JIMMY Tan is a typical shirt-and-tie finance executive by day - and an all-powerful cyber warlord by night.
The 28-year-old's self-confessed Jekyll and Hyde lifestyle started about two years ago, when he was introduced to the world of cyber gaming.
Now, he spends up to five hours a night building virtual castles in the air, and stays rooted to his computer for up to 15 hours at a stretch on weekends.
Unhealthy, you ask? Yes, according to psychiatrists and psychologists here and abroad.
'We are seeing a disturbing trend where teenagers and young working adults would rather spend time with their laptops than their friends,' says psychologist Geraldine Tan. 'This kind of solitary activity cuts you off from the real world and lets you live in a false fantastic one.'
According to her, a growing number of people are becoming addicted to new technology such as the Internet, cyber gaming and text messaging.
'Over the past year, there has been about a 10 per cent increase in the number of people seeking help for such addictions,' says Ms Tan, who provides counselling.
Of course, the problem is not limited to Singapore. The authoritative American Journal of Psychiatry recently ran an editorial urging that excessive gaming, compulsive e-mailing and text messaging (SMS-ing) be officially added to psychiatry's guidebook on mental disorders.
'In a sense, such addictions are even more dangerous than say, alcoholism, because they may not show up physically and that adds to the denial. The impact on a person's mental state could be quite damaging,' warns Ms Tan.
Consultant psychiatrist Brian Yeo agrees, saying: 'People's lifestyles are changing. New technology has become part and parcel of life. Being constantly connected is socially acceptable, which makes it difficult for people to see their dependence as a problem.'
So when does habit tip over into addiction? Where should you draw the line?
'Types of addiction may evolve, but the symptoms remain the same,' says Dr Yeo. 'If it takes up more and more of your time and it becomes the preferred activity in your life to the exclusion of everything else, that's the surest warning signal that something is not quite right.'
It's a fine line - and one that is easily crossed unconsciously.
'Most times, people do not set out to be addicted to something,' says Ms Tan. 'In gaming, for example, a lot of kids use it as a coping mechanism, as a form of relaxation away from the stress of studies. Some eventually lose control and there are those who forego even basic bodily functions to continue with the game.'
According to her, some game addicts even hold back on going to the toilet, eating and sleeping, decrying such things as 'a waste of time'.
'Young people are full of energy and some see Singapore as too boring a place, so they escape into the virtual world, which is much more exciting,' says Dr Yeo. 'These are people who may feel they can live a better life online, so that's where they spend their real lives.'
The harm this causes isn't confined to just the addict. In fact, it is often their family that ends up suffering.
'For the addict, withdrawal into himself will affect his social skills. But for the family, the hurt is more emotional,' says Ms Tan. 'Often, an addict will turn irritable, angry or even violent when removed from his source of addiction. This can cause family problems.'
As with any addiction, treatment can be drawn-out, stretching into months and sometimes a year or more.
'It's a process, not a one-time treatment,' says Ms Tan. 'How an addict is treated depends on the strength of addiction and whether he is in denial.'
Often, the best treatment is also the most painful - cold turkey.
'Going cold turkey means plucking the addict out of his safe zone and putting him into a new, structured environment,' Ms Tan explains.
Not everyone, however, can tolerate such an extreme process. Often, medication may be necessary first to help wean the addict off his compulsion. Once he is stabilised, it should be possible to slowly create boundaries, with reward systems and structured time-tables.
In the majority of the cases here, parents initiate the treatment process.
'Most parents are worried that their child's school grades will suffer, or that he may not fit into normal society, so they seek professional help,' says Dr Yeo, whose clinic sees about one such case each week.
So what can you do to avoid being over-dependent on new technology?
'People should be moderate. Being conscious and being aware of the problem will help. But ultimately, if you ever find yourself withdrawing into any particular activity, or losing interest in other things suddenly, that's an alarm bell,' says Ms Tan.
This article was first published in The Business Times Weekend on July 5, 2008.
