The Internet Can Become an Addiction
While the American Psychological Association does not currently support an official diagnosis of internet dependency, there seems to be a movement towards that end. Many people in the United States feel that they cannot control their use of the internet.
Most of those internet users who feel they are addicted, are referring to online pornography. Current scientific studies being performed by neuroscientists seems to confirm the belief that with pornography, the same part of the brain is affected as with users of street drugs. And the effects on the brain are about the same.
Many of the other obsessive internet users feel a compulsive and frequent need to check their email or spend inordinate amounts of time in internet chat rooms. Either way, the compulsive internet user may ignore basic bodily needs, even eating and drinking.
Horrifically, some rare individuals have done this until they actually die of their own bodily neglect. Studies done with rats found that if certain parts of the brain (specifically the reward center) were stimulated by the rat pressing a lever, the rat would actually press the lever continually.
The rats would ignore the need to eat, sleep, mate, and even avoid electric shock. They would just keep pressing the lever until they died. This phenomenon has been examined in relation to the behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics who use despite negative consequences, even to the point of death.
Signs of compulsive internet use include: spending excessive amounts of time online, regularly thinking about being online when not online, lying about how much time is spent online, using the internet as an escape, experiencing social and/or occupational problems as a result of internet use, cravings to use the internet, going through withdrawal symptoms when going without the internet for a length of time, and/or continuing to increase the time spent online.
For more information contact a Utah Drug Rehab center near you. Utah Drug Rehab centers are great at answering questions and helping those who might be struggling with any form of drug abuse.
