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Signs of Internet and Gaming Addictions

Dr. Kimberly Young has linked internet addiction to similar impulse-control disorders. She also developed the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ) to diagnose the disorder.

Meeting five of the following symptoms were considered necessary to be diagnosed:

• Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet? (Think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)
• Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
• Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?
• Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?
• Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
• Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?
• Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?
• Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?

Other Symptoms Include:

• Failed attempts to control behavior
• Heightened sense of euphoria while involved in computer and internet activities
• Neglecting friends and family
• Neglecting sleep to stay online
• Being dishonest with others
• Feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed as a result of online behavior
• Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, backaches, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome
• Withdrawing from other pleasurable activities

Risk factors for Internet addiction and computer addiction

You are at greater risk of Internet addiction if:

• You suffer from anxiety. You may use the Internet to distract yourself from your worries and fears. An anxiety disorder like obsessive-compulsive disorder may also contribute to excessive email checking and compulsive Internet use.
• You are depressed. The Internet can be an escape from feelings of depression, but too much time online can make things worse. Internet addiction further contributes to stress, isolation and loneliness.
• You have any other addictions. Many Internet addicts suffer from other addictions, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sex.
• You lack social support. Internet addicts often use social networking sites, instant messaging, or online gaming as a safe way of establishing new relationships and more confidently relating to others.
• You're an unhappy teenager. You might be wondering where you fit in and the Internet could feel more comfortable than real-life friends.
• You are less mobile or socially active than you once were. For example, you may be coping with a new disability that limits your ability to drive. Or you may be parenting very young children, which can make it hard to leave the house or connect with old friends.
• You are stressed. While some people use the Internet to relieve stress, it can have a counterproductive effect. The longer you spend online, the higher your stress levels will be.

Is Internet addiction real?

If you believe what you read, "Internet addiction" is about to make us a nation of derelicts. Men drooling over online pornography, women abandoning their husbands for chat-room lovers and people losing their life savings on gambling Web sites are just a few of the stories peddled in today's press.

But despite the topic's prominence, published studies on Internet addiction are scarce. Most are surveys, marred by self-selecting samples and no control groups. The rest are theoretical papers that speculate on the philosophical aspects of Internet addiction but provide no data.

Meanwhile, many psychologists even doubt that addiction is the right term to describe what happens to people when they spend too much time online.

The researchers in this case broke the term down into five specific behaviors:

• Cybersexual addiction
• Cyberrelationship addiction
• Net compulsion
• Information overload
• Interactive gaming compulsion

Internet Addiction: Recognition and Interventions

ALTHOUGH THE PSYCHIATRIC recognition of computer or Internet addiction is approximately two decades old (Shotton, 1989), controversy surrounding whether or not it is a mental illness may interfere with recognition and treatment. For some time I was convinced that I suffered from the condition myself, experiencing mild anxiety when I was traveling in countries where there was minimal Internet access. Like any good mental health nurse eager to understand myself and, if necessary, "heal myself" to help others, I decided to learn everything I could about the topic.

I was surprised at the attention the issue has received in both the media and the mental health world, both in clinical practice and scientific research. Several countries in Asia, particularly China, South Korea, and Taiwan, have been reported to have the highest incidence of computer or Internet addiction among young people...

Recognize Internet addiction as a mental illness

An editorial in this month's issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry says Internet addiction-including "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging"-is a common compulsive-impulsive disorder that should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders.

Like other addicts, users experience cravings, urges, withdrawal and tolerance, requiring more and better equipment and software, or more and more hours online, according to Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Dr. Block says people can lose all track of time or neglect "basic drives," like eating or sleeping. Relapse rates are high, he writes, and some people may need psychoactive medications or hospitalization.

Internet Gaming Addiction

Some have argued that the proliferation of personal computers and the widespread use of the Internet have greatly benefited society. However, a recognized problem occurs as persons spend excessive amounts of time online, which may lead to problems in other areas of their lives. Peer-reviewed articles and articles in the media have shown massively multiplayer online role-playing games to be one area of concern. All health care providers should be aware of how to recognize and treat this potential problem. To date, few randomized controlled trials have been conducted to evaluate treatment for this type of addiction ...

Internet Addiction Signs and Symptoms

- Maressa Hecht Orzack, Ph.D
Tolerance, withdrawal and compulsive use are requisites for any diagnosis of dependency (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Psychological tolerance is indicated by the need to spend increasing amounts of time on computer activities such as playing games, arranging files or participating in online discussion groups. Even though computer users are aware of problem behavior, they continue to use the computer compulsively. They often blame others for the problem. Withdrawal symptoms are indicated by an increase in irritability and anxiety when a person is unable to access a computer. Even though one investigator (Anderson, 1998) used a three-day abstinence as an indicator of problems, at least one patient has said that it is a matter of only hours before he starts to feel irritable, depressed or anxious ...