Cyber Junkie

Description

Recovering video game addict Kevin Roberts offers a step-by-step guide to recovery for those struggling with compulsive video gaming and Internet surfing. Video gaming and Internet surfing are the top sources of entertainment for tens of millions of North Americans today. As these technologies continue to grow and flourish, so does the number of people becoming obsessively absorbed in the imagination and fantasy that they present. More and more people are isolating themselves, turning their backs on reality, ignoring family and friends, and losing their sleep and even their jobs due to excessive use of video games and the Internet--and they continue to do so despite harmful consequences to their mental, physical, and spiritual health, a telltale sign of addiction. In this groundbreaking book, recovering video game addict Kevin Roberts uses extensive scientific and social research, complemented by his and others' personal stories, to give compulsive gamers and surfers--and their family and friends--a step-by-step guide for recovery. He outlines the ways that "cyber junkies" exhibit the classic signs of addiction and reveals how they can successfully recover by following a program similar to those used for other addictions. Readers learn to identify whether they have an addiction, find the right resources to get individualized help, and regain a rewarding life away from the screen by learning new thoughts and behaviors that free them from the cravings that rule their lives. Included is a guide for parents for working with their addicted children.

Kevin Roberts is a recovering video game addict who runs support groups to help others struggling with cyber addiction get their lives back on track. He is a nationally recognized expert on video gaming addiction and a regular conference speaker. Roberts has a background in education and is the developer of a sixteen-module curriculum designed to give those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), often a driving factor of video game and internet addiction, the skills they need to succeed. Cyber Junkie is his first book.

Ask Amy: Son's Internet Addiction Has Parents WorriedBy Amy Dickinson Tribune Media ServicesPosted: 04/18/2011 04:04:20 PM PDTUpdated: 04/18/2011 04:39:13 PM PDT Dear Amy: My 18-year-old son is addicted to online gaming. He is in his first year of community college full time and living at home. He is failing his classes, spending all of his time gaming, does no homework, forgets to eat and plays all night instead of sleeping. Until he was 18, we limited his computer time. But now we keep waiting for him to regulate it or work it out for himself. It's not happening. What should we do? -- Worried Parents Dear Parents: Online gaming is your son's drug of choice. The natural consequence of your son's addiction is that he will not be able to find success in the actual world until he deals with his issues. You need to have a heart-to-heart with him, and let him know how worried you are and what his choices are at this point. Your son should be evaluated by a mental he