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A total of $50,000 in Canadian dollars has been offered for information leading to Brandon Crisp's return, including a $25,000 donation from Microsoft Canada.

(Courtesy of the Barrie Police Service)

When You Just Can't Stop

Gaming addiction has seen a rise in the last several years, especially among male teens and young men, according to Coleen Moore, coordinator of resource development at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery in Peoria, Ill.

The gaming addicts typically treated at the institute in both inpatient and outpatient programs are teens between the ages of 16 and 18 and men between 20 and 24.

Moore said Brandon Crisp was not the first teen to become addicted to Xbox Live, a system that she said more and more people in the institute's programs are mentioning.

"The big thing that is the draw that these guys talk about it being able to create their own personas and compete with others all over the world," she said.

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Gaming addiction progresses like any other addiction, until the person is obsessed with creating the feeling of euphoria the gaming brings, she said. Some addicts spend up to 20 hours a day gaming, and Moore said one patient remembered turned to cocaine as a stimulant to keep playing.

Moore, who was not familiar with Crisp's case, said the teen seemed to have the typical progression of addiction, but that his parents did exactly the right thing in setting limits and trying to strike a balance between entertainment and obsession.

But if the teens are not able to stick with those limits, she said, "I would suggest they get some type of professional help."

Moore said she was surprised, but pleased that Microsoft Canada put up reward money since the industry has typically shied away from addressing the problems of gaming addiction.

"I'm kind of dumbfounded," she said. "They don't have any responsibility to whether or not someone becomes addicted to it."