I was a bit mystified at Alice G. Walton’s piece on Forbes today about the “new” mental disorder, Internet Addiction Disorder (traditionally called IAD, but the DSM-5 draft has confusingly renamed it the unfortunate Internet Use Disorder, or IUD).
As readers of World of Psychology know, Internet Addiction has been around since 1996. Indeed, we published our Guide to Internet Addiction back in 1999.
Here it is 13 years later, and there’s still no clear answer on whether this disorder actually exists.
Indeed, the DSM-5 working group on addictive disorders wasn’t convinced either. That’s why it is not going to be included as a diagnosable disorder in the new DSM 5, out next year.
Yet the Forbes piece makes just the opposite claim. So what’s going on?
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines. The comments below begin with the oldest comments first. Click on the last comments page to jump to the most recent comments.
Before posting, please read our blog moderation guidelines.
Post a Comment:
Copyright © 1995-2013 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 17 Jun 2013
|
Thanks, Dr. Grohol for setting the record straight on the “so called” Internet Addiction Disorder. In most cases, the term is used by ‘reluctant digital immigrants” (i.e., older people who are intimidated by new technologies) as a name calling. Instead of saying, ” I do not like or do not understand why some people spend long time online”,, they say “you’re addicted”. Of course, mental health professional are invested in creating more and new disorders as it can increase their practices and income. I have written on the topic with my ‘digital native’ daughter at http://www.zurinstitute.com/internetaddicti,on.html
While Internet addiction is possible. I think the interpretation of addiction to the Internet needs to be defined. Since I am a chronic Internet user, I do not consider it an addiction. Am I in denial? No, because I do admit that I spend a lot of time on the Internet. I do not let it interfere with the basics of my life, like eating, sleeping, taking care of household chores and my pets. I know that it will still be there when I get back. I have multiple disabilities, including 100% deafness. The Internet is my main form of communication. I hardly watch TV, except for movies. I think it’s healthy to explore interesting subjects. If you cannot travel for any reason, it’s fun to “travel” through the Google pics, explore a certain specie of animal, plant, and whatever subject that interests you. I believe this is pretty much equivalent to reading off of books. Chatting is a great way to connect when you can’t connect with others, like with deafness with me. I think we need to be careful in how we define Internet addiction…. Of course, everyone will have different views on this. The Internet has made my life more varied. It helps me thrive with my multiple disabilities and medical conditions.
I do find getting an email from some I like, or finding some amazing fact on the net, gives me a very strong, short “hit” rather like a super strong coffee, I don’t seem to get exactly the same kind of intense squirt of pleasure anywhere else. I don’t know why this is, perhaps it is mildly addictive tho I spend less than an hour a day on the net.I know people who spend 10 hour + a day on war games and are “hyper-vigilant”, interpret innocent actions by others as vicious attacks, very scary and sad.I don’t think the DSM team are perfect, even though they seem to think they are. I lost a lot of faith in them when they look ‘narcissism’ off their list of disorders, anyone in their position probably is a narcissist. They’re not immune to denial, fashion delusion and undue influence from the powers that be.Cheers
The closest thing I’ve seen to internet addiction involves getting caught in depressive ahedonia loops. Essentially caught up in the activity with little if any pleasure to satisfy them. – It’s not just internet other activities may fill the role.I’ve experienced this myself with antidepressants and heard of a few cases consistent with this. I know anecdote is not the plural for data. Still this phenomenon may be worth investigating if this isn’t already widely known by professionals.
I think it is premature to add “internet addiction” to the DSM-5, as a discrete clinical diagnosis or disorder. It should be included as a condition “for further study.” That said, there seems to be a growing consensus that most “addictive” behaviors involve related brain circuits and neurotransmitters, perhaps including addictive behaviors related to electronic devices and media. For more on this, please see:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719452/
Ronald Pies MD
Although there are valid claims in this article, I am a little mystified as how it is possible for some to consider that internet addiction is not real or happening to many people.
I suppose that South Korea and China have lost their minds by investing obscene quantities of money on the study and aid to those who suffer from the disorder. Honestly, there may be a lack of support from the studies done in the U.S. But there are thousands of Americans who DO suffer from IUD. Their lives ARE negatively effected including their relationships, careers and physical and mental health. The same vicious cycle seen in other addictions does kick in for those suffering from IUD. As the situation gets worse, their usage heightens.
Furthermore, I feel that this article was slightly offensively written to solely discredit one author’s stand point on the subject. (Albeit that there was just plain wrong information in the forbe’s article). Talking about one sided. It seems to me that very little research has been done on the population when considering how much has been done for substance addictions, sexual addictions and other behavioral addictions. The internet is a powerful gateway to a huge amount of addictive activities including gaming, gambling, sex and many other avenues of abusive activity. Although some might claim that sex and gambling addictions that are pursued online are still categorized as their previously mentioned categories, there is still something to consider when the internet is simplifying the method of abuse at such great lengths.