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| Science & Technology |
| Net addicts mentally ill, psychiatrist argues |
| 2008-03-19 |
| INTERNET addiction is a "common" mental disorder that should be recognized by health officials, an editorial in one of the world's leading psychiatry journals says. The American Journal of Psychiatry published an editorial claiming that internet addiction met the criterion for a mental disorder and called on the American Psychiatric Association to officially list it as such. The editorial’s author, Jerald Block, said internet addiction consists of three particular subtypes: excessive gambling, sexual preoccupations and email or text messaging. “Internet addiction appears to be a common disorder that merits inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” Dr Block said in the journal. Dr Block said all internet addictions had four common components: excessive use, withdrawal, tolerance and negative repercussions. He said internet addicts developed a tolerance to a certain level of technology, making them want to upgrade software and hardware. Social isolation and fatigue were listed as examples of “negative repercussions” to internet addiction. Dr Block said the number of people that could be deemed as having addictions was large. “After a series of ten cardiopulmonary-related deaths in internet cafés and a game-related murder, South Korea considers internet addiction one of its most serious public health issues,” he said. “Using data from 2006, the South Korean government estimates that approximately 210,000 South Korean children are afflicted and require treatment. “About 80 per cent of those needing treatment may need psychotropic medications, and perhaps 20 per cent to 24 per cent require hospitalization.” He said it was very hard to gauge the extent of the problem in the US and some other countries due to the popularity of home internet connections. “Unlike in Asia, where internet cafes are frequently used, in the United States games and virtual sex are accessed from the home. “Attempts to measure the phenomenon are clouded by shame, denial, and minimization.” Dr Block said he believed about 86 per cent of internet addicts also had at least one other mental disorder. But he said classifying the addiction as a mental problem did not mean people would be easily cured. “Unfortunately, internet addiction is resistant to treatment, entails significant risks and has high relapse rates.” |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 In my limited experience, a majority of psychologists and psychiatrists have mental disorders. I deal with them professionally on a daily basis. It's almost a prequalification. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-03-19 14:36 |
| #8 #4 - lol! |
| Posted by: Crease Poodle1618 2008-03-19 12:56 |
| #7 OCD is more like it. To subtype it seem a bit of a stretch. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2008-03-19 12:53 |
| #6 It's quite a thing, those google pop-up ads that show on the side of right side of the page. |
| Posted by: Penguin 2008-03-19 10:41 |
| #5 In my limited experience, a majority of psychologists and psychiatrists have mental disorders. I suspect those that don't seem to be affected are merely closet cases. Give them the grant money to keep them out of mischief and politics. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2008-03-19 09:49 |
| #4 So back in the 50s and 60s we were addicted to the boob tube by the same logic. Before then to radio and still are through 'elevator' music that hums in the stores and offices. I smell grant money too. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-03-19 09:30 |
| #3 From what I can gather, there is a genetic susceptibility to addiction; it's almost a matter of chance what the person actually becomes addicted to. Congratulations on your new home, Angie! Good lord -- can you imagine the state of our chew toys were Rantburg to be available on cable tv... or even radio? Even the Kos Kiddies would tune in to see how it's done. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-19 07:11 |
| #2 I moved on Feb. 18th, and it was just yesterday that I finally got my internet connection at home working. And it was no problem! Really! Oh, sure, I tried hooking my keyboard up to my TV, but I was just being silly. It isn't true, though, that I tried to log on by stripping the phone cord and touching the copper wires together -- that was an accident. But they gave me tranquilizers after that, and they really helped. (Seriously, I found myself thinking, "Why isn't there BlogTV? A Rantburg channel -- hey, that would be great! Naw, if there were such a thing as BlogTV, it would be all Daily Kos, all the time -- except for late night, which would be The Wonkette Files.) |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2008-03-19 04:23 |
| #1 Dr Block said he believed about 86 per cent of internet addicts also had at least one other mental disorder. “Unfortunately, internet addiction is resistant to treatment, entails significant risks and has high relapse rates.” Significant risks? You mean like when my homicidal mania flares up when someone looks at my cable box outside my house in a threatening manner? What's so odd about that? Everybody thinks that way, it's just that nobody talks about it. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-03-19 02:30 |