2 Weeks - Residential Experiential
Internet Addiction Recovery Retreat

Internet Addiction

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The Internet is a wild and wonderful place which has forever changed the way we live, learn, and work – but when a person can’t find a balance between their time online and their time offline, it can mean problems for their mental health. For some people, going online becomes an addiction.

 

First, you need to know that there is no one definition for internet addiction. However, it is generally agreed that people who are addicted to the Internet (1) have trouble filling personal and professional obligations because of their online activities, and that (2) their use of the Internet causes strain on relationships with family and friends. People who are addicted to the Internet also often experience negative emotions or withdrawal symptoms when their Internet access is restricted.

 

Internet addiction may also be called computer addiction, compulsive Internet use, Problematic Internet Use (PIU), Internet dependence, or pathological Internet use. Researchers estimate that 6 percent of people are addicted to the Internet. Some professionals classify Internet addiction as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, while others liken it to an impulse control disorder.

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Signs of Internet addiction

Internet addiction can include three or more of the following:

 

 

• The user needs to spend ever-increasing amounts of time online to feel the same sense of satisfaction.

• If they can’t go online, the user experiences unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, moodiness and compulsive fantasizing about the Internet. Using the Internet relieves these symptoms.

• The user turns to the Internet to cope with negative feelings such as guilt, anxiety or depression.

• The user spends a significant amount of time engaging in other activities related to the Internet (such as researching internet vendors, internet books).

• The user neglects other areas of life (such as relationships, work, school and leisure pursuits) in favor of spending time on the Internet.

• The user is prepared to lose relationships, jobs or other important things in favor of the Internet.

 

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Different types of addiction

 

The categories of Internet addiction include:

 

Sex – the person uses the Internet to look at, download or swap pornography or to engage in casual cybersex with other users. This results in neglect of their real-world sex life with their partner or spouse.
 

Relationships – the person uses chat rooms to form online relationships (‘online dating’) at the expense of spending time with real-life family and friends. This could include having online affairs (‘cyber adultery’).
 

Games – this can include spending excessive amounts of time playing games, gambling, shopping or trading. This can lead to severe financial troubles.
 

Information – the user obsessively searches for and collects information.
 

Social networking addiction – includes the desire to constantly monitor social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This includes constantly updating profile posts and checking messages to inform friends of what you are doing at the present moment.