Internet Addiction

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Internet addiction is not recognized as a separate disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and treatment is not generally covered by insurance. But there are many such treatment centers in China, South Korea and Taiwan — where Internet addiction is taken very seriously — and many psychiatric experts say it is clear that Internet addiction is real and harmful. In the United States the center, called ReSTART, is somewhat ironically located near Redmond, headquarters of Microsoft and a world center of the computer industry. It opened in July and for $14,000 offers a 45-day program intended to help people wean themselves from pathological computer use, which can include obsessive use of video games, texting, Facebook, eBay, Twitter and any other time-killers brought courtesy of technology.
AP


This photo taken Sept. 1, 2009 shows reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program co-founder Cosette Dawna Rae talking with a client, who wished not to be named, on his first day at the program's facilities in Fall City, Wash. reSTART is the first residential treatment program of its kind in the United States. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)