Addicted to crypto? Scotland has a dedicated clinic for you

Cryptocurrency (Representative image: Reuters)

Tucked away almost 25 miles from the Scottish capital of Edinburg lies the beautiful, serene highlands of Blyth Bridge, home to an ancient, 18th-century castle that goes by the name of Castle Craig. And inside this is the world’s first rehabilitation clinic- to treat cryptocurrency addiction.

Per the clinic’s website, “Castle Craig Hospital provides treatment for people addicted to trading, spread betting, and the trading of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, and more."

Given that interest in cryptocurrency trading is spreading like wildfire across the world, the hospital itself has seen a significant rise in the number of inquiries for its cryptocurrency rehab program, “shooting up to by a factor of 10 since last year”, mentioned founder Antony Marini, who himself is a recovering drug addict.

Marini, who claims to be the first to recognize the links between crypto trading and gambling, feels that this addiction journey progresses from occasional trades and wins to long episodes of losses, desolation, and eventually, illegal acts and even suicide.

“Some of the symptoms that cryptocurrency users should look out for (suggesting an addiction) are: feeling muscle tension and anxiety, constantly checking the prices online (even in the middle of the night), and thinking about cryptocurrency trading when doing other things”, notes the clinic website.

Another trend that came to light since his treatment program benefited 15 clients particularly for crypto addiction since 2017 is that this, along with other behavioral obsessions, stems from the larger causes of extreme drug or alcohol dependencies.

Just like the famous 12-step program that is generally employed to treat various kinds of addiction, Marini advocates for the same for the relatively nascent yet rapidly booming space of cryptocurrency trading addiction.

“Crypto trading diverges from gambling (and stock trading) through various characteristics including its 24 x 7 availability, its volatility, and the huge volume of social media that readily reinforces addicts’ out-of-control tendencies”, elaborates Marini.

Allowed only a moderated diet of caffeine and nicotine when it comes to drugs, even their phone use is restricted to merely 2 hours per week.

With the clientele for his 6-month rehab program, which is funded by the British National Health Services extending to countries like UK, US, Dubai, Malta, Ireland, and the Netherlands, Marini observed commonalities such as aged between 20-45, in possession of spare cash and more amidst the 8-9 people currently being treated for crypto addiction at his clinic.