A US SHRINK has come to the conclusion that sending too many text messages and e-mails is a sure sign that you are barking.

According to the American Journal of Psychiatry (which we read for its 'Spot the Freudian Slip' contest) Dr Jerald Block said that if you take people's computers and phones away from them they suffer from feelings of withdrawal.

Another sign that you are starting to slip into the world of the befuddled is when you want better computer gear and need more time to use it.

While the idea of Internet addiction has been around for a while, Block is one of the first to say it also applies to SMS messaging. He also said it is very common and falls within the compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorders.

The symptoms are a loss of sense of time or a neglect of basic drives, withdrawal, feelings of anger, tension, and depression when the computer is inaccessible.

If you have this sort of problem there is no real treatment. You could go cold turkey but there is a high relapse rate. So we are all basically stuffed. µ

L'Inq

New-medical.net