Internet addiction: symptoms, types and therapy
In 1995, the American psychiatrist Ivan Goldberg coined the term “Internet Addiction Disorder” (IAD) , taking pathological gambling as a reference model. The Internet addiction is described as “an abuse of this technology”, with important negative consequences on their lives.
Symptoms of Internet Addiction
Goldberg described the characteristic symptoms of Internet Addiction Disorder :
- the need to spend more and more time online and to connect more and more often, to get satisfaction
- the marked reduction of interest in any other activity that does not involve the use of the Internet
- if the abuse is reduced or stopped, the person develops agitation, depressive and anxious symptoms, obsessive thoughts or dreams about what is happening on the net
- the inability to stop or monitor internet usage
- continue to use the web despite the awareness of having developed social, psychological and physical problems (sleep difficulties, family and marital problems, work problems)
The psychological and physical changes produced in the individual who becomes dependent on the network are:
- loss or impoverishment of interpersonal relationships
- mood changes
- alteration of the perception of time
- tendency to replace the real world with a virtual place, in which you try to build your own personal world
- real physical symptoms such as carpal tunnel, widespread pain in the neck and back, vision problems: they are the consequence of prolonged periods of network activity in unhealthy positions and, consequently, of long periods of physical inactivity
From a cognitive – behavioral point of view, in people who develop an Internet addiction , the following aspects are observable:
- dysfunctional thoughts about oneself and others
- subjective feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, low self-esteem and relationship problems
- mood, anxiety and impulse control disorders
