How to Treat Internet Addiction

The treatment of Internet addiction emphasizes prevention as the mainstay, with appropriate treatment depending on the severity of the condition. Family treatment and outpatient treatment are two kinds of treatments used for Internet addiction of a milder degree, and the patient’s compliance is better. Early detection should be highly valued, and the need to regulate negativity and release emotions, participate in more outdoor activities, and deal with interpersonal relationships are treatments that can be carried out in the family or at the outpatient clinic. Inpatient treatment is available for adolescents with poor self-control, serious resistance, impulsive and aggressive behavior, and refusal of treatment for Internet addiction. After hospitalization, medication is first applied to stabilize emotions and control impulsive behaviors, followed by psychotherapy, which is mainly to prevent relapse. Pharmacological treatment is currently based on antidepressants and mood stabilizers to reduce depression and anxiety and control impulsive behaviors in online game addicts. Psychotherapy is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy i.e. behavior modification, cognitive reconstruction and harm reduction, then motivational reinforcement techniques, interpersonal interaction. Other treatments are mainly physical therapy such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, physical intervention with physical exercise, sports intervention and also transcutaneous electrical stimulation of acupoints.