Internet Addiction Disorder

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is a disorder realized by Ivan Goldberg, M.D., in 1995. It is compared to pathological gambling as diagnosed by the DSM-IV, (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It is characterized by seven basic diagnostic criteria, which includes increasing tolerance of long online hours, withdrawal, and unsuccessful efforts to control Internet use. Some mental health professionals recognize Internet addiction as a disorder, and are treating it as a dependency equally as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction. Dr. Goldberg, along with Dr. Kimberly S. Young (founder of the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery), are currently lobbying for the inclusion of this theorized disorder into the DSM-V, in hopes this would make it possible for insurance companies to pay for addiction counseling.

What Is An Addict?

According to my American Heritage dictionary, an addict is one who "devotes or gives (oneself) habitually or compulsively."

The world is full of people who are plagued by an addiction of some kind: be it smoking, drinking, gambling, etc. In my own life, someone very close to me has an obsession (as I call it) with the internet. Although his time is spent gaming (playing computer games), and not just surfing, emailing or chatting with friends, I feel it is still very much an addiction for him. My husband has been playing games since we got married (nearly a decade ago), and it has been a huge bone of contention between us. I believe that each week night starts out innocently enough - with him letting off some steam after work- but then turns into this monster he can't control. There are many nights where I wake up in the wee hours of the morning when he comes to bed, from playing. To be honest, this wasn't at all what I envisioned when I said "I do".

Defining the Addiction To The Internet

This affects men, women, and even children around the globe. So how do you know if your loved one suffers from it? Simply ask the following questions:

Do you find that they continue to say "just a few more minutes"? (And yet may not stop there?)