Facing Internet Technology and Gaming Addiction: A Gentle Path to Beginning Recovery from Internet and Video Game Addiction

Book excerpt: The internet, smartphones and technology are an integral part of everyday life. But for some users, what often starts out as a method to escape can eventually become a full-blown addiction. Users may find themselves retreating into videogames and other forms of technology to self-medicate loneliness, anxiety or depression, and find themselves isolated and missing out on important areas of life. In Facing Internet Addiction, some of the countries leading experts in technology addiction, adapt the groundbreaking thirty task model used by thousands of therapists worldwide, to treat technology and internet addiction. Using innovative tasks and exercises, the reader can engage in a plan designed to defeat addiction and restore lifestyle balance. This book is designed to be used as an adjunct to therapy, and also works well in conjunction with 12 step programs, or other recovery programs such as SMART recovery. Additionally, it is the first in a series, used in conjunction with recovery zone volumes 1 and 2, by Dr. Patrick Carnes.