Pennsylvania's Bradford Regional Medical Center is set to open the country's first Internet addiction treatment center. The voluntary 10-day in-patient treatment involves a "digital detox," banning use of phone and/or Internet for the first 72 hours.
"[Internet addiction] is a problem in this country that can be more pervasive than alcoholism," said Dr. Kimberly Young, the psychologist who founded the non-profit program. "The Internet is free, legal and fat free."
Young told FOX News that one patient undergoing detox resorted to chewing Styrofoam cups and punching walls. Many subjects show varying levels of anxiety and depression.
The program, which accommodates four adult patients at a time, costs $14,000 — which is not covered by insurers. Young has developed a free test (netaddiction.com) to diagnose the severity of an Internet user's addiction.
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