Internet Addiction

Internet addiction disorder, as a diagnosis, is still in its infancy.  Internet addiction does not appear in the DSM-IV and no research has yet established that there is a disorder of Internet addiction that is separable from problems such as loneliness, problem gambling, sexual addiction, or addiction to pornography.

However, professionals recognize that Internet abuse is a problem that affects many people and each month additional research is being conducted to explore the ways people use and misuse the Internet.

Use of the internet can definitely disrupt one's academic, social, financial and occupational life the same way other well-documented addictions like pathological gambling, sexual addiction, eating disorder, and alcoholism can. 

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is characterized by some or all of the following:

*Feel preoccupied with the internet
*Feel a need to use the internet with increasing amounts of time to achieve satisfaction
*Have an inability to control your internet use
*Feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use
*Use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving feelings of depression, helplessness, guilt, or anxiety.
*Lie to family members or friends to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet
*Jeopardize or risk the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet
*Keep returning even after spending an excessive amount of money on on-line fees
*Go through withdrawal when offline
*Stay on-line longer than originally intended

If the answer to one or more of the following questions is yes, you might be suffering from Internet Addiction. Internet

*Are you obsessive and compulsive in your use of the internet? 
*Do you devote time to your online pursuits that would better be devoted to your family or career? 
*Do stay up late or you get up in the early hours of the morning to check your email, your favorite website, or scan for exciting websites?

If you think that you might be suffering from internet addiction, you have lots of company.  A study by David Greenfield (published in the apa.org/monitor) found that nearly 11,000,000 users suffer from some type of internet addiction. Approximately 33% said they use the Internet as a form of escape or to alter their mood on a regular basis. Study participants were particularly hooked on chat rooms, pornography sites, online shopping and e-mail.

Of those who met Greenfield's criteria for Internet addiction, 62% said they regularly logged on to pornography sites, spending an average of four hours a week viewing the material. And 37.5% of that group said that they masturbated while online. The available research leads psychologists to question whether those involved in cybersex have a sexual addiction, or whether they otherwise wouldn't engage in illicit sexual encounters but find the Internet an easy medium in which to experiment. It appears that the Internet seems to invite both genders to experiment in ways they might otherwise not.

At this point in our knowledge of internet addiction it is often difficult to determine whether a person who believes they have a Internet addiction is truly an internet addict, is suffering from an addiction to pornography or sex, or is just avoiding dealing with other problems in their life.  However, whatever it may ultimately be called, overuse and misuse of the Internet is a problem for many people. 

However, whatever it may ultimately be called, overuse and misuse of the Internet is a problem for many people.  But remember it is not the technology itself that is the problem, but it is the user and his/her behavior that is problematic.

I have found that Internet Addiction can be treatable by psychotherapy and techniques such as reality therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

For more information about internet addiction and other addictions, please click on the linked websites listed below.

If you really want help dealing with your feelings and emotions, changing your behavior, and improving your life and the approach and office hours of typical therapists and counselors do not fit your life style or personal needs, I may have a solution.

By using very flexible office appointments, telephone consultations, email, teleconferences, and the willingness to travel and meet with you personally in your home, office, or other location,  I can be available to help you anytime and anywhere.

Feel free to contact me now for your free initial consultation. Once you become an existing client, you will be given a  pager  number where you can reach me whenever you need.