Morning And Evening Routines
Every person should have a wake up and bedtime routine. It should be something that powerfully rouses you from the depths of sleep and something that puts the day into context and winds it down.
Many people pick up their phones first thing in the morning and then BOOM. Off to the races. Even worse off, they finish off their day with a phone in hand or looking at some sort of screen. Never before has someone been surrounded by so much stuff, unable to put attention on the goose that lays the golden eggs themselves.
In a routine to begin or start the day, you focus on yourself and aligning yourself or recharging yourself. You can do this through a yoga session, meditation, working out, reading a physical book, goal-setting, or journaling. Ive written all about morning and evening routines before, so give it a look if youre interested.
Boredom is one of the most painful things any human being can experience.
Why?
Because its hard to be alone with yourself or your thoughts.
When untrained, the mind is like a wild dog that wont stop barking. At its worst, it is like a merciless judge who only seeks to condemn.
In order to hopscotch past the rigorous process of disciplining the mind, many people turn to distraction. Today, this distraction is in the form of mindless Internet addiction.
Take Control Of Internet Use
- Take breaks. For example, try to take a 15 minute break for every 45 minutes of internet use.
- Fill your free time with activities that are physically intense or require a lot of concentration to distract you from thinking about going online.
- Dont bring your smart phone or tablet with you when you leave the house.
- Keep track of non-essential internet use to see if you notice patterns. Do you go online when you are bored? Are you going online to relieve feelings of loneliness or depression?
- Make a list of things that you enjoy doing or need to get done that dont include the internet. If you feel tempted to go online, choose an activity from your list instead.
Source: mentalhealthamerica.net
Getting Started With Internet Addiction Treatment
Its helpful to identify people that need internet addiction treatment by examining the effect it has on their overall functioning. People who may be experiencing internet addiction will exhibit internet use more frequently and have a preoccupation with the internet even when not using it. Often, they have tried to cut back but have not been able to, and being without the internet makes the individual feel angry or restless in their attempt to cut back on their internet usage.
A true addiction forms when the internet is used to regulate mood or to make the user feel better from actual face-to-face interactions that dont go well such as being bullied or feeling depressed. Often, people that need internet addiction treatment lose sleep, they feel fatigued and lose interest in sports or other activities. Problematic internet use is generally brought to a therapist once a parent or Guardian sees a significant impact on the childs life.
Don’t Miss: How Many Americans Suffer From Addiction
Is It Actually An Addiction
Everyone has things they love to do regularly. Theres generally not much to worry about in having habits that dont cause harm or distress.
For example, playing video games for a few hours on Saturdays or regularly scoping the sale rack at Nordstrom doesnt mean you have a video game or shopping addiction.
But where is the line between a habit and addiction? Its tricky:
- A habit is something you regularly do, usually because youve practiced it or incorporated it into your routine. Doing the dishes after dinner is an example of a good habit. But habits can also involve things like chewing your nails when youre stressed.
- An addiction involves engaging in a behavior or consuming a substance because you feel a reward in doing so. With an addiction, you might know the behavior or substance is harmful to you, but youre unable to stop.
If you like to surf Reddit for 20 minutes while you drink your morning coffee, thats likely just a habit.
If you regularly find yourself unable to stop after 20 minutes and end up making yourself late for work or keeping up with important tasks, you might be dealing with something closer to an addiction.
Experts have conducted many studies in an effort to pinpoint what internet addiction looks like.
According to a , you may be experiencing an internet addiction if you spend long stretches of time online for nonwork-related activities, such as browsing the web or playing video games, and notice any of the below symptoms:
Types Of Internet Addiction
Internet addiction is a broad term that covers a range of behaviors and impulse-control problems involving internet, personal computer, and mobile technology. While there is yet no officially accepted criteria to diagnose an internet addiction, researchers have identified 5 subcategories of specific types of computer and internet addictions.
Cybersex Addiction
A cybersex addiction is one of the more self-explanatory internet addictions. It involves online pornography, adult websites, sexual fantasy/adult chat rooms, and XXX webcam services. An obsession with any of these services can be harmful to ones ability to form real-world sexual, romantic, or intimate relationships. Treatment options are available for those with cybersex addictions, typically in the form of intervention followed by ongoing inpatient or outpatient therapy.
Net Compulsions
Net compulsions concern interactive activities online that can be extremely harmful, such as online gambling, trading stocks, online auctions , and compulsive online shopping. These habits can have a detrimental impact on ones financial stability and disrupt job-related duties. Spending or losing excessive amounts of money can also cause stress in ones relationships. With instant and easy access to online casinos and stores, it is easy for those who are already susceptible to a gambling or spending addiction to get hooked online.
Cyber Relationship Addiction
Compulsive Information Seeking
Top 10 Rehab Questions
You May Like: Am I An Addict Test
How Lorde Cured Her Internet Addiction
If youâre just now hearing that Lorde doesnât use the internet much, you might think, âOh yes, sheâs an old soul with wisdom beyond her years and no use for any sort of tweet.â In actuality, Lorde is a very mortal member of Gen Z who severely curbed her internet usage for painfully relatable reasons: she was spending up to 11 hours a day on her phone, a good portion of it reading gossip on the Daily Mailâs website and its notorious sidebar of shame. To cure her addiction, Lorde took drastic measures, even calling in the help of a computer programmer.
The revelation comes in a new profile for The New York Times ahead of the release of her album, Solar Power.
âI would see my screen time go to, like, 11 hours and I knew it was just looking at the Daily Mail,â the 24-year-old singer told the paper. âI remember sitting up in bed and realizing I could get to the end of my life and have done this every day. And itâs up to me to choose, right now. So I just sort of chose.â
Of course, choosing was the first step in a long journey. Weâre not going to say there were 12 exactly, but addressing any sort of addiction usually involves multiple shifts. The profile notes that Lorde was inspired by the books How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. The first is a self-help-book-slash-manifesto about the modern attention economy while the second is a non-fiction book about a woman spending time in nature.
Demographic Characteristics And Treatment Response
A total of 57 participants were included in the final data analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed in sex, age, or years of education between the IA group and the HC group . Individuals with IA exhibited higher IAT, SDS, and SAS scores . After 8 weeks of CBT, significant decreases in IAT, SDS, and SAS scores were observed in the IA group .
Table 1. Demographic characteristics and treatment response.
Also Check: How To Get An Addict Out Of Your House
What Should You Look For In An Internet Addiction Rehab Program For Teens
The right treatment for internet addiction disorder should reduce the compulsive behavior of addicted teens and children, along with adverse emotional and mental effects of their addiction. Applying therapy in a controlled setting is often the best way to overcome internet addiction. Outpatient treatment is usually less disruptive, and therefore popular. They often do not produce the same long term effects. This is because the patient is still returning to the same environment. They will have access to the same triggers for addictive behaviors. When choosing a program for your child, it is important to ensure that the program is accredited by reputable organizations. Some accreditors include the outdoor behavioral health council, or the association for experiential education.
What Is Internet Addiction
Do you play video games on the Internet in excess? Are you compulsively shopping online? Cant physically stop checking Facebook? Is your excessive computer use interfering with your daily life relationships, work, school? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from Internet Addition Disorder, also commonly referred to as Compulsive Internet Use , Problematic Internet Use , or iDisorder. Originally debated as a real thing, it was satirically theorized as a disorder in 1995 by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, MD who compared its original model to pathological gambling. Since this hoax of sorts, the disorder has rapidly gained ground and has been given serious attention from many researchers, mental health counselors, and doctors as a truly debilitating disorder. Though not officially recognized as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , its prevalence in American and European cultures is staggering affecting up to 8.2% of the general population. However, some reports suggest it affects up to 38% of the general population. The widely variable difference in prevalence rates might be contributed to the fact that no true and standardized criteria has been selected for Internet Addiction Disorder. It is researched differently among scientists and mental health professionals. And, it is researched differently across ethnic cultures.
Also Check: What Is Addictive Personality Disorder
Different Types Of Addiction
The categories of Internet addiction include:
- Sex the person uses the Internet to look at, download or swap pornography or to engage in casual cybersex with other users. This results in neglect of their real-world sex life with their partner or spouse.
- Relationships the person uses chat rooms to form online relationships at the expense of spending time with real-life family and friends. This could include having online affairs .
- Games this can include spending excessive amounts of time playing games, gambling, shopping or trading. This can lead to severe financial troubles.
- Information the user obsessively searches for and collects information.
Social networking addiction includes the desire to constantly monitor social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This includes constantly updating profile posts and checking messages to inform friends of what you are doing at the present moment.
Internet Addiction Treatment: Therapy
Treatment for Internet addiction includes a variety of inventions with a primary focus on cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal psychotherapy techniques to moderate Internet usage and to address underlying psychosocial issues that often co-existent with this addiction . Internet addiction therapy should utilize time management techniques that help the client structure and regulate internet sessions and strategies that help clients develop alternative activities that take them away from the computer .
Internet addicts typically suffer interpersonal difficulties such as introversion or have limited social support systems in place, which is, in part, why they turn to virtual relationships as a substitute for the lack of real-life social connection. In other cases, due to their addiction, they have lost significant real-life relationships such as a spouse, a parent, or a close friend.
Interpersonal therapy can help with that. It is a brief form of treatment that focuses on improving interpersonal functioning. Specific interventions include encouragement of affect, communication analysis, modeling, and role-playing to establish new ways of interacting that address role transitions and interpersonal deficits.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Addicted To Tobacco
Treating An Internet Addiction
There is no one specific treatment that should be used to address an internet addiction. Depending on the severity of the addiction and the behaviors of the individual, different types of treatment would be effective. If someone you know is suffering from excessive internet abuse, the first step is to plan an intervention or to express your concerns with their behaviors. Therapy is generally incorporated into the treatment of addiction along with any co-occurring disorders that may be present such as anxiety, depression, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In some cases, medication may be used to manage symptoms of these underlying mental illnesses or to control intrusive thoughts about going online if other treatment options were not effective.
- About
Natalie is currently studying political science, philosophy, and sociology at Stetson University and is also a member of the university’s Honors Program. Looking to pursue a career in writing and research, she aspires to go on to earn her Ph.D. so that she can educate fellow inquisitive spirits with a passion for learning. When provided with the opportunity to write for Recovery Worldwide, Natalie has found a passion in helping educate the public about substance abuse and help those battling addiction.
Clinically Reviewed:
Theresa Parisi
- About
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
Internet Addiction: Causes Effects And Treatments
Internet addiction disorder is a type of behavioral addiction that involves compulsive Internet use. People with an Internet addiction may have underlying mental health or substance use issues that may require specialized addiction treatment.
According to the Pew Research Center, 93 percent of adults in the United States use the Internet. Among teenagers, Internet use is likely even higher.
Internet use has become what some might call a necessity in daily life. For some people, however, Internet useincluding social media and online gamingcan become a compulsive and even addictive habit.
While not officially recognized as a disorder in the United States, compulsive Internet use is believed to be fairly common, affecting an estimated 1.5 to 8.2 percent of people in North America.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Away From Sugar Addiction
What Are The Most Promising Kinds Of Treatment For Internet Addiction In Teens
Well-designed intensive wilderness therapy can mitigate internet addictions impact. It can do this in a shorter period due to a variety of important factors. First, patients in a wilderness therapy program are isolated from potential triggers like phones, computers, and social media. Second, patients in a wilderness therapy program are engaged in therapeutic activities all of the time, instead of just during therapy sessions. Finally, patients in a wilderness therapy program are gaining additional beneficial experiences by engaging in physical activity and a social group environment. All of this is in addition to assessment and treatment under the care of a masters-level clinician. Wilderness therapy can also include the family in the process. This is often recommended for the client to rekindle or strengthen relationships. They can also build a support system to help them stay on track.
How Can Therapy Support Teens With Internet Addiction Issues
Internet addiction treatment often focuses on improving the preoccupation caused by internet, gaming, and social media. It is also designed to establish coping mechanisms. Along with promoting good habits and treat co-occurrences like anxiety and depression. Therapy can get to the underlying reasons why the addiction started.
You May Like: What Am I Addicted To
Choosing The Best Internet Addiction Rehab Program For Your Teen
The best evidence-based treatments for internet, gaming, and social media addiction are CBT and group therapy. CBT offers a cognitive-based approach. This involves the patient, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a trained therapist. Its designed to help the patient increase their recognition and awareness of how their behaviors affect their emotional well-being.
CBT has been used to treat anxiety, depression, compulsive gaming, and a whole host of other disorders. CBT is a psychotherapy that is about the in-depth discovery of personal understanding in relation to a mental health disorder. Upon which recovery from the disorder is possible. When combined with other therapeutic techniques, like wilderness therapy, CBT can help promote a positive attitude, higher self-esteem, healthy social function, and increased life satisfaction.
If your child is showing the signs and symptoms of internet addiction, it may be time to reach out for help. Outback Therapeutic Expeditions Unplugged programcan get your child back on the right track. This is because it is specially designed for teens that have faced struggles related to this addiction.
Risk Factors For Internet Addiction
Certain types of people are believed to be potentially more vulnerable to developing an Internet addiction compared to the general population, based on proposed risk factors.
Risk factors for Internet addiction include:
- history of mental health disorder
- history of substance misuse
- young age
- genetic predisposition
Read Also: Which Drug Is The Most Addictive
The Benefits Of Residential Internet Addiction Treatments
The benefits of residential Internet addiction treatments can be enormous. Due to the wide prevalence of the Internet in everyday modern life, many people struggling with an addiction may find it difficult, if not impossible, to monitor their own usage. This can be particularly true if you are required to use the Internet or a computer for your job. By taking some time away and entering a residential treatment program, you will be able to step away from temptation and learn how to cope with your addiction in a supervised environment. A residential treatment facility will be staffed with professionals who are trained in understanding what is involved with an Internet and computer addiction and who will be able to guide you through an effective treatment program.
A residential treatment program can also be helpful in terms of diagnosing other possible health disorders or addictions that may be present and that could potentially complicate your recovery if left untreated. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of beneficial programs, including individual and group therapy, while in a residential program. Such therapy sessions can often prove to be beneficial by helping you to identify how your addiction developed, and what you can do in the future to avoid situations that could lead to relapse.
