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THE father of a 15-year-old Perth computer-game addict has described the family's extraordinary nightmare - comparing it to heroin addiction.

his son's life had spiralled out of control in the past 14 months.

The Year 11 Ballajura Community College student has not attended classes for two months. He spends his time alone in a dark room playing the RuneScape game for up to 16 hours a day.

"I guess I knew I was becoming addicted, but I couldn't stop myself," Kim recalled from a clinic where he was undergoing counseling. "I stopped changing my clothes. I didn't go out. And I began to see myself as the character in my games."

Last month, the government -- which opened a treatment center in 2002 -- launched a game addiction hotline. Hundreds of private hospitals and psychiatric clinics have opened units to treat the problem.

An estimated 2.4 percent of the population from 9 to 39 are believed to be suffering from game addiction, according to a government-funded survey. Another 10.2 percent were found to be "borderline cases" at risk of addiction -- defined as an obsession with playing electronic games to the point of sleep deprivation, disruption of daily life and a loosening grip on reality. Such feelings are typically coupled with depression and a sense of withdrawal when not playing, counselors say.

Anyone who has experienced it knows all too well – video game addiction is real.

Although gaming addiction is not yet officially recognized as a diagnosable disorder by the American Medical Association, there is increasing evidence that people of all ages, especially teens and pre-teens, are facing very real, sometimes severe consequences associated with compulsive use of video and computer games.

it’s not surprising that some teens would rather play the latest video game than hang out with friends, play sports, or even watch television.

The suicide of a young Chinese boy in the Tianjin province has highlighted once more the growing dangers of game addiction, when those responsible don't understand or notice the risks of unhealthy play. Xiao Yi was thirteen when he threw himself from the top of a twenty-four story tower block in his home town, leaving notes that spoke of his addiction and his hope of being reunited with fellow cyber-players in heaven. The suicide notes were written through the eyes of a gaming character, so reports the China Daily, and stated that he hoped to meet three gaming friends in the after life. His parents, who had noticed with growing concern his affliction, were not mentioned in the letters.

My kid was like someone taking drugs who could not control himself,"

"His mother and I were very worried about him. But we knew little about the Internet and we did not know how to save him." Previously, Xiao's parents had found him starving after two days and nights in an internet cafe playing online role-playing games. When questioned about his bizarre behaviour, his father said that a tearful Xiao had told him that he had been poisoned by games and could no longer control himself.

Jail for couple whose baby died while they raised online child

Seoul, South Korea

sought a five-year sentence for negligent homicide, but the court handed out a two-year sentence.

As the level of violence in video games has increased, so has concern for the effects on those who play - especially those who play a lot. Many are quick to point out that most school shootings in recent years have been carried out by avid gamers, and their games of choice were always dark and violent.

But it begs the question: Which comes first? Can aggressive and violent behavior be attributed to violence in video games? Or do those who play already have violent tendencies which draw them to violent games? It's a type of "chicken or the egg" debate that has strong advocates on both sides.

The more lifelike they've become, the more interest there has been in the correlation between violent games and violent behavior.

Cathy Hinz is really into “FarmVille.” But she swears she’s not obsessed.  “I can, you know, walk away and say, ‘I’m not going to worry about it.’ I don’t worry about it, but I will plan my farm around my life,” she says.

she has time to be online, fiddling with the farm simulation game as much as she wants. And she’s far from the only one.

Since its launch in June 2009, “FarmVille” has grown like an invasive weed, with 80 million players

the dangers of prolonged gaming sessions after a boy was taken to hospital after playing Counter-Strike solidly for nine days and nights

The fourteen year old from Romania was playing over the net via a local internet café, and doctors at the hospital said he was both mentally and physically exhausted.

The boy's mother said he had lost weight, stopped washing, skipped classes at school, and even stolen from his own home to fund the addiction.

There is a lot of controversy about how bad video games are for children, in regards to violence, and general obsession with playing, so much so that nothing else matters to them. Having been quite involved in more than one video game in my time, I can attest to the fact that they can become quite addicting and there is a kind of obsession that drives you to keep playing until you’ve won the game

Video games have many benefits to children which most of us never even think of. Video games promote good eye-hand coordination, problem solving skills, critical thinking and competition.

The mindless activity of punching buttons and watching the screen can effectively take the mind away from stressors and focus energy in a positive direction. Although video games are reportedly addictive, they can also help reduce stress and therefore increase levels of health.

, the best games for this type of stress relief are repetitive games that are easy to master but which have a goal that can be difficult to achieve.

Video games can also reduce stress by giving the hands and the mind something active in which to partake. It doesn't take a significant amount of energy to play a video game, but it is a constructive use of the hands and involves hand-eye coordination.

Teen not allowed to play Halo 3 Gets gun, says he "has a surprise" Shoots both of his parents in the head

A TEENAGER obsessed with a video game has been found guilty of murdering his mother and injuring his father after they took the game away from him.

Daniel Petric, 17, planned to kill his parents because he was angry that his father would not allow him to play Halo 3.