As gamers, many of us joke about being addicted to our hobby, logging many hours in front of consoles and computers, both online and alone. However, in many countries around the world—including the United States—clinics have opened up to treat and rehabilitate gamers who have apparently become addicts. Vietnam is the latest country to open up such a facility, with Ho Chi Minh City hosting 50 patients between the ages of 13 and 18 at the rehab clinic, according to the Vietnam News Service:

Huynh Hong Hiep head of training at the Southern Youth Centre – a centre for sport and culture that has set up the rehabilitation facility – says many parents complain they are unable to drag their children away from the computer.

The "treatment" works by developing their personalities through involvement in social work and other activities like music, painting, dancing, and sports, he says.

According to the article, the addicts are treated for eight weeks. The article also states that the first game appeared in Vietnam only four years ago, which just seems crazy and unbelievable to me. Even crazier is the fact that in those four years, over six million people in the country have become avid gamers. I suspect that this isn’t the last we will hear about gaming treatment centers worldwide.

[Img source]

Related Articles:

Could Video Game Addiction Fight Obesity?

Video Game Addiction

Animal Crossing: The MMO