| Internet Addiction Disorder |
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STATUS Despite opposition from many quarters, researcher Kimberly Young, Psy. D. is lobbying for the inclusion of IAD into the DSM-V, the next edition of the DSM. Some proponents believe that its inclusion would open the doors for private insurance companies to pay for Internet addiction counseling. However many others argue that IAD is neither a true addiction nor a specific disorder and should not be classified as a mental disorder in DSM-V. Furthermore, there is no evidence that people needing treatment are being denied it; instead, their situations are coded under other labels, such as ADD or Depression , according to the underlying situation. In June 2007, the , Self-medication for depression or other disorders, and Compulsion . SUPPORTERS According to the Center for Internet Addiction, "Internet addicts suffer from emotional problems such as depression and anxiety-related disorders and often use the fantasy world of the Internet to psychologically escape unpleasant feelings or stressful situations."[http://www.netaddiction.com/faq.htm] Over 60% of people seeking treatment for IAD claim involvement with sexual activities online which they consider inappropriate, such as excessive attention to pornography or involvement in explicit sexual conversations online.[http://www.netaddiction.com/cybersexual_addiction.htm] More than half are also addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or sex.[http://www.netaddiction.com/faq.htm] CRITICISMS IAD suffers first from its misleading title. Psychiatrist Dr. Goldberg acknowledges that Internet Addiction Disorder is not a true addiction and may in fact be no more than a symptom of other, existing disorders. {Link without Title} An overbroad description of addiction leaves open the possibility of every compensatory behavior being declared an addiction. For example, a person who has lengthy telephone conversations with a friend to avoid an unpleasant situation could be declared "addicted to the telephone" with equal validity as a person who chats on the Internet with the same basic goal at bottom. Many others, including Carol Potera and Jonathan Bishop , agree that Internet Addiction is inappropriately named. To the extent that the Internet is a social medium instead of an object, people cannot be addicted to it. The analogy is made to an environment: a person can not be truly addicted to living in a favorite town (no matter how distressing a change of home might be), and a goldfish can not be addicted to living in a pond. Secondly, it is widely recognized, even by its supporters, that most if not all "Internet addicts" already fall under existing, legitimate diagnostic labels. {Link without Title} For many patients, overuse or inappropriate use of the Internet is merely a manifestation of their , in which patients overeat as a form of self-medication for depression, anxiety, etc., without actually being truly Addicted to eating. It is possible that a person could have a pathological relationship with a specific aspects of the Internet, such as bidding on Online Auctions , viewing Pornography , or online gambling (which is included under the existing Pathological Gambling , but that does not make the Internet medium itself be addictive. Here are common problems which are improperly lumped together under the IAD label: {Link without Title}
Also, there are significant and critical differences between common Internet activities (e-mail, chatting, web surfing) and pathological gambling, which the IAD notion heavily parallels. The Internet is largely a pro-social, interactive, and information-driven medium, while gambling is seen as a single, anti-social behavior that has very little social redeeming value. So-called Internet addicts do not suffer from the same damage to health and relationships that are common to established addictions. {Link without Title} TREATMENT CLINIC One Beijing judge, Shan Xiuyun, claimed that 90 percent of juvenile crime in the city was internet-related.[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1646663,00.html China's young escape into the web] November 20, 2005 The China Communist Youth League claimed in 2007 that over 17 percent of Chinese citizens between 13 and 17 are addicted to the internet. 17% Of Youth Addicted To Internet January 11, 2007 SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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