Are you being told that you are addicted to the Internet? Do you think you are addicted? Do you spend excessive time in front of the computer? The real problem is not the amount of time spent on the Net; the problem is how your time on the Internet affects your life. Is it causing conflicts in your family? At your job? At school? With your friends and other relationships?
As with any problem, the first and hardest step is realizing that there is, in fact, a problem to be dealt with. A simple quiz such as the one below will help you to determine if you are addicted to the Internet. If you already know that you are addicted, this quiz will help to assess the damage done. Read on . . .
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Humanist Existential Psychotherapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Three Types of Behavioral Therapies:
- Systematic Desensitization Therapy
- Cognitive Therapy
- Behavioral Assignments Therapy
- On-Line Self-Help Therapy
- Integrate Your On-line and Off-Line Life
- Going Cold Turkey
Take The Quiz!
This is a quiz to determine overall Internet addiction. Answer the following questions using the scale below:
0- does not apply
1- rarely
2- frequently
3- often
4- always
1. Do you find yourself staying on-line longer than you intended to?
2. Do you find yourself neglecting household chores to spend more time on-line?
3. Do you prefer the excitement of the Internet to intimacy with your partner?
4. How often do you form new relationships with other on-line users?
5. How often do people in your life complain to you about the amount of time you spend on-line?
6. Do your grades or schoolwork suffer because of the amount of time you spend on-line?
7. Do you check your e-mail before doing something else you need to do?
8. Does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet?
9. Do you become defensive or secretive when anyone asks you what you do on-line?
10. Do you try to block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet?
11. Do you find yourself anticipating when you will go on-line again?
12. Do you fear that life without the Internet would be boring, empty, and joyless?
13. Do you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are on-line?
14. Do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?
15. Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet when off-line, or fantasize about being on-line?
16. Do you find yourself saying "just a few more minutes" when on-line?
17. Do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend on-line . . . and fail?
18. Do you try to hide how long you have been on-line?
19. Do you choose to spend more time on-line over going out with others?
20. Do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line, and do these feelings go away once you are back on-line?
Total your score.
Higher scores indicate a higher level of addiction and damage caused by the Internet. Below is a general scale to help measure your score:
20 - 49 points:
You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.
50 - 79 points:
You are experiencing occasional or frequent problems because of the Internet. You should consider their full impact on your life.
80 - 100 points:
Your Internet usage is causing significant problems in your life. You should evaluate the impact of the Internet on your life and address the problems directly caused by your Internet usage.
For more specified areas of Internet addiction, go to
netaddiction.com
Physical Symptoms
of Internet Addiction
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you also may suffer from on-line addiction:
-- Carpal tunnel syndrome
-- Dry eyes
-- Migraine headaches
-- Back aches
-- Eating irregularities, such as skipping meals
-- Failure to attend to personal hygiene
-- Sleep disturbances, change in sleep pattern
It is important to note that "Internet addiction" is not the disease itself. If you suffer from what you have defined as Internet addiction, by either the quiz above, or some other method, you most likely are suffering from not wanting to deal with other problems in your life.
The heart of the problem may be a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety or other similar mental problems, a problem in a relationship, or a serious health problem or disability. The Internet becomes a place where you can escape from reality, and as a result, whatever problem you are dealing with. John M. Grohol, Psy.D., notes that using the Internet to escape from your problems "is no different than turning on the TV so you won't have to talk to your spouse, or going 'out with the boys' for a few drinks so you don't have to spend time at home." Nothing is different except the modality. See www.victoriapoint.com.
Grohol also believes that "it's not the technology (whether it be the Internet, a book, the telephone, or the television) which is important or addicting - it's the behavior. And behaviors can be treated."
Internet addiction may also be viewed as an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Susan Nolen-Hoeksema defines obsessions as "thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that are persistent, and are intrusive and cause distress." Compulsions are "repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the individual feels he or she must perform to erase his or her obsessions" (1998). For example, one may become obsessed with the thought that there is a very important, pertinent message waiting for him. The message has to be received immediately. As a result, the person will compulsively check his e-mail so that as soon as the message is sent to him, he will receive it.
Biological theories suggest that OCD is a neurological disorder. The circuit that is thought to be involved starts in the orbital region of the frontal cortex, where the impulses arise. The impulses are then sent to a part of the brain called the caudate nucleus, which filters the impulses, and lets only the strongest ones get sent to the thalamus. Once in the thalamus, the person is motivated to think about, and possibly act on the impulses. Once the behaviors are acted on, the impulse is eliminated for the time being. For people with OCD, however, the impulses may not be tuned off and the behavior is consistently repeated. PET scans show increased activity in the areas of this circuit in people with OCD. Sometimes drugs help to provide relief to better regulate the neurotransmitter serotonin, because serotonin plays an important role in this circuit.
Cognitive-behavioral theories suggest that people with OCD cannot turn off negative intrusive thoughts, causing them to repeatedly engage in compulsive behaviors. People who develop OCD may already be depressed or anxious in general, so even minor events will trigger negative thoughts. They feel they should be able to have control over these thoughts, but cannot. Their behavior is the only way they feel they can exert control. (See Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on this Web site)
