HOW TO OVERCOME INTERNET ADDICTION? WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES? - Written by Dean Gustar, Relapse Prevention Specialist

Internet use is an essential part of our lives in all cultures and social backgrounds worldwide. Even now, you are reading the current article using the Internet. But when do we consider it a disorder or worry about addiction? There are important signs of a problem, and that you should stop and try to find solutions for it.

For example: Do you play video games online too much and can't control it? Are you constantly shopping online for things you don't really need? Do you struggle to get off social media or continuously browse various websites in a way that interferes with your work and daily tasks? Does your constant, and almost uncontrollable, interaction with the internet affect your social relationships with friends and family members?

If you answered yes to these questions, you most likely suffer from Internet Addiction Disorder, also often referred to as "Compulsive Internet Use."

So what is this disorder? What are the ways to overcome it and effective treatment for it? We discuss the answer to this next.

First: What is internet addiction disorder?

Although Internet addiction is not officially recognised as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), its spread in global cultures, whether European or Arab has become something that cannot be overlooked.

One can define this type of addiction as:

“A new type of addiction in which the individual excessively uses the internet and interferes with performing his daily tasks or carrying out duties. It makes the internet more important to him than his work, his family, and his friends.”

Here you must differentiate between habit and addiction. For example, if you check social networking sites for 20 minutes while having your morning coffee, this is a habit. On the contrary, if you browse for more than an hour or play a video game as soon as you wake up and use the internet in a way that you begin to isolate yourself from family or no longer complete tasks, then there may be a dependence or internet addiction. It can also be seen as pathological internet use.

Second: What are the causes of internet addiction disorder?

Similarly, to other psychological disorders, it is impossible to determine the causes of an internet addiction disorder fully and accurately. Still, there are many factors and reasons that can contribute to the existence of this type of addiction.

The main symptoms of internet addiction disorder

There are many studies conducted by experts to try to identify the most important and prominent symptoms through which internet addiction disorder can be identified, and they are as follows:

• Experience severe anxiety and stress when you don't have internet access for a short period

• Not being able to control how much time you spend on the Internet

• Increase the time spent online to feel happy or bring a positive feeling to your mood

• Experience withdrawal symptoms (irritability, physical pain, depression) when not accessing the Internet

• Malnutrition, resulting from not eating or eating unhealthy fast food to avoid staying away from the computer or phone

• Poor personal hygiene, e.g.: not showering to stay online

• Headaches, fatigue, and back pain occur, due to the time you spend on the Internet

• Dry eyes and vision problems

• Serious financial problems caused by avoidance of work or bankruptcy due to continued online shopping, online gaming, or online gambling

• Loneliness and isolation from the surrounding world

You most likely need immediate therapeutic intervention if you suffer from these symptoms. Do not worry, treatment by specialists will be your safe and fast way to completely eliminate compulsive internet use and return to your normal life.

Types of Internet addiction

Cyber-Relationship Addiction

Symptoms of cyber-relationship addiction include:

Being constantly in chat rooms, online dating apps, sending text messages, and detaching from reality. This addiction may also include getting fully involved in online relationships. Cyber relationships have become one of the most common types of internet addictions, to the point that virtual relationships become more important to an individual than their family and friends.

Cybersex addiction

Access to pornography has become very easy and available to everyone, all over the world. As a result, it has led many to extremism and addiction to such pornography and to excessive internet use to watch or download it or have sex with others online.

Gambling addiction

Although gambling addiction is not modern or specifically related to the Internet, it is a type of addiction that existed even before the existence of the Internet. In the modern era, the Internet has supported this type of addiction tremendously because the only way to practice gambling was by going to gambling agents or special gatherings dedicated to it.

This was not available to everyone, but now the presence of the Internet has made it much easier, as gambling sites on the Internet have become widely available to everyone.

Online gaming addiction

One of the most prevalent types of Internet addiction is the addiction to electronic games, especially among adolescents and young adults, due to the availability of phones and electronic devices in front of them throughout the day. False success occurs during the experience; thus, the individual is separated from reality and searches for that illusory feeling of happiness that this behaviour gives them.

What are the methods of treatment for Internet addiction?

The first step to starting internet addiction treatment is recognising the problem's existence. Many Internet addicts do not feel that it is a big problem and can control it on their own.

Though, there are some individual solutions to help you get rid of this type of addiction, we do not recommend that you do it alone. This is especially critical if you are in the late stages of addiction and spend long hours that make you completely isolated from the environment and suffer from physical problems and eating disorders.

Here, the best solution is to resort to specialists to develop a treatment plan, uniquely tailored to suit your condition and your social, cultural, and environmental background, which significantly affects this type of addiction. Psychological disorders like anxiety and depression are major causes of your addiction to the Internet.

Therefore, you may need internet addiction treatment and some psychological medications to help you manage these disorders first. In turn, they will help you overcome internet addiction disorder.

The most common psychological treatments for Internet addiction disorder include

• Individual, group, or family therapy

• Behaviour Modification

• Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)

• Nutritional therapy

Unfortunately, many people do not recognise this type of addiction, as virtually our entire lives are connected to the Internet these days, whether for work or communication with family and friends and other usual life matters. Never neglect the above-mentioned signs and consciously differentiate between habit and addiction. Internet addiction, despite its newness, is a real psychological disorder which affects our mental health and needs immediate support from specialists.

In order to learn more about internet addiction treatment at The Kusnacht Practice contact our specialists.

Written by Dean Gustar.