Trapped By An Internet 'Addiction,' Obsessed Surfers Seek Rehab - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Trapped By An Internet 'Addiction,' Obsessed Surfers Seek Rehab Help

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NBCNEWS.COM - Brett Walker says he knew he was hooked to using his computer when his virtual life nearly destroyed his real life. He was unemployed, had started to neglect his personal hygiene and says he had no friends all because of his online game of choice, "World of Warcraft."

"Whenever I went online, it really was like getting high on a drug," said Walker in an interview with Dr. Nancy Snyderman. "I mean, I would log in and I could just feel the dopamine start coming as soon as I was typing in my password and stuff, just waiting for it to log in." 

Walker, 28, said that he started playing online games when he was 11. By his early twenties, the Texan devoted up to 16 hours a day to "World of Warcraft," a game that has millions of players around the globe. As he got better at the game, he said, his life away from his keyboard crumbled. click here to read more