Think of it as "digital detox."

Bradford Regional Medical Center on Monday opened a four-bed program to treat those suffering from Internet addiction. It is believed to be the first such hospital-based facility in the country, although private and out-patient programs were around before "friend" became a verb.

"I think this is a fairly new field, and certainly there is nothing to compare it to at this point," said Kimberly Young, the psychologist who created the cognitive behavioral therapy program at the McKean County facility, about 3 1/2 hours northeast of Pittsburgh.

"There is a learning curve for all of us."

Because Internet addiction is not recognized as a medical condition by the American Psychiatric Association's "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," or DSM-5, treatment is not covered by insurance. Bradford's 10-day residential program costs $14,000.

Patients have no access to tech devices for the first 72 hours, and then they're slowly reintroduced.

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