This may be in the wrong section but feel free to move.
Hi guys.A I have been an active viewer of this boards for several months now. I have spoken to several of you personally and just let me say how great I think you all are for your support.A There have surely been times when I would not have made it thru.
Long story short. My son was hospitalized last year with depression and a Warcraft addiction.A I live in Canada and our mental health system has not gotten their heads around video game addiction.A Upon release they recommended the harm reduction approach to the addiction and that was like giving alcohol to an alcoholic.A Needless to say he was right back on the game.
He became so aggressive that he had to leave the house in December.A He is living on a mental health subsidy and still playing.A I have not seen my son since February and my heart aches everyday.A I live in BC Canada and I am disgusted by our mental health system but that is for another post.
We do have an addictions clinic in the town where I live and they have a very clear understanding of this addiction.A They held an information night last night and I spoke there about being the parent of a Warcraft addict.A They also had a gamer there who gave the other side of the story.A They have put on several information seminars due to the overwhelming number of calls they have received from worried families.A There is a concern that this addiction is going to be huge in the next 5 to 10 years.A As there were many parents there, (several who had driven quite a distance to attend) the discussion afterwords was really good and I wanted to share some things with you and throw out some ideas.
One of the big issues addiction counsellors are facing is educating not just the public but the mental health profession as well.A The report to be presented at the AMA ( Thanks Gamersmom) was discussed as well.A It is important to recognize that the report is essentially based on research that appears to be pre-Warcraft. To me, Warcraft puts a whole new spin on the issue.A There was a lot of hope that if the resolutions in the report are passed then the issue will get to the forefront faster.
It was also discussed that the addiction seems to run concurrent to other issues such as depression and/or social anxiety and that proper treatment requiresA treatment of all the issues.A That made a lot of sense to me.
The other valid point that was made is that to effect change, the issue has to be raised from all sides.A Not just parents, but legislators, news media the medical profession, the schools and the educators.A There was a lot of discussion about finding ways to make Blizzard accountable thru groups who lobby for corporate responsiblity.
A number of the parents conveened informaly afterwards and we discussed how this might happen.A I have already approached my local legislator with my sons case in the hope that a)something can be done and b) the situation that my family has undergone is not repeated for anyone else.A Unfortunately in the room it became apparent that I am not the only one.
The other thought that was discussed is forming an organization like MADD.A Everyone in the room accepted the fact that the drunk driving laws would not have been amended had this organization made its voice heard.A While it is not clear what laws are being broken, it is clear that we are losing our kids, spouses whatever to a video game.A
I was wondering if this had ever been discussed on the boards and what the prevailing thought is.A The parent group I spoke with wants to meet again and brainstorm the idea.A Any thoughts from this board.A I think it's time to get in someone's face.
Again I am not sure if I am posting in the right place.A FYI I could not say enough great things about this board so you may have a number of new Canadian members.
I, too, live in BC, Canada. Although I have a gaming addiction problem, I am dealing with it on my own since I was not aware of any addictions centre anywhere in BC that understands gaming addiction plus, fortunately for me, my addiction problems are relatively mild compared to other people. I don't think that I need to use their services now but I would be interested just in case, plus there may be other people who could use their services. As such, please let us know this centre's name and the town/city where it is located. As for implications for Blizzard, legal or otherwise, for their actions, I am not sure what is the best thing to do there. I am not a lawyer but I don't think that they are breaking any current laws here in Canada, in the U.S. or in any other country that they operate in. Nonetheless, that does not mean that they do not have a moral obligation. At this stage, I believe that the best thing to do is first of all to make sure that people are made aware of the potential damage that can be done to some people from gaming addiction. This includes young people, the medical Establishment, legislators, etc. Liz's personal story, and this Web site, have helped a lot, I am sure, in that regard. Also, I think that some type of warning on the game to this effect will be useful, even though many people will disregard it. In addition, as one or two MMORPGs are already doing, some warning to not get too involved in the game on the start up screen will be helpful to some people. I am not in favour of trying to completely ban any game or anything similar to that extent since it will very likely not work plus there are also many people who will be deprived of a useful piece of entertainment (it would be similar to the failure of prohibition back in the 1930's). Nonetheless, if the most addictive aspects of the game can be identified, then there may voluntary requests to companies to limit that (having mandatory requirements leads to a lot of problems such as enforcement, and being able to precisely specify the requirements and limitations, so I don't think that would be a good idea). Finally, proper addiction recovery services need to be made available for those that need it. Unfortunately, as you have noted, there is still not very much help and support available yet for people who can really use it.
- John O.
[em]Carpe Diem![/em] (Seize the Day!)
Good for you, ladyca! The more of this kind of stuff we do, the faster the word will spread. I don't know that we have ever gotten enough like-minded parents together in the same room, or even in the same part of the country, but if you can do it, I think it's a great idea, and as the word spreads, it will happen more and more. Be sure to post the info on the clinic in BC in the Professional references section if you feel it is a good facility where they understand the problem.
"Small service is true service while it lasts. Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun." -------William Wordsworth