Last June, we reported on a detox clinic in Netherlands for gaming addicts. Now, a hospital in the United States offers pretty much the same thing. Located in Newton, Mass., the McLean Hospital actually has a "Computer Addiction Services" department, that aims to help people who are hopelessly immersed in video games.

The said department's coordinator, Dr. Maressa Orzack, believes that "game addiction is a true mental disorder." According to Orzack who has treated all types of addictions for 15 years, there's little difference between drug use, gambling and video game addiction. She adds that video games work on a theory pretty similar to gambling, called the "variable ratio reinforcement."

Basically, it means that players will set a goal (like finish a particularly a hard mission), and will keep playing until they accomplish it, even if they fail doing it a couple of times. However, they would still keep playing even if they reach the said goal. Thing is, before the players know it, they're addicted. They're already immersed in that "particular gaming world," and see it as a way to escape problems in real life.

Orzack's prescription? "Video game addicts" should accept their problem and be willing to change. And therein lies probably the biggest problem as most people don't see video games as "potentially harmful," as opposed to getting hooked on drugs or other vices. She also adds that there should be "warning labels" in video games packages, pretty much like the warning labels in cigarettes.

What about you? Do you agree with her? Share us your thoughts.

There is such a thing as game addiction. And it's serious.

A detox clinic will be opening in Amsterdam, Netherlands for game addicts. The clinic will be offering in-house treatment for people who just can't stay away from playing video games.

Keith Bakker, director of Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants based in Amsterdam, spear-headed this detox program as he believes that video games can be as addictive as drugs or gambling. This program will focus on treating game addiction through discussions with therapists and encouraging these gamers to get interested in alternative activities.

According to Bakker, gaming addiction has several causes and damaging effects on a person. Sometimes, this addiction might have even been caused by the gamers' parents. They give their sons or daughters video games to keep them away from television or to keep them occupied. Some gamers are also trying to escape personal problems when they play. When playing, the brain produces endorphins that give them a high very similar to those felt by gamblers or drug addicts.

This kind of addiction can also result to another addiction: drug dependence. In several cases handled by Bakker, there were people who used drugs just so they could stay up longer and play longer. These people would only stop playing when their bodies - and not their computers - crash. Those who've spent most of their days in front of their computers also lose their social network and have problems communicating with people face-to-face.

Bakker is hoping that most parents and the gamers themselves see that though gaming may seem like an innocent activity, it can still cause addiction. This detox clinic in Netherlands will start its program this July.