Rehab opens door to reality for addicted gamers

Cold turkey used to be an exclusive pastime of junkies and alcoholics. But the emergence of rehab clinics for online gamers has forced computer geeks to join the club.

Today's Web fantasy worlds are proving so addictive they have been billed the internet's version of a class-A drug.

Some players spend hours, even days at a time, slumped in front of their screens, relying on a constant stream of cigarettes, alcohol, Red Bull or cocaine to stay awake. The serious consequences of this online obsession can be a trail of broken marriages, homes and families.

Last month the world's first 'residential' rehab clinic opened its doors to addicts trying to reconnect with the real world.

One gamer, Tim, was so obsessed he spent 17 hours a day playing games and wouldn't even go to the toilet. 'I take an empty bottle and I pee into it,' he told counsellors. Tim was helped by addiction consultant Keith Bakker, who believes excessive gaming has resulted in a generation of young men in their 20s with the personalities of 12-year-olds - devoid of friends, other interests and a total inability to interact socially. 'They lose hours,' he says. 'An average compulsive gamer plays between five and 10 hours a day. Doing their homework, playing sports, meeting kids of the opposite sex, all these things go out the window.'

He runs the residential clinic, which is based at a 16th century townhouse alongside one of Amsterdam's iconic canals.