Once upon a time, and I remember because I was there, computer games were something you

played on your own, on your home PC, and then came Marvel as graphics, and games designed

by masters, and 24 hours across the globe connectivity, and, apparently, compulsion.

I would play until I couldn't open my eyes, and then I'd go to sleep, wake up and then

do the same thing. I could play for 16 hours a day easily. I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't

go out my room, I stopped washing, everything.

It's now officially called gaming addiction, and as with many addictions, it doesn't just

affect the addict.

I got trolled. You're a useless parent, you shouldn't have five children if you can't look

after them, but if you've got somebody that has got an addiction and wants that substance,

they're going to go and get it, like an alcoholic is going to find a bottle of wine.

Now the UK has its first ever clinic for gaming addicts, and those who run it are encountering

problems that are far greater than even they had expected.

Children may be so out of control, they are wanting to self harm, they're threatening

to jump out of windows, they are aggressive and violent to their parents who are trying

to stop them from gaming. So the severity of the presentations we're seeing is far worse

than anything I had expected.

You're listening to stories of our times and the times or the Sunday times. I'm David

Aronovich.

Today, inside the first gaming addiction centre.

Yeah, I remember sitting up at like 4am, like trying on my computer, and I just wanted

to get off and I was hating the game, completely hating it, going crazy, and I just wouldn't

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