Internet addiction or internet addiction is a modern phenomenon that has only been known for a few years: in this case, the person affected cannot refrain from getting information from the internet or being in contact with other people in the virtual space. The disease is always curable and, with a few exceptions, Internet addiction is also not associated with complications.
What is internet addiction?
Internet addiction is basically a mental illness. As the name makes it clear, Internet addiction is a disordered behavior – namely, that of using the Internet. As with all other addictions and compulsions, the person affected by Internet addiction has the feeling that he or she cannot exist without the connection to the online world. As if controlled by others, they open the virtual space in the morning and do not leave it until the evening – sometimes even after a few days. Internet addiction therefore usually prevents the sufferer from having a regular job and a normal social life. In a few cases, however, Internet addiction can cause damage to health.
Causes
Internet addiction usually begins where looking for information or playing games online is part of daily work or leisure activities. Often from this grows a certain habit, without which the person affected by Internet addiction does not feel comfortable. This, however, imperceptibly manages the entry into the disease. Internet addiction is thus a psychological condition that affects those who are usually mentally unstable anyway or who cannot channel the excess of information in any other way. Internet addiction is therefore not based on previous illnesses or similar cases in the family environment. Nor is it seasonal. Internet addiction can only be influenced positively or negatively by the traffic on the Internet. Furthermore, online role-playing games, so-called MMORPG – Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, such as World of Warcraft or Guildwars, form an extremely high risk of addiction on their players. In these games, the player always has the feeling of having to level up further in order to be better than the others. These games usually don’t have a classic game ending, but offer almost endless possibilities to further develop one’s game character. Likewise, a dependency can arise here, since often friends of the affected persons play along and these do not want to break off a certain social bond.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
The boundaries between normal use of the Internet and a dependence are fluid and not always easy to determine. Internet addiction must be assumed if the person concerned constantly feels the compulsion to go online and spends more and more time doing so. Other areas of life are increasingly neglected, which has an impact on academic and professional performance, but also on private life. Internet addicts isolate themselves from friends and family and focus entirely on virtual friendships, to which an unrealistically high value is attached. Excessive Internet use impairs cognitive abilities, which can manifest itself in concentration disorders, memory problems and attention deficits. If those affected have no opportunity to pursue their addiction, they suffer withdrawal symptoms that can range from listlessness and irritability to restlessness and aggression. Physical complaints in connection with the time-intensive use of the Internet also indicate addictive behavior: Neck pain, headaches and joint pain are common, and visual disturbances are also possible. If food intake is neglected, body weight can drop sharply; on the other hand, excessive consumption of fast food or sweets in combination with lack of exercise often leads to obesity. Concentration disorders or poor circulation often indicate dehydration due to insufficient fluid intake or lack of sleep as a result of Internet addiction.
Diagnosis and course
Internet addiction often progresses insidiously. Habitual use of online activities turns into compulsive behavior. With Internet addiction, the once important information is increasingly accompanied by a pointless pastime. Social contacts break away sooner or later. The purpose of life for those affected by Internet addiction is played out on virtual platforms.Friends – usually nonexistent in real life – are contacted here. These are also often users who have fallen prey to Internet addiction. The more pronounced the disease, the more it is also influenced by accompanying addictions such as alcohol or drug consumption. Internet addiction, which mainly takes place in the proverbial quiet closet, is usually noticed by family members or acquaintances very late.
Complications
Internet addicts often withdraw. Friends and family fade into the background – the time gained is sacrificed to the addiction. At work, Internet addiction can also lead to complications. If the person concerned also surfs privately during working hours, he or she is threatened with consequences. Many addicts still fail to stop the behavior without help. In addition to Internet addiction, other substance-unrelated or substance-linked addictions may be present. Internet addiction often occurs in combination with gaming addiction (computer games, Playstation), for example. Other mental disorders can develop as a complication. Internet addicts can, for example, be depressed at the same time. Such complications favor social withdrawal. Neglect of hygiene and nutrition is also more likely if other complications are already present. Internet addicts may also be suicidal. During therapy or in the case of one’s own attempts, there is a risk that the person concerned will not overcome the Internet addiction, but will only replace it with another addiction. The alternative addiction can be to another medium (e.g., television) or to a completely different object (e.g., alcohol). The addict should be aware of this risk so that he can avoid it. A psychotherapist usually also makes sure that the client is not just shifting his addiction problem.
When should you see a doctor?
Internet addiction is a medical field that has not yet been sufficiently researched. Therefore, there are still no clear guidelines as to when a sufferer needs medical help. However, if the Internet determines the everyday life, there are problems that should be discussed with a doctor. If professional and school duties or personal hygiene are neglected, there is a need for action. If affected persons forget to eat or consume an unusual amount of food, a doctor should be consulted. If the organism is oversupplied or undersupplied, it is advisable to check the vital functions. If the affected person seems to be permanently mentally absent, if there is a lack of interest in all other areas of life, or if withdrawal symptoms appear when the Internet cannot be used for several hours, a doctor should be consulted. In case of inner restlessness, nervousness, irritability or sleep disturbances, a doctor should be consulted. If there is a strong change in personality and hysterical fits as soon as the Internet is down or slowed down, the affected person needs help. In case of withdrawal behavior as well as complete loss of worldly leisure activities, a doctor should be consulted. If there is pathological use of gambling or cybersex offered on the Internet, medical help is needed.
Treatment and therapy
Since Internet addiction is a mental illness, the suffering can also only be sustainably remedied by a therapist. Mostly this happens in outpatient discussion rounds, whereby the Internet addiction is more precisely gone to the bottom. It is not uncommon for other fears, desires or psychological suffering to be involved. In severe cases, Internet addiction is treated with medication. This is often the case in situations where the person affected can no longer influence his or her compulsive behavior in any way. If the Internet addiction is so severe that the patient no longer sees a way out and takes refuge in alcohol, drugs or suicidal fantasies, an inpatient stay may also be considered. In all of this, it is important to literally bring the sufferer back into the real world and to make the illusion of virtual space clear to him. He has to accept the joyful as well as the sad emotions of his life. Thus, this is a treatable disease that often shows strong improvements after a few months. Internet addiction is thus curable.
Outlook and prognosis
The prognosis of Internet addiction must be evaluated according to individual circumstances.Basically, according to current health regulations, there is no condition that can be diagnosed as Internet addiction. Although Internet addiction seems to be clear in the vernacular, no fixed criteria have yet been defined for this form of addiction. For this reason, it is also difficult to make a prognosis. In most cases, other complaints are present that paint an overall picture of the affected person’s state of health. Thus, in a large number of patients, another mental illness is diagnosed and treated as a priority. Internet addiction is a concomitant symptom and is classified accordingly. If the patient understands the illness and cooperates, the constant use of the Internet can be treated well in behavioral therapy. In a defined therapy plan, changes for an everyday structure are worked out and rules for a healthy use of the Internet are learned. A permanent complete renunciation of the use of the Internet is rarely feasible given today’s importance of an online service. For professional reasons, it is often not possible to do so. Temporarily, the practice is used so that the focus can be directed to other areas of life. Subsequently, a harmonious approach to the Internet is trained, which is normally successful.
Prevention
Internet addiction can only be prevented through controlled use. In particular, parents should pay attention to their children in this regard, so that no Internet addiction develops from the initially small amount. For all other people, only self-discipline can be a key to escape the disease. Those who leave the computer turned off more often can just not be affected by Internet addiction.
Aftercare
As with other addictions, optimal aftercare is also important for Internet addiction in order to minimize the risk of relapse as much as possible. This is especially important in times of multimedia, as the worldwide web is present almost everywhere. Those affected are also constantly confronted with the medium of the Internet during the aftercare phase. How to deal with this is discussed with the therapist for the individual case. However, the aim is not to ignore the Internet completely, but to endure the confrontation and gradually learn to use it consciously again. Aftercare can include, for example, allowing Internet use only for a very limited time each day and excluding certain sites such as casinos or gaming. Most of those affected also have to relearn how to spend their free time in a meaningful way, and this can be sensibly integrated into individual aftercare. Examples include pursuing hobbies such as sports or music, as well as resuming old friendships that may have been neglected due to the Internet addiction. Self-help groups for the area of Internet addiction also often offer valuable help through the exchange of experiences with like-minded people and accompany the path of aftercare of the affected person with constructive tips.
What you can do yourself
Addiction comes from searching. Something is missing in real life and is sought in the virtual world. Especially the Internet seems to have a solution for everything. When the stay on the net lasts longer than the participation in daily life, it is time to ask yourself some questions. As a rule, it is a need that supposedly cannot be satisfied in the real world. Therefore, the first step is to go through habits. Which pages do I spend time on? Where does my gaze get stuck? Possibly also, what am I compensating for? This requires admitting that it is an addiction and the desire to bring it under control. The second step is to reflect on the unmet needs. What do I crave? Why do I prefer to surf the net and not engage elsewhere? Who or what do I want to spend my time with? Why don’t I do it? The third step is to be disciplined, to reduce the time spent on the Internet, even if it is difficult. To become aware of all this, it helps to see a therapist who gets to the bottom of the addiction by asking the right questions. The self-help measures mentioned above create an overview of one’s own condition if they are answered honestly.
