Counselling & Psychotherapy

Addiction Counselling London – Online Addiction, Internet Addiction, Computer Overuse - Addictions Psychotherapy London
Internet Overuse, Internet Addiction & Computer Addiction

Internet Benefits Many of us have become dependent on the enormous range of information systems & the internet provides such sources. The internet offers an array of possibilities and has many advantages. The internet can play a key role for us & society, affecting family, business, politics, etc. Part of a global community, the internet can take us anywhere in the world and beyond. The internet has a social function, is dynamic & creates ripples & waves - it has the potential to be a force for good, fostering social participation. Opportunities on the net are immense. The internet provides global entertainment, enjoyment, stimulation, interaction, information & communication. We can buy an almost endless supply of goods & services. It can be our reference library. We can plunge in, reading random bits of information, moving from one source to another. Tirelessly searching or seeking interaction, the internet can make contacting others so much easier and is often a positive experience. The internet provides us with an opportunity for being anonymous & to socialise with others. The internet has a profound influence on the way we live & many of us have become dependent on the computer for what it offers. The computer provides a tapestry of resources & research facilities. Yet some of our own resources, imagination, creativity may diminish

The Internet & Its Possible Effects On Us The internet is a rich means of communication, yet it is only a part of the whole way we exchange information, communicate & interact. The 24/7 internet can for example help us to rapidly absorb bits of information. When we are on-line surfing the net, demanding instant results may affect our ability to be patient & contemplative. Multi-tasking may be one of our skills as things bounce around us, where slowing down is no longer an option. Browsing & skimming what we see, important though this may be, affects our ability to give our attention to in-depth reading. Over time other, more rounded ways of solving problems, understanding things, may erode. For some the computer becomes the dominant way of gathering information, and this can work well. In an age of instant gratification, our quick-fix need for information becomes our habit. The quality and sources of information we extract online varies considerably, and we may struggle discriminating this. Our attention span for other forms of communication may diminish. Our attention can divide & split into the infinite windows of options available. Yet we may have closed down other windows in our life, now questioning if this is a price worth paying. As if a glaze comes upon us, we may find it hard to switch off from blogging, social networking, writing or checking emails. Seeing people, relating face-to-face may diminish. The depth, value and subtleties of human interactions, relationships, can become eroded. Sustaining concentration may be a challenge as the depth of our thinking, richness of imagination may dilute. Hungry for on-tap stimulation, we may gradually lose our balanced way of acquiring information in depth or make time for reflection.

From A Resource To An Emerging Problem Forever surfing the net we can get carried away on the surf, losing our focus & sustained attention. Immersed & lost in the internet, we can lose our purpose of using the internet in the first place. We may also forget that it is a tool and that we are in charge of it, so it doesn't become the centre of our life. Forever connected to the internet we may slowly begin to feel disconnected inside - caught in the net. Unhooking ourself from the net nay enable us to untangle things, so we can focus on what we actually want from the internet, reconnecting to what really matters, engaging us out in the world (see Connected Yet Disconnected below). Finding our way home (and not to a new home page) back inside to what really matters and how we best want to spend our productive, creative time with us & others - may be our challenge. Even what we value may be sacrificed. Constantly online, it can mean we also constantly crave immediate stimulation, information & feedback. The effects of our "internet addiction" may also include changes to the way we think. Consumed by the internet, we may have become less creative or productive in other ways, losing our sense of time, or be in a trance-like state. If we are online at work & at home we may want to review our work-life balance. Our computer usage starts off as a helpful resource or distraction, yet it can become our habit, what has been called internet dependence or internet addiction. We may also have concerns about online chat rooms, internet dating, cybersex, internet pornography addiction, online gambling addiction, internet shopping or computer games addiction.

Physical, Emotional Health Synchronised with our addictive internet usage, our moods may rise, then dip. We may become lethargic sitting in front of the computer. In our sedentary lifestyle our body may become more rigid. Our eyes may glaze over & we can sometimes appear in an almost hypnotic state. Regular breaks away from the computer are recommended for good reason. We may have become detached from the physical activities around us. Our own physical & emotional health may also be affected. We may end up skipping meals or have a poor diet, lack exercise, lose time for other things, or deprive ourselves from sleep. Our vitality or focus may diminish, as may being in touch with all our senses.

Connected Yet Disconnected When browsing the internet we can become connected with others online, deepening our relationships & sharing information. We can feel like we are part of communities - interconnected online. Constantly online, the internet offers us the gift of linking with the wider world, yet if we are not careful, we can over time become reclusive - sucked in. The internet helps us be involved, yet hooked on the net, the remoteness of spending a lot of time in the internet can fill an unexplored gap in our lives, rendering some of us isolated, empty or lonely inside, alienated. Our attention & focus becomes computer based, and our relationships with others & the wider world may reduce. After a while it can be as if we lose, and even waste, much of our time being online. The internet provides a social activity, yet slowly inside of us we can become isolated, or machine-like, like the very computer we are using online. Forever connected to the internet, other important things can be gradually neglected and we can end up with a sense of disconnection inside & in our off-line world. Addicted to the global net, in our need to connect we may have begun to disconnect from our own, personal needs. The world wide web can be stimulating, yet other forms of stimulation, spontaneity may dry up. It can be as if our life has become less rounded, whole. Enjoying & embracing nature, the wider world out there, what it has to offer, may pass us by as may our sensual world of touch, taste, smell, etc, alongside being grounded in our body.

What Is Internet Addiction? We may become so preoccupied with our internet activity (internet dependency, computer addiction or internet addiction - whatever label we give to it) that it begins to interfere with our relationships, friendships, work, health, etc (see also Physical, Emotional Health above). Other important routines, activities & responsibilities may be neglected, maybe also our relationship. Although we may be seeking connection with others, whether or not we call it an internet addiction, we may certainly have a compulsive internet overuse problem. What is computer addiction, does it exist are questions that researchers struggle with.

In our internet overuse, internet compulsion we may have a hard time letting go of our internet devices, so they don't dominate the rest of our life. We may struggle to have breaks, reduce usage, close things down, regain our long term attention span, take charge again in all what life has to offer.

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