Huffington Magazine Issue 70 | Page 71

Exit mental health professionals. Psychologist Dr. Kimberly Young has spent the past 18 years treating thousands of Americans who suffer from the very real, and increasingly common, affliction of being addicted to their digital devices. Young — who founded the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995 and has written five books on the topic since then — says she’s seen the problem increasing significantly in recent years, with more and more people asking about treatment options. In response to the overwhelming demand for Internet addiction treatment, Young created the 10-day inpatient treatment program, open to adults over the age of 18, which launched last month with 16 beds for patients and a full medical staff. Young’s program is founded in the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — a form of talk therapy developed in the 1970s that focuses on a patient’s thoughts and beliefs, rather than his or her actions — complemented by special techniques and tools for Internet a