Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) refers to the phenomenon of uncontrolled impulsive behavior on the Internet, which is mainly manifested by excessive and inappropriate use of the Internet that leads to significant impairment of social and psychological functioning of the individual, accompanied by Internet-related tolerance, withdrawal reactions and compulsive behaviors.
What are the causes of Internet addiction disorder?
1, biological causes.
(1) Genetic and neurobiochemical, that is, prolonged Internet access can change the internal environment of the human body, the release of dopamine in the brain, so that patients produce a sense of euphoria;
② The abnormalities of brain structure and function in Internet addicts are similar to the brain changes caused by substance addiction.
2. Psychosocial factors.
① Motivation of internet use. Studies have found that Internet addicts tend to have more motives for using the Internet, such as virtual community, anonymous interaction, self-affirmation, entertainment and relaxation, time-wasting, and interactive games;
②Personality characteristics, Internet addicts have obvious personality characteristics, such as loneliness, shyness, low self-esteem, introversion, suspiciousness, pessimism, emotional instability, poor self-control, etc.;
③Impulsivity.
3. Social factors;
① easy access, wide distribution of Internet cafes, lax management of adolescent Internet access;
②Family factors, poor family function such as family conflict, domestic violence, single-parent families, poor parenting style, poor parent-child relationship are closely related to the occurrence of Internet addiction;
③ Peer influence, peer pressure.
What are the clinical manifestations of Internet addiction disorder?
①Physiological aspects, such as dizziness, headache, neck and back pain, sleep disorders, decreased appetite, indigestion, weight loss, and easy fatigue. Severe cases may lead to nervous system disorders, lower immune function, cardiovascular diseases and eye diseases.
② A strong desire to go online, such as wanting to go online as soon as you have time; not caring about missing other things in order to go online, and being interested in the Internet as soon as you hear about it;
③Tolerance, if you need to keep increasing the time of the Internet to achieve the original satisfaction; in fact, the time and frequency of the Internet is often more and longer than planned;
④Withdrawal symptoms, such as stopping or reducing the use of the Internet, typical withdrawal symptoms, irritability, anxiety, depression, etc. occur.
⑤ Cognitive maladjustment
⑥impaired social function, such as affecting study and work, avoidance behavior affecting personal life, etc.
Treatment of Internet addiction disorder?
Treatment of Internet addiction disorder can be a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Pharmacological treatment can use new antidepressants as well as methylphenidate and tomoxetine. And psychotherapy can be through individual cognitive behavioral therapy, group psychotherapy and family psychotherapy.
Diagnostic tools for Internet addiction disorder?
Young believed that the diagnostic criteria of pathological gambling in DSM-IV were the closest to the pathological characteristics of Internet overuse, and after revision, the Internet Overuse Diagnostic Questionnaire was formed. The questionnaire has 8 items, and if a subject answers positively to 5 of them, he or she is diagnosed with Internet overuse. However, the scientific validity of this questionnaire is questionable because it is a direct translation of the gambling addiction scale and does not have statistical indicators such as reliability, validity and normality. Criticism of Young’s questionnaire contributed to the development of a tool to measure Internet overuse, and Davis developed the Davis Online Cognitive Inventory, a 36-item, seven-level self-statement scale with five factors: security, socialization, impulsivity, stress coping, and loneliness-reality. A subject is considered to be overusing the Internet if he or she measures a total score of more than 100 or a score of 24 or more on any dimension. The scale is somewhat predictive.
Young designed eight questions based on the diagnosis of pathological gambling, and if five items are positive, the individual can be concluded to be suffering from “Internet addiction disorder”, the prerequisite is to be online for more than four hours a day:
1, are you addicted to the Internet?
2, in order to achieve satisfaction do you feel the need to extend the Internet time?
3.Do you often can not control yourself to go online or stop using the Internet?
4.When you stop using the Internet, do you feel bored and restless?
5.Do you spend more time online each time than you intended?
6. Are your relationships, job, education or career opportunities affected by the Internet?
7. Have you hidden the extent of your fascination with the Internet from family members, treating doctors, or others?
8. Do you use the Internet as a way to escape from problems or to release anxiety or insecurity?