Internet Gaming Disorder Treatment For Teens From Maryland

Looking for Internet Gaming Disorder Treatment Centers in Maryland?

Our program is located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and serves teens from Maryland, 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 recreation staff.  We are a summer camp fully focused on video game and screen overuse issues. If your teen from Maryland has any of the above symptoms, please reach out to us today.

We Help Maryland 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 Maryland 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.

Is Your Child Addicted to Online Games? Our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center is a Place for Maryland Families to Start

Many parents that enroll their child at Camp Pocono Trails try in-home interventions first.  A behavioral contract can work, but parents need to remember that a contract is like a marriage.  Both parties need to agree. You can™t just force the rules upon your child. Ask them what they want to work for, and how much time is reasonable to play online after homework is done. 

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization that provides independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media. Its website includes recommendations for age-appropriate content and advice for parents who have concerns about their children and social media/technology.

American Academy of Pediatrics provides a customized œFamily Media Plan, which helps craft a realistic schedule for screen time, taking in to account educational requirements, extra-curricular activities, household chores, and other items determined by the family.

However, is gaming is an ongoing source of tension in your family, you may be beyond the stage of trying an in-home intervention.  If any attempt to curb your teen™s video game use or cellphone/computer use results in a heated argument, please give our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center a call today.

Consider the Future Cost of Doing Nothing

We know that teens who play online excessively have lower self-esteem, read less, and score lower on tests.  Sitting for long periods of time can result in weight and health issues. Missing out on face-to-face interactions can set your child behind socially.

Teens face many challenges today.  Some believe they will be the next Youtube star or the next champion video game player.  Parents often have difficulty arguing this logic with their teen. At Camp Pocono Trails we can introduce your child to more real life pursuits in a supportive atmosphere.

At our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center, we focus on teaching coping skills and develop insight “ something no pill has the ability to do.  We also take a positive approach. We don™t see your child as œbroken “ they simply need to learn new skills and develop new habits. Punitive programs that seek to tear a child down and rebuild them can result in a child simply pushing back harder than before.

Who does Camp Pocono Trails help?

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

Resources

Internet Gaming Disorder Resource: Setting up Controls on Your Apple Computer and Phone

Apple brand products offer some of the best and hardest to œget around controls for parents.

You can learn how to set up parental controls for Apple products here: https://support.apple.com/kb/ph18571?locale=en_US

As a parent, you want your kids to have a safe and happy experience on the Mac. Using Parental Controls preferences, you can manage, monitor, and control the time your kids spend on the Mac, the websites they visit, and the people they chat with.  After you set restrictions for a child using a Mac, you can manage parental controls from a different Mac. Both computers must be on the same network.

At our Gaming Disorder Treatment Center, parents learn how to structure their child’s device to ensure success.  

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/

Camp Pocono Trails helps families from Maryland

Camp Pocono Trails helps Maryland families from cities and towns like Chevy Chase Village Somerset Travilah Chevy Chase Terrace Chevy Chase Brookmont Cabin John Potomac Bethesda Darnestown