Internet Gaming Disorder Treatment For Teens From Alaska

Looking for Internet Gaming Disorder Treatment Centers in Alaska?

Our program is located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and serves teens from Alaska, in addition to teens from across the US.  While the length of help varies, we do not believe that substantial change can be achieved in a few short weeks.  Campers typically attend our Internet Gaming Disorder Treatment Center for a school semester or longer. 

Our focus is to help young people learn how to live in tandem with video games, cell phones (smartphones), and other digital devices so that they can be successful with life beyond high school.  Internet gaming œaddiction and excessive use of œscreen time technologies is a behavioral problem that has been classified and explained in numerous ways.

According to one researcher (Griffiths, 2005) biopsychosocial processes lead to the development of addiction which includes several components.  Here are the common issues we see at Camp Pocono Trails:

  • The behavior is salient (the individual is preoccupied with gaming, TV, social media, or related screen activities).
  • The individual uses the behavior in order to modify their mood (ie, gaming is used to escape reality or create the feeling of euphoria).
  • Tolerance develops (the individual needs increasingly more time to feel the same effect).
    Withdrawal symptoms occur upon discontinuation of the behavior (the individual feels anxious, depressed, and irritable if they are prevented from playing).
  • Interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict develops as a consequence of the behavior (the individual has problems with their relationship, job, and hobbies, and lack of success in abstinence).

Gaming Disorder help from Camp Pocono Trails will address all of these issues and more.  Our licensed clinical staff attend regular team meetings with our academic staff, milieu staff, and recreations staff.  We are a summer camp fully focused on video game and screen overuse issues. If your teen from Alaska has any of the above symptoms, please reach out to us today.

We Help Alaska Families Learn How To Provide Structure for Internet Addiction

It™s much easier to develop new habits if the environment is conducive to change.  At our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center, we start out by providing a technology-free environment and slowly reintroduce campers to smartphones and the internet.  We work on social skills, anger management, and developing structure before the technology is reintroduced.

We also provide a family component to set the child up for success.  Parents participate in family therapy sessions with your child’s assigned counselor while at Camp Pocono Trails.  We also teach parents how to best support their child at home.

While not the primary focus of the program, we can teach parents how to set controls to limit game time.  Parents need to be careful to avoid a limiting-only approach. Limiting game time needs to be done in conjunction with developing the motivation to pursue other activities as well.

We help Alaska families prepare the home for the student’s transition back.  Ensuring your child’s success back at home and for life after their teen years is our top priority.

Can a Gaming Disorder Treatment Center Really Help my Alaska Teen?

Gaming or video game addiction is very hard to treat.  In one surprising study, In one study 84% of addicted gamers were still addicted two years later, demonstrating how difficult gaming addiction is to treat.  In the same study, 7% of online gamers were classified as psychologically or behaviorally dependent on online gaming. This is why choosing the right Gaming Disorder Treatment Center is so critical. 

This begs the question, “why is gaming so addictive?”  According to research in the Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 41% of people who play online video games do so as an, “escape from the real world.”

There is much debate currently about the effect of video game violence on the real world.  According to a study in Pediatrics, as much as 20% of real-life violence may be attributable to media violence.  Why is this? Researchers speculate that there is a two-fold issue here. First, constant exposure to video game violence decreases our sensitivity to real-world violence.  Seeing a fight at school might seem more normal to a child that has been exposed to ongoing video game violence, making them less likely to intervene or even more likely to instigate violence themselves.

Who does Camp Pocono Trails help?

Camp Pocono Trails helps teens struggling with issues similar to those below:
– Social Issues
– Video game addiction
– Social Anxiety Disorder
– Social isolation
– Autism Spectrum
– Technology Addiction
– Addictive Behaviors
– Low Self Esteem
– ADHD
– Impulse Control
– School Refusal
– Family Conflict
– Trauma
– Poor Communication Skills
– Anxiety
– Depression

Resources

Internet Gaming Disorder Resource: Playstation Controls

If we simply take the strategy of putting external controls on gaming or internet-connected devices, we have done nothing to develop the child’s ability to self-regulate their gaming or browsing behavior independently.  

However, if you need to put up some structure now, here is a guide for setting up Playstation spending limits and gaming times:

How to set parental controls and spending limits on PS4: https://www.playstation.com/en-au/get-help/help-library/my-account/parental-controls/ps4-parental-controls/

By creating a sub account for your child you can prevent them from accessing PlayStation Store content that is unsuitable for their age, user generated content and online gameplay. You can also stop your associated sub account from making purchases without your consent.  At our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center, parents learn how to monitor their student’s online activities.

In this article you can learn about the parental controls available on PlayStation products: https://www.playstation.com/en-au/get-help/help-library/my-account/parental-controls/age-ratings-and-parental-controls/

Internet Gaming Disorder Resource: Xbox Setup

As parents, our job is to prepare our children for the independence of adulthood.  Below is a valuable resource for parents you may want to try as a first step in lieu of a Gaming Disorder Treatment Center:

Xbox LIVE Healthy Gaming Guide

This guide is designed to help you be safe and comfortable while using your Xbox 360™ and Xbox® to play video games.

Things to consider:

  • Position: Make sure your position is not encouraging discomfort.
  • Forces: Even low forces can cause injury, especially when repeated over time.
  • Breaks: Stepping away at regular intervals is important.
  • Health: Keep a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
  • Tools for Families: Find out how to use ratings, parental controls, and more.

https://www.xbox.com/en-US/Live/HealthyGamingGuide

Camp Pocono Trails Helps Alaska Families From Cities Such As:

Some examples of cities from Alaska which may have families who could use Camp Pocono Trails: Anchorage