Monday, January 28, 2019

The Digital Drug: Internet Addiction Spawns U.S. Treatment Programs

Psychiatrists say internet addiction, characterized by a loss of control over internet use and disregard for the consequences of it, affects up to 8 percent of Americans and is becoming more common around the world.

"We're all mildly addicted. I think that's obvious to see in our behavior," said psychiatrist Kimberly Young, who has led the field of research since founding the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995.

Mental health centers in Florida, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and other states are adding inpatient internet addiction treatment to their line of services.

Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services, started the program in December after seeing several cases, including Danny's, where young people were using the internet to "Self-medicate" instead of drugs and alcohol.

Recovering from internet addiction is different from other addictions because it is not about "Getting sober," Tuell said.

Neither the World Health Organization nor the American Psychiatric Association recognize internet addiction as a disorder.

Research on internet addiction may soon produce empirical results to meet medical classification standards, Tuell said, as psychologists have found evidence of a brain adaptation in teens who compulsively play games and use the internet.


https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/01/28/technology/28reuters-usa-internet-addiction-feature.html

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