The contributions of the home computer and the internet to our daily lives cannot be overstated. However, the unlimited supply and immediate availability of legal and socially acceptable websites, applications, email, chat rooms, and discussion groups have turned the computer into an easily accessible addictive drug.
Computer addiction is often hidden and the transition from normative use to addiction can only be discerned retrospectively, when the situation is already dire and the person ceases to care and to function in various aspect of his life. Often, he neglects his studies, doesn’t focus at work, disengages from his friends, family, and spouse/partner, and even neglects his physical needs.
Addiction to the internet and to computer games, social networks, and chats in fact conceal deep feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and psychic pain. The addict often has difficulty with relationships. The computer addiction allows the addict to ease the pain and to build an alternative life, in which his only “friends” are virtual and who serve to distance him from reality.
It is important to note that, neurologically, internet addiction affects the same brain functions as does drug addiction.
Youth Addiction to Computers and the Internet
Children and adolescents are at high risk for addiction if they appear overly sensitive, an indication that they may have experienced difficult psychological situations, or if their external world is unstable and they have difficulty establishing face-to-face relationships. They may choose to deal with the reality of their life by establishing virtual relationships on Facebook and other social networks or in fantasy games behind a strong fighting character.
Learning disabilities and ADD are also high-risk factors for computer and internet addiction. One of the major focuses of children’s –and particularly teenagers’ – lives is school, and their self-worth is to a great extent a function of academic and social success. Ordinarily, viewing school as their life task is a positive contribution to a child’s healthy development. However, when due to learning disabilities or ADD children are unsuccessful at school and do not achieve the same grades as their peers, their self-worth plummets and they are at risk of seeking escape in the virtual world. Often, the more intelligent the child, the greater the frustration and the greater the risk.
Treating Computer and Internet Addictions
Treatment focuses on helping the person to return from virtual reality to reality. He needs to create a healthy lifestyle, full of activity and interesting pursuits and to function properly in those areas that he neglected or abandoned. The process requires professional guidance and a supportive structure that allow the addict to regain confidence in himself.
Can One Cope with a Computer or Internet Addiction Alone?
Attempting to overcome a computer or internet addiction on one’s own can be a depressing and frustrating experience.
At Kesharim, we have a supportive and professional staff with a proven track record of treating computer and internet addicts and enabling them to make significant change in their lives.
Our experts will guide you from the start, will create a discrete program adapted to your needs, and will support you throughout the transformative process.
We have assisted and continue to assist many others who suffer from an addiction to computers and the internet, and we can offer you the same personal and professional care. With our staff at your side, you are no longer alone.