wraggster
August 25th, 2010, 21:44
Doctors fear console addict Zach Richardson could be doing himself serious harm as he stays glued to a tiny TV set seven days a week.
Unemployed Zach, 17, plays favourites Call of Duty and FIFA on his Xbox for up to ten hours at a time.
He even plays football manager games on his PC at the SAME time and is so hooked he often doesn't WASH.
Zach's gaming marathon begins at 9am each day, he skips lunch and finally relinquishes the controllers and turns in during the early hours of the morning.
He is wracked by headaches and blackouts which doctors blame on his addiction.
He said: "I left school more than a year ago and had nothing to do, so I turned to video games to fill the days while I searched for a job.
"It started off slowly. I only spent two or three hours a day playing. It was just for a bit of fun.
"Now it has got out of control and I know I have an addiction but I cannot help it. I know I need help to kick the habit."
He said: "It is really distressing but I just cannot help it."
Zach, from Fareham, Hants, doesn't leave the house for days, school friends have started shunning him and girlfriend Sarah Perry, 17, is threatening to dump him.
Mum Lois Richardson said: "There is nothing that I can do to stop him playing.
"Doctors have warned him of the health risks but playing video games is the only thing that makes him happy.
"I do not want to upset him by taking his consoles away."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3111299/Boys-daily-15-hour-Xbox-habit.html
Unemployed Zach, 17, plays favourites Call of Duty and FIFA on his Xbox for up to ten hours at a time.
He even plays football manager games on his PC at the SAME time and is so hooked he often doesn't WASH.
Zach's gaming marathon begins at 9am each day, he skips lunch and finally relinquishes the controllers and turns in during the early hours of the morning.
He is wracked by headaches and blackouts which doctors blame on his addiction.
He said: "I left school more than a year ago and had nothing to do, so I turned to video games to fill the days while I searched for a job.
"It started off slowly. I only spent two or three hours a day playing. It was just for a bit of fun.
"Now it has got out of control and I know I have an addiction but I cannot help it. I know I need help to kick the habit."
He said: "It is really distressing but I just cannot help it."
Zach, from Fareham, Hants, doesn't leave the house for days, school friends have started shunning him and girlfriend Sarah Perry, 17, is threatening to dump him.
Mum Lois Richardson said: "There is nothing that I can do to stop him playing.
"Doctors have warned him of the health risks but playing video games is the only thing that makes him happy.
"I do not want to upset him by taking his consoles away."
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3111299/Boys-daily-15-hour-Xbox-habit.html