- Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them - Alfred Adler
Addiction to the InterWeb is a mental illness
ACCORDING TO the Ottawa Citizen, obsessive e-mailing and text messaging could soon be classed as an official mental disorder. The notion stems from a soon to be published editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry which makes the case that Internet addiction is a common compulsive-impulsive disorder which should be classed by physicians as a brain illness.
Apparently, Internet addiction can include "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging". If you find that all of the above apply to you on a daily basis, please check yourself into your nearest mental health clinic immediately.
A psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Dr Jerald Block, reckons that, like alcohol and drug addicts, Internet junkies get cravings, urges, withdrawal symptoms, and are always looking for bigger and better quality hardware and software to feed their appetites and increase their buzz. The doc says that about 86 per cent of Internet junkies have a form of mental sickness, characterised by users losing track of time spent online and neglect of "basic drives," like eating or sleeping.
Not all psychiatrists agree with Doc Block though. Last year, British psychiatrists writing in the Advances in Psychiatric Treatment journal, reckoned that only between five and ten per cent of Internet users were actually addicted, with the majority of hardcore addicts being middle aged desperate housewives.
Block also notes that the problems are at their most severe in Asia, namely in China and South Korea. He claims that there have already been several Internet gaming related deaths in cyber cafes caused by heart and lung failures [lung failure? - Ed] and that the Korean government has trained over 1,000 counsellors to help people deal with their addictions.
Beating an Internet addiction is apparently not something to be taken lightly though. People often relapse into their old Web habits and some could even require medication or hospitalisation. µ
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I guess the drug companies need to increase their sales. Will AMD or intel be held accountable for their products that are causing the problem. ATI and Nvidia are making the games look so real. When will the NSA come and take me away for being a terrorist because I'm killing way to many virtual enemies while on the MEC "Middle East Coalition". My porn movies are not long enough. Im so depressed. Here in Ottawa we are stuck under 3+ meters of snow what will I do. Please give me a pill. LOL
how about reading lots of INQ's articles everyday?
Saying someone is addicted to the Internet is like saying Columbus was 'addicted' to the New World... 

This whole topic is just people who reached adulthood before the Web, reacting to the fact that the nature of life in this world is changing out from under them. We will all be part of the Borg, with wireless net-centric implants tying us together and enslaving us forever before the end of this century. 

If that completely freaks you out, it just means that you are old enough now that you'll have passed away before the thing becomes completely manditory, so you can consider yourself lucky. If it doesn't freak you out, then effectively, your already a part of it.
I come here almost everyday lol.... what does that make me....

can I do without yes..but practically the internet makes my life easier... 
its like a microwave... 
its about inconvenience 

with all the social networking site I am sure ppl spend way to much time on their computers uploading their lives for some one to comments on it.... sad

what sadder is that the addicted doctors think that they need meds to help with it...

try Self control....
In the US we call it obsessive-compulsive disorder. Interesting difference, if it isn't wrong.
"86 per cent of Internet junkies have a form of mental sickness..."

So, 86% of junkies are addicted? What about the other 24% of junkies?

[Sub ed comments... or 14% maybe?]
Actually, this isn't something to be taken lightly, I must admit that when I'm unable to access the internet (computer dies/power off, or whatever) it's disabling, and I get strong cravings as the article describes. 

The psychological journal wants to see this particular craving categorised as an actual obsession or whatever, which is probably quite right. Whether or not it's merely engendered by our modern always-on society, is by the by.

It's not out-dated philistines fearing new technologies, it's people trying to get a grip on it.
Check out this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/textmess/petition.html

Texting is not a Mental “disorder”!

Take Your Mental Disorders and Your Psych Drugs and Your UnScientific Diagnostic & Statistical Manual and Shove Them! Petition to The American Psychiatric Association and Psych Drug Manufacturers.