Warning Signs and Symptoms of Internet Addiction

Warning Signs and Symptoms of Internet Addiction
Author: Michelle Devon

Is it Real? How Can You Tell If You or a Loved One Suffers from Internet Addiction?
The internet can be a fun place, with a lot of things to do, information, resources, chat, messaging, forums and groups—you can find something that suits your fancy, no matter what your fancy might be. The internet has also provided a bit of anonymity to people who might want to purchase things they normally would not be willing to purchase from a store in person. You can research for school or work. You can make money, blog, buy and trade and sell things, and start an eBusiness. You can even view pornography, if that’s what suits you. In fact, there’s not a lot you can’t do nowadays on the internet. That all being said, how can you tell if your or a loved one’s fascination with the internet has become less of a tool and more of an obsession?

Internet addiction disorder, IAD, is relatively new in the field of psychotherapy, but recently, many therapists and counselors have seen an increase in cases where their clients, or family members and loved ones of clients, are claiming to have issues with how much time is spent online. Interestingly enough, there is a huge dispute in the psychological field over whether or not internet addiction is a real disorder afflicting people.

One argument against internet addiction as its own disorder is that internet addiction really only falls into the same category as ‘addictive behavior’ or compulsive behavior and is simply another means that people use to exhibit addictive tendencies. However, drug addiction is a different disorder than sexual addiction, so the proponents for internet addiction use this differentiation and argue that internet addiction should be classified as a separate disorder altogether.

It is also difficult to diagnose internet addiction in instances where, perhaps, a person’s work is solely or mostly online or on the computer. Can a person who is just very dedicated to their job actually be accused as being an internet addict, when in reality, perhaps they are merely a work-a-holic?

That’s why establishing clear criteria for what internet addiction disorder really is will be crucial in determining whether or not this disorder is given the attention in the psychological community that many feel it deserves. As with any addictive disorder, one of the main criteria that must be met in order to be considered addictive behavior is that there must be a significant impairment or dis-function in normal ‘life’ activities.Some of these ‘life’ activities include things such as: maintaining gainful employment; taking care of financial responsibilities; maintaining healthy relationships with friends and family; taking care of family responsibilities such as children, pets and house cleaning; and personal health and hygiene properly maintained, to name a few. When any of these basic life skills are neglected, and they are neglected because of an individual’s time on the computer online, then internet addiction may pose a real concern.Where the psychological community seems to miss the mark is that, in the end, it doesn’t matter whether or not a person is suffering from something called internet addiction disorder or is simply exhibiting compulsive or addictive behavior through the use of the internet. If a person’s internet use, regardless of the reason or cause, is causing impairment in their functioning, then the issue needs to be addressed.Do you worry that you or a loved one suffers from internet addiction, regardless of the cause? How can you tell for sure? Below is a list of some commons signs that the internet has become a compulsive and even addictive problem in your or a loved one’s life: