of course MSNBC love this kind of stuff to promote the welfare system. Wow what a piss poor excuse, heaven forbid anyone can take the blame for their own actions anymore!
OMG I just realized I have a problem, I work for a living and support myself. I think maybe I should get into rehab to fix that because I spend 50 hours of my week doing this it must be an addiction and a means of escape from my terrible home life....
As a recovering WoW addict, it is VERY hard to get off of it. Your online friends, your rank on the server, your experience of new content... Hardcore raiding for a good 2-3 years from Burning Crusade through Wrath.
It mentioned in the article that Brett waited until the end of the season. This is a GREAT way to break the addiction. Personally I wanted to kill Arthas (big fan of WCIII, the story, the lore, etc). Once my guild finally killed him, I felt I could actually stop. Being completely honest, I cancelled my subscription that night, but had the 3 month recurring subscription, so I still logged on every now and again until it ran out.
One other thing from online game addictions... find another hobby to fill the space. I am a big fan of the UFC, and wrestled in high school, so I picked up MMA (yes, a fat computer nerd started doing MMA :) ). It kept my mind off of it, and I made friends with a lot of people in my class.
Many of these comments are incredibly naive - however I understand these comments because it's hard to really understand the habits and helpless feelings of an addict unless you are one, regardless of the substance of addiction (gambling, drugs, alcohol, internet, shopping, etc.)
First off - I'm 29, very well educated, fortunately have a very close family and a small core of friends I've had for years. I have a wonderful romantic relationship that has lasted years even through what I'm going to describe. My point in describing this is that many addicts aren't the so called obese unattractive losers that many of these commentors have unfairly generalized.
I've been struggling with an sexually based internet addiction for the past 10 years of my life (I'm 29 now) that has alienated me from existing and potential friendships, severely dampened my love life, and affected my professional career. I can only thank my lucky stars that enough interventions took place by my loved ones that I've started to seriously participate in therapy to recognize the underlying personality issues and self conscious qualities that kept leading me back to the computer over and over again.
I've wasted so many hours and entire nights on the computer that it makes me sick to think how much of my life has gotten sucked away by this issue. I could write a novel about how my personal internet addiction has continually threatened to wipe away everything I've worked to achieve in my professional and personal life, but I'm keeping this brief in the hope that other people read my entire post.
Bottom line... any type of addiction can become so powerful that it can overtake someone's life so severely that they feel so hopeless that taking their own life is the only way out. It's happened to countless people, while others have been lucky enough to recognize that there's still hope to turn things around and taken the necessary steps. I hope everyone that reads this pauses to give so called internet (or any other kind) addicts benefit of the doubt, and comments like "These are just social losers who don't want to work or just suck at it" or "These people are addicted to laziness and self absorption" show an unfair judgement without truly knowing some of the personal struggles some people go through with this. Thanks.
And what is the first thing we start sticking in our kids' face-right out of the box.
As usual, the comments are 90% worthless. Many of you are just rude, ignorant @!$%#s. Of course, it's easy to act that way online, isn't it? Hopefully you'd never act that way with people in real life.