Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies. David N. Greenfield

remember that there is hope. There is hope for people to change and for addictions to improve and be managed. Also remember that humans are unique in their ability to learn and adapt, and that the brain is neuroplastic and can change, retool, and relearn throughout your lifetime. People have an inherent desire to grow, heal, and improve, and you or your loved one are no exception. That, of course, in no way minimizes the stress and disappointment you experience when your life or your child’s life is not where you want it to be. People are capable of great change, and there are many paths to positive improvement, especially with the resources and professional help that are available. We know much more about Internet and technology addiction than we once did, and there are now many more mental health and addictions professionals today, who are trained and experienced in consulting on or treating this problem.

Part 1

      Getting Up to Speed on Addiction Basics

IN THIS PART …

       Look at the basic factors involved in Internet and technology addiction, and examine ways to overcome overuse and addictive use of your screens. You also find the definition of addiction, and you can check out the similarities and differences between Internet addiction and substance-based and other addictions. Lastly, you discover some of the most overused and abused forms of content on the Internet.

       Examine the biological and neurobiological basis of addiction and how the reward centers in the brain are involved in the development and maintenance of an addiction. Addiction is a complex biopsychosocial problem that encompasses numerous aspects of your life.

       Recognize that children and teens are perhaps more susceptible to addiction than adults. Numerous hormonal and psychological factors in the developing brain can leave children and adolescents susceptible to Internet and screen-based addictions, as well as addiction in general. Adolescents’ unique biological and psychological development provides fertile ground for an addiction.

       See why smartphones and the Internet are so addictive. Here you examine the unique characteristics and factors that contribute to the addictive nature of the Internet and the devices that you use to access it. See how smartphones are the world’s smallest slot machines and how carrying these devices serves as a portable dopamine pump, providing intermittent, but unpredictable, pleasurable content.

Chapter 1

      Defining and Overcoming Internet Addiction in a Nutshell

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Considering the definition of a behavioral addiction

      

Knowing the difference between an addiction and dependence

      

Surveying the important traits of Internet addiction

      

Taking steps to address an Internet addiction

      The interesting thing about the word addiction is that technically it isn’t really a medical term or diagnosis. Although used by nearly everyone, both clinicians and the public, it’s more of a popularized term used to describe a set of behaviors or a syndrome. Official diagnostic terms for substance and behavioral addictions include substance use disorder, alcohol use disorder, pathological gambling, and Internet gaming disorder. For the purposes of this book, I use the term addiction for ease and simplicity.

      Most people confuse an addiction with physical dependence. Physical dependence occurs when the body gets used to a substance, be it alcohol or drugs. It is characterized by a tolerance to that substance and then withdrawal when the substance is discontinued. Essentially, the body’s receptors for that drug become accustomed to having it in the system. When it’s no longer available, there are physical and psychological symptoms that we call withdrawal.

Addiction is more typically defined as a pathological or compulsive use disorder. This means that when you use a substance or engage in a repetitive behavior (such as gambling, Internet use, or video gaming), significant negative effects are created in your life. Despite these negative effects, the user cannot easily stop or may not think they need to stop. This distortion of reality is often inherent to addiction and is also known as denial.

      We all engage in pleasurable behaviors and at times take substances that are pleasure inducing. Take alcohol, for instance. Alcohol is a legal psychoactive substance that has long been associated with pleasurable sensations, but unfortunately, it is also known for its addictive potential. Many pleasurable substances and behaviors can produce an addictive response due to their activation of the reward circuitry in the brain.

      

There is some confusion over whether intoxication and/or withdrawal described in alcohol or substance use is also experienced in behavioral addictions such as gambling, food, sex, or the Internet. Clarifying this issue isn’t necessary to recognize behavioral addictions, however. Addiction is not simply the intoxication or withdrawal we get from a substance or behavior. It is the creation of a potential set of behaviors and life-impacting consequences reflecting a complex biopsychosocial process. We call it biopsychosocial because it affects our physical health as well as our social and emotional life.

      This chapter introduces you to Internet and screen addiction, how to recognize it, and how to get help.

Defining Behavioral Addiction

      There is some confusion about what causes an addiction; this confusion often occurs because of the physiological response of tolerance and withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. But what about gambling? With gambling, you aren’t ingesting anything, yet you see all the same markers and consequences of addiction, including an impact on social relationships and psychological functioning, as well as on work, legal issues, finances, health, or academic performance.

Gambling addiction (the official medical diagnosis is pathological gambling) is part of a group of addictions called process or behavioral addictions; the American Society of Addiction Medicine, in part, defines addiction as the use of a substance or behavior that causes negative and deleterious life consequences:

       Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission.

      

The complex process of addiction almost always involves disruption of reward patterns, motivation, compulsion, executive function, and judgment, but it may not include the physical withdrawal symptoms seen in drug or alcohol dependence. Flip to Chapter 2 for an introduction to the biology of addiction.

Understanding How and Why People Get Addicted to Screens and the Internet

      So, what about the Internet? And how exactly do you become addicted to a digital screen connected to the Internet? Well, the answer is not all that different from how you become addicted to other behaviors and substances. Part of what happens with screen use (when linked