Internet Addiction Might Actually Get Recognized By The Official Book Of Mental Disorders?
from the ugh dept
Over the last decade or so, there's been something of an... well... addiction to calling any sort of overuse of a product an addiction. So we've seen email addiction, web addiction, online porn addiction, video game addiction, internet addiction, and mobile phones or other gadget addictions among other things. More often than not, it seems that the calls to label these things as an addiction isn't fueled by any actual addiction, but by psychologists or psychiatrists looking to build a practice treating people who play too much World of Warcraft, rather than drug addicts. When you dig deeper, nearly all of these "technological addictions" don't really appear to be addictions to the technology, but rather a symptom of some other issue (such as depression) that manifests itself by focusing an inordinate amount of time on some technology. Focusing too much on the symptom, by falsely labeling it an addiction, could lead to poor treatment, as the focus is on treating the symptom, rather than the actual problem.Yet, some psychiatrists have been pushing hard to have internet addiction officially classified in the psychiatrist's bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). We had thought that these silly ideas had been shot down, but apparently not. The American Psychiatric Association recently proposed its new changes for DSM-5, the first update since 1994. And, unfortunately, internet addiction is being considered -- though almost no one thinks it will make it in (gambling addiction, on the other hand...). What's troubling is that the door is being opened to classifying such behavioral issues as addictions.
Thankfully, at least some in the profession are quite worried about this. An opinion piece at Psychology Today worries about this decision to append the addiction label, noting that even though it offers an opportunity for him to make more money, it may make it harder to actually help people:
As someone who makes his living as a psychotherapist I know I should shout, "Bravo DSM-5 addiction workgroup!" After all, if "behavioral addictions" makes it through field trials into the eventual manual it will open a a whole new market. Maybe I could even franchise "Internet addiction" clinics to funnel tons of insurance money into my pocket--after all, once "Internet addiction" is in the DSM insurance companies will pay to "treat" and I am sure there are lots of panicked well-insured parents out there who don't like that junior spends so much time playing World of Warcraft.Let's hope common sense like the above prevail...
But I can't bring myself to come close to anything like that. Making "Internet addiction" an official diagnostic category is just wrong on so many levels, including, I believe, making it more difficult to get the right kind of help to those who have actually become painfully stuck online. Many people are turning from life lived to life online and they need help, but real help for real problems, not newly-minted addictions.
By sanctioning behavioral addictions the new DSM opens the diagnostic door to the full menu of confessional daytime TV problems: gambling, shopping, eating, playing World of Warcraft, visiting porn sites, chatting online, having sex with dozens of women with teased blonde hair (hello Tiger), getting too many tattoos, hoarding newspapers (addicted to print!), or whatever else comes along. Who knows, should the political tide turn Republican Senators might successfully plead they were not ruining the country, they were just suffering from "Anti-American Filibuster Addiction Disorder."
Medically sanctioning the category of "behavioral addictions" also changes how we will think about freedom and responsibility. Making bad choices, developing destructive habits, and attempting solutions to problems in living that then become serious problems themselves will all become less important as the locus of responsibility shifts from the person doing something to the something being done.
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(gee is that my boss coming this way? Uh oh I really shouldn't be surfing techdirt all day long.)
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OK, I'll admit it...
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No money in curing the problem
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Re:
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Communication addict
I can't shut up and I don't understand why. When I don't talk for long periods of time I start to get antsy and just feel the need to start talking about anything. I need help.
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IANA(non)
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@6
and...nvm
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Re:
If someone has 15 hours to be awake every day, and 8 hours circle around work, as well as a few hours are used daily online, they may jump to the conclusion that there's an addiction of sorts because one thing holds most of their attention.
But what the old farts don't understand, is that they can accomplish similar tasks, but opt to use older generation technology such as the telephone and driving around town all day looking for a perfect colored widget. Older generation tools are incredibly inefficient, but because it makes use of several tools (Car, telephone, reading snail mail, using a check book, and paper. Oh all the paper!) But, their acts are obviously not an addiction, but classifies as "living" because they use multiple tools.
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"Psychiatrists. Asylum trusted since 1904"
Think of it this way: You can actually engage in conversations online instead of with a Psychiatrist, which in turn cuts off their revenue stream. That's a big problem. So why not make the very problem a disorder?
Sneaky, sneaky!
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Re: "Psychiatrists. Asylum trusted since 1904"
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Re: "Psychiatrists. Asylum trusted since 1904"
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Addiction is a horrible thing. When I went through rehab (alcohol addiction, 2 years ago, one year sober now) we learned all sorts of things about the problem - including that it is almost impossible to say what an addiction is. But basically when your brain responds inappropriately to something then your brain has a problem. For me it was booze. For others heroin or cocaine. For 2 young ladies, it was food. Yeah: food.
The problem, if you have a problem, isn't based on voluume or time of day or even if someone else thinks you're wrong to think you have an addiction. The problem is when the habit controls you instead of the right way of being. Booze owned me. Plain and simple, no argument. I own the problem now, but dammit booze still owns me. I hope and pray I never drink again. And for those who eschew real life in favor of the internet, I hope and pray they can get the help they need.
You "normal" people will never get it either. You'll think your stupid little thoughts based on how your brains work, ignoring any and all evidence that points to how wrong you are. No worries. Those of us who lived it know how it feels to be owned by something 'normal people' can handle. And we don't begrudge you your healthy brains! But please: don't piss on someone else just because you don't or won't understand.
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Re:
You sure about that? You seem a bit hostile toward those who have never been addicted to something.
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When I go on a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean my phone turns off my laptop stays home and I don't go to any computer cafes or wifi hotspots. I don't even turn the TV on in the room. For a straight week no shakes, no nothing in fact I enjoy life quite a god damn bit.
I'd like to hear someone that smokes as much as I tweet drop it for 7 days straight say that about their life.
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"Who knows, should the political tide turn Republican Senators might successfully plead they were not ruining the country, they were just suffering from "Anti-American Filibuster Addiction Disorder." "
Not that I like Republicans or Democrats, but how can a political group be ruining the country for forcing the government from passing a law which may help, but may or may not financially ruin the country?
As soon as I read that one line, all credibility is out the door.
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Re:
"No, I won't support systematically eliminating the Jewish people."
"Oh, so you have a better idea?"
"...not killing Jews?"
"Nonsense, the country is in a terrible state. Any plan is better than none at all."
"Well, we could -"
"Shut up. Either you support killing Jews, or you're just holding up progress for political gain. Whatever, I'll do it without you."
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Oh yeah, he'll probably benefit from all that extra money being printed up as it gets funneled through Medicare and Medicaid.
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Proposal: The Politically-Monetary Driven Complex
We know it wouldn't ever happen because those that make the rules are the ruling class. Shame on you, American Psychiatric Association.
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Proposal: The Politically-Monetary Driven Complex
We know it wouldn't ever happen because those that make the rules are the ruling class. Shame on you, American Psychiatric Association.
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Psychiatry is messed up on so many levels
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Re: Psychiatry is messed up on so many levels
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Before I go online every day, I run four to six miles. I've been a runner for over forty years. I know I have a problem but I just can't stop running.
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Take a lesson out of your own book, Mike: If you plan on attacking someone, you have to do a better job than lumping all of them as "psychologists or psychiatrists looking to build a practice treating people who play too much World of Warcraft."
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Re:
Whether such motive is the source of this movement to diagnose internet addiction, or whether there separately exist viable reasons for doing so, is another matter. I don't see any mention of the APA's official argument for doing so(which precludes the existence of a straw man), just a professional argument against doing so.
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Internet Addiction Might Actually Get Recognized By The Official Book Of Mental Disorders.
For example, a recent Time article noted that overall crime is down. Perhaps the problem is that with less crime, there's less professional intervention. But if someone well funded could invent a problem (which is actually acting as a cure) to create a resurgence of professional intervention to fill the coffers, prescribe new drugs, and overall make doctors the hero again, I imagine some people would be happy.
Personally, I suffer from daily, and sometimes hourly face-palming. The stimuli that causes these "Face-Palmings" are quite obvious. Efforts, such as this, proposed by a supposed professional organization do wonders to ensure daily face-palming occurs.
So synapses that induce "Face-Palming" is my problem, which is weird because the threat is already externalized. Funny stuff.
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Spade a Spade
I know a lot of people that could be classified as addicted to the internet, and almost all of them fall into those two categories rather than depression, though they tend all to be linked in a vicious circle.
One thing that the Internet is REALLY doing is changing the way society interacts. While globalizing our interaction, it is also taking away the personal interactions as well.
A perfect example is myself, I have a lot of people I interact with via the internet from around the world, but my local group of associates has diminished steadily since graduation...
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Pbbt.
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Pbbt.
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mmmm...... Meeting Each Thursday
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Re: mmmm...... Meeting Each Thursday
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Hey, APA, I'll make you a deal...
http://www.chiropracticresearch.org/NEWSritalin_maker.htm
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Perhaps Not An Addiction
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addiction?
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Addictions
Really, though, I am addicted to my work (IP for the small entity). It doesn't pay much (small entities don't have much money), but I do it because I feel like it's a public service (and I do make a little money).
If someone could cure me of this addiction (together with generous subsidies to make up for the lost income) I would be interested (wait - I like my clients, so never mind).
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Addiction Help
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