Addiction: The compulsive need for, and use of, a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, or other) characterized by well-defined psychological symptoms upon withdrawal. Also persistent, compulsive use of a substance or behavior known by the user to be harmful. Integral: Essential to a person’s completeness, formed asContinue Reading
All of us are impulsive to some degree, acting spontaneously, doing something on a whim. For example, buying a few lottery tickets while picking up a few groceries, or perhaps playing a little online poker just for fun, how about placing a bid on that almost new set of golfContinue Reading
While excessive cyber or internet activity has not been listed as an official disorder, it can be problematic, compulsive, even dangerous. Have you ever felt that while your computer is booting up it should display an ominous warning message similar to signs on highways for curve ahead, falling rocks, slipperyContinue Reading
Cyberchondria, also known as compuchondria, is a relatively recent term derived from the words cyber and hypochondria. It is defined broadly as an anxiety-induced escalation of concerns during a health-related online search. For example, a person searches online for “sore throat” and becomes horrified by reading descriptions of throat cancer.Continue Reading
Along with the phenomenon of cell phones and smart phones is another way of communicating called texting. Texting, for those of you who aren’t aware, is usually a brief typed text message that is sent to another cell phone and appears on the receiving party’s screen. Texting is a veryContinue Reading
Shopping Addiction or Internet Shopping Disorder can be defined as compulsive, episodic purchasing of goods. Like many other problem behaviors, Shopping Addiction can easily be amplified and escalated online. Not long ago, compulsive shopping was more under control and more easily self-regulated due to time-limiting store hours and the shearContinue Reading
If you are anything like the vast majority of today’s population, you have a serious, undiagnosed addiction that you aren’t even aware of. Or worse, you are afraid to acknowledge it. Should you immediately join a 12-step program? Consult a counselor? We will come back to this answer of whatContinue Reading
The average person fiddles with their smartphones over two thousand times per day. This is a truly astounding number. Actually, the number is two thousand six hundred seventeen (2,617) times a day. We can’t think of any other object that even comes close, not even a baby. This fact comesContinue Reading
In the addict’s world there is ongoing tension between a person’s normal self and the addicted self. A Jekyll-and-Hyde struggle emerges. The addictive system is so compelling that the addict feels it would be deadly to stop it. Yet, as the system continues, the person’s values, priorities and loved onesContinue Reading
Online gaming was officially recognized as a mental illness by the World Health Orgahization (WHO) in June, 2018, adding it to the International Classification of Diseases according to Newsweek Magazine. For Online Gaming Disorder to be considered an addiction, the condition must extend beyond normal playing, to a point whereContinue Reading