Excessive Internet use to be classed as mental disorder

[abdulhakeem]

by Stevie Smith
Mar 19 2008

If you experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings when away from your computer, and find yourself inexplicably needing to spend increasing amounts of time online, then it’s quite possible you might soon be categorised as suffering with a mental disorder.

More pointedly, the Ottawa Citizen (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/index.html) reports that an editorial feature in this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry suggests Internet addiction, which includes “excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging,” should be recognised as a compulsive-impulsive disorder and duly added to the official psychiatry guidebook.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Jerald Block of the Oregon Health and Science University, Internet addiction is extremely similar to any other kind of addiction in that it promotes cravings, urges, withdrawal and increased usage tolerance.

Dr. Block also notes that online addicts are prone to losing track of time, they also forego basic human functions such as eating or sleeping in order to indulge their addiction. He even suggests around 86 percent of Internet addicts have a degree of mental disorder and that resulting effects may require psychoactive medication or hospital treatment for certain individuals, while relapse rates are also high.

Similarly, a team of British psychiatrists has recently outlined in the Advances in Psychiatric Treatment journal that an estimated 5-10 percent of all Internet users are addicted and, while initial research would suggest most are likely highly educated and introverted males, related studies are suggesting middle-age women could be more susceptible to online addiction.

If Dr. Block’s concerns are recognised then Internet addiction could well be included in the 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, which is the official reference book of mental illness used by psychiatrists.

http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200812/463/Excessive-Internet-use-to-be-classed-as-mental-disorder

[abdulhakeem]

Compulsive internet use a mental disorder

Texting, e-mailing and porn-surfing is a disease

Tuesday, 18 March 2008

This month’s hot-off-the-press issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry (http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/) claims that internet addiction - mentioning "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging" - is becoming an increasingly commonplace compulsive-impulsive disorder. It says it "should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders".

Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, claims that the disorder should be "included in the [next edition of] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, psychiatry's official dictionary of mental illnesses".

Neglecting basic drives

The next edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (http://books.google.com/books?id=3SQrtpnHb9MC&dq=Diagnostic+and+Statistical+Manual+of+Mental+Dis orders&ots=XcF-X4ozUy&sig=2V2Y7G7uLHyWHPFv5bJ2YPgAbbc&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Diagnostic+and+Statistical+Manual+of+Mental+Diso rders&btnG=Google+Search&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail) is due out in 2012, but a draft edition of this is planned to be available to the public at some point in 2009.

Block says people can lose all track of time or neglect "basic drives" such as eating or sleeping. Some may need psychoactive medications or hospitalisation to combat their over-reliance on the internet.

Notably, Dr. Block says that about 86 per cent of ‘internet addicts’ also have some other form of mental illness.

http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/compulsive-internet-use-a-mental-disorder-268328

[Raziel]

by Stevie Smith
Mar 19 2008

If you experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings when away from your computer, and find yourself inexplicably needing to spend increasing amounts of time online, then it’s quite possible you might soon be categorised as suffering with a mental disorder.

More pointedly, the Ottawa Citizen (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/index.html) reports that an editorial feature in this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry suggests Internet addiction, which includes “excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging,” should be recognised as a compulsive-impulsive disorder and duly added to the official psychiatry guidebook.

According to psychiatrist Dr. Jerald Block of the Oregon Health and Science University, Internet addiction is extremely similar to any other kind of addiction in that it promotes cravings, urges, withdrawal and increased usage tolerance.

Dr. Block also notes that online addicts are prone to losing track of time, they also forego basic human functions such as eating or sleeping in order to indulge their addiction. He even suggests around 86 percent of Internet addicts have a degree of mental disorder and that resulting effects may require psychoactive medication or hospital treatment for certain individuals, while relapse rates are also high.

Similarly, a team of British psychiatrists has recently outlined in the Advances in Psychiatric Treatment journal that an estimated 5-10 percent of all Internet users are addicted and, while initial research would suggest most are likely highly educated and introverted males, related studies are suggesting middle-age women could be more susceptible to online addiction.

If Dr. Block’s concerns are recognised then Internet addiction could well be included in the 2012 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, which is the official reference book of mental illness used by psychiatrists.

http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200812/463/Excessive-Internet-use-to-be-classed-as-mental-disorder

I concur Excessive Internet Use is a Waste of time, it distracts from much more important matters and therefore can be a Mental Disorder ... or some self induced sickness ...

:jkk:

[abdulhakeem]

Addiction to the InterWeb is a mental illness

Mad World Wide Web

By Sylvie Barak (http://www.theinquirer.net/articles/flameAuthor/gb/inquirer/news/2008/03/18/addiction-internet-mental): Tuesday, 18 March 2008

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
L'Inqs
The Ottawa Citizen
Lost Online: an overview of Internet addiction (Advances in Psychiatric Treatment) (http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/13/1/24)

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/03/18/addiction-internet-mental

[bint]

I'm not being funny but there is a mental disorder nearly for everything! It just gets ridiculous..that Oh my god, she is so addictive! She is definitely mentally disturbed. #

Seriously guys, people make virtual things an illness I dunno how but it's beyond me.
People need to get a life especially these so called experts in these fields.

Yes there are mental disorders..but diagnosing people with different cases is utterly stupid.

Mentally when told that you are suffering from a high mental disorder in regards to this and that, it plays a role in that persons mind, making himself believe that he really does have a disorder when in reality he doesnt.

Docs just wanna give every single action in this world a diagnosis.

Rant over.

[bint]

Oh damn I can't stop buying red bull - I have a disorder

I can't stop being organised - I have a disorder

I have to stop being so blunt - It's a disorder

Just dont be anything!

[Raziel]

Oh damn I can't stop buying red bull - I have a disorder

I can't stop being organised - I have a disorder

I have to stop being so blunt - It's a disorder

Just dont be anything!

Ukthi if its bad for you then you aught to abstain from doing it ...

Most Addictions are ...

Excessive Internet use distracts from important matters of Al-Islam ...

and I'm talking from experience, I even Missed my Salah because of this sickness before ...

also most Internet usage is for Pointless reasons, and simply chit chat leading nowhere ... the important matters are left at the sidelines and only occasionally touched on ...

:jkk:

[bint]

Sorry I think you missed the point of my post.

Re-read it.





Note the sarcasm.

[Raziel]

Sorry I think you missed the point of my post.

Re-read it.





Note the sarcasm.

I did not ..

I read it, you raised trivial points, I raised the More Serious Ones ... pl;ease read My Post and Why I said it is a Disorder/Sickness ...

:jkk:

[Phoenix CG]

It can be a mental disorder for someone that seriously has withdrawal systems like violence (like a drug addict) but they are just saying someone who surfs a lot.

Yes it is bad, but no, it's not a mental disorder. Heck I like biscuits and pringles and i'll eat alot of them, that doesn't make it a mental disorder. If I start shouting and kicking for them :p that's when it becomes an addiction.

[bint]

It can be a mental disorder for someone that seriously has withdrawal systems like violence (like a drug addict) but they are just saying someone who surfs a lot.

Yes it is bad, but no, it's not a mental disorder. Heck I like biscuits and pringles and i'll eat alot of them, that doesn't make it a mental disorder. If I start shouting and kicking for them :p that's when it becomes an addiction.
thats what i mean.:torture:

[Phoenix CG]

:o You have a, can't write English properly disorder :o :outta:

[Stogie]

Would close to 24 THOUSAND posts on an internet forum be considered excessive abdulhakeem ? :D

[Rosalie-Beauty]

Has anyone ever read Ray Bradburys, "Fahrenheit 451"? He has some very interesting and true ideas about technology, especially screen addiction.

I know I'm not addicted to the internet though, I dont crave for it, and can got months without it. Somehow, I prefer talking with people IN PERSON. Does anyone remember that?