Internet addiction – causes, symptoms & therapy

There is currently no generally accepted definition of internet addiction. Even the terminology itself is still controversial, so that many experts speak of internet addiction instead of internet addiction. In the discussion about the correct term, the lack of a material level is called for as an argument, which is used in comparable addictions, such as e.g. B. alcohol addiction , can be better defined.

The term “Internet Addiction” was coined by the American psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg when he published his first findings on “Internet Addiction Disorder”. On the other hand, scientists who study this phenomenon agree that Internet addiction is a pathological change in human behavior. From a psychological point of view, this can be classified as a personality disorder.

causes

When examining those affected who participated in Intersucht, it was found that addictive behavior can occur particularly when encountering three areas of the Internet: when shopping online, when using social networks and when looking for sexual content. However, scientists assume that staying in these digital worlds cannot alone be responsible for pathological behavior.Rather, it is assumed that existing psychological damage in those affected favor the loss of sufficient self-control. This loss can lead to the fact that the correct perception of reality is increasingly lost and the emotional connection to the activity on the Internet is increasingly of existential importance for the person concerned.

In addition, it is also crucial that the Internet opens up worlds that invite people to experiment with their own identity. This existential flexibility enables the user to change their social or gender identity at will and thus create their own digital reality of life.

symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of internet addiction:

• overweight

• muscle weakness

• headache

• Sweat

• mood swings

• difficulty concentrating

• sleep disorders

As the disease progresses, physical and social symptoms can increase. Internet addicts are often overweight due to a lack of exercise and are susceptible to the associated complications. Muscle weakness or physical deformities can also occur over time. Even not using the internet for a short time can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, sweating or mood swings.

A lack of personal hygiene can also occur in the early stages. In addition, the mental state also suffers from excessive digital consumption. Depression , poor concentration and sleep disorders can be observed . As a consequence, social life is usually also affected. Appointments are not kept, relationships and friendships can fall apart and jobs can also be lost if the desire for the Internet takes up too much space in everyday life.

When to the doctor?

Internet use can become a problem if other activities are neglected in its favor. In some cases, Internet addicts themselves notice that they have lost control of their online behavior – for example, because they are online much more often and longer than planned. If those affected can no longer control their Internet use themselves, they should seek advice from a doctor, therapist or counselor.

Not everyone affected realizes that they have a problem. For relatives, however, it is often a great challenge to draw the attention of an unreasonable person to his behavioral addiction. However, the insight of the person concerned is a prerequisite for the therapeutic help to be successful. Addiction often puts a strain on social relationships and thus on the relatives of the person concerned. It can therefore make sense for relatives to seek support themselves.

Internet addicts can turn to a psychotherapist or psychologist. Some counseling centers that specialize in behavioral addictions also work with Internet addicts. In milder cases, it is sometimes sufficient for those affected to “internet withdrawal” themselves. If, despite serious efforts, the person concerned does not succeed, for example for two weeks without private Internet use, the border to addiction may already have been crossed. Other symptoms such as aggressiveness or depression can also be a reason to seek therapeutic help.

Diagnose

The medical diagnosis of internet addiction is made with the help of special questionnaires. The Internet Addiction Scale (ISS) is used to determine how far the dependency on Internet use has progressed. The examination examines whether the patient already exhibits compulsive behavior, how strong the patient’s self-control is in general, and whether everyday life is impaired by internet use.

complications

Internet addiction threatens various negative consequences. They can affect both the psyche and the body. Sometimes the effects are dramatic. The consequences of internet addiction are often slow to recognise. It is not always possible to determine exactly when the passion for the Internet degenerates into a real addiction.

An important feature is that the people affected are spending more and more time on the Internet and no longer have time for their family or friends. Beyond the computer, they no longer practice any other hobbies. Likewise, the job, the household and even the outside are neglected. In extreme cases, Internet addicts lose their jobs.

The typical psychological effects of internet addiction are the shielding from the resulting problems and the denial of online addiction. Those affected do not want to accept the problematic consequences and shield themselves from critics. In some cases, this leads to the loneliness of the Internet addict over time.

Sometimes, online addiction leads to serious complications, such as mental illness. These are primarily affective disorders, depression and attention and hyperactivity disorders.

If people try to suppress the mental disorders, there is a risk that there will also be physical effects. These include nicotine or alcohol abuse.

Because Internet addiction also leads to one-sided posture and lack of exercise, there is a risk of health problems in the back and heart. is possible. Antiviral medicines can cause anemia and impair the development of the unborn child during pregnancy.

treatment and therapy

No standard therapy has yet been developed for the treatment of internet addiction. However, in practice, behavioral therapy has proven itself to support patients on their way to normal use of the Internet. Through this therapeutic approach, those affected can develop their own solution strategies that lead their use of the Internet back to a healthy way of acting. Depending on the clinical picture, it can also be helpful to involve relatives and friends in this healing process.

As with other addictions , however, the first and often most difficult step is to recognize the self-damaging behavior. It often happens that those affected only gain the necessary awareness of the problem to seek professional help through major health or social damage. Paradoxically, it has proven useful to offer this help primarily on the Internet. The inhibition threshold to seek help is lower here because those affected can deal with the problem in a world they are familiar with.

prevention

People who spend a lot of time on the Internet can prevent addictive behavior and thus Internet addiction by carefully and critically observing themselves and their use of the Internet. In addition, it can be helpful to set limits for yourself and, above all, to restrict the use of the Internet in terms of time.If this self-motivated setting of limits is already difficult, those affected should seek professional help at an early stage in order to be able to change the addictive behavior in its early stages. Relatives and friends should also be included in the observation of one’s own Internet behavior in order to be able to correct the behavior before it can assume damaging proportions.