"No research has yet established that there is a disorder of Internet addiction that is separable from problems such as loneliness or problem gambling

"It seems misleading to characterize behaviors as 'addictions' on the basis that people say they do too much of them," says Sara Kiesler, PhD, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University and co-author of one of the only controlled studies on Internet usage, published in the September 1998 American Psychologist. "No research has yet established that there is a disorder of Internet addiction that is separable from problems such as loneliness or problem gambling, or that a passion for using the Internet is long-lasting."
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Most studies of cyberaddiction are deeply problematical

Most studies of cyberaddiction are deeply problematical because they

draw on small (sometimes ludicrously small) and often self-selected populations
have no independent oversight
involve serious uncertainties about questionnaire structure and data handling or about the interpretation of figures and answers
are not benchmarked against widely recognised independent research
fail to differentiate between time spent online at work and non-occupational use.
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All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of television.

Psychologists and psychiatrists formally define substance dependence as a disorder characterized by criteria that include spending a great deal of time using the substance; using it more often than one intends; thinking about reducing use or making repeated unsuccessful efforts to reduce use; giving up important social, family or occupational activities to use it; and reporting withdrawal symptoms when one stops using it. All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot of television.
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Warning on Television viewing in 1952 strikes a cord

no matter how good any given television show is, to look at that tube of lights and shadows almost invariably brings to mind such things as death, tuberculosis, cats howling on the back fence, incest, dishes in the sink, etc.

Such a reaction ... applies particularly to looking at television alone. A hair-in-the-mouth, screaming-nerves sensation comes from viewing television in solitude, an act of the same category as drinking in solitude or taking morphine while shut up in a closet, but much worse.

Furthermore ... to look at it for any length of time, even in the company of others, causes sexual impotence, shortens the life span, makes the hair and teeth fall out, and encourages early psychosis in otherwise normal people.
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For some people Earth is where they really ought to spend their time. For others, perhaps the fantasy world is the only decent place available.

When people spend dozens of hours weekly at their computers, or on the internet, or playing video games, it is almost certain that some other activities will suffer. The question is, when does this behaviour warrant the label 'addiction'? Addiction is a strong word, calling for both renunciation on the part of the subject and forceful intervention by others ... a behaviour becomes problematic when, and only when, it degrades other important things in life. A 60-hour-a-week compulsive EverQuest user who fails to speak to his own children when they come home from school is engaging in problematic behaviour. But consider the same user, living alone, with all his friends being online and in the game - is his devotion of time to cyberspace problematic? In the end we can only judge whether presence in the virtual world is good or bad by reference to the ordinary daily life of the person making the choice to go there. For some people Earth is where they really ought to spend their time. For others, perhaps the fantasy world is the only decent place available.
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United States 244,661,900 Pornographic Web Pages

United States 244,661,900
Germany 10,030,200
United Kingdom 8,506,800
Australia 5,655,800
Japan 2,700,800
The Netherlands 1,883,800
Russia 1,080,600
Poland 1,049,600
Spain 852,800
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US Pornography Titles Released

Year Titles
1988 1,300
1989 1,350
1990 1,340
1991 1,505
1992 2,200
1993 2,400
1994 3,200
1995 5,700
1996 8,000
1997 8,000
1998 9,200
1999 10,300
2000 11,500
2001 10,900
2002 11,700
2003 11,400
2004 12,000
2005 13,588
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Diagnostics for Cyber Addiction

A demonstrated "loss of control" when trying to stop or limit the amount of time on the computer. (Breaking promises to self or others. Promising to quit or cut down and not being able to do so)

Being dishonest or minimizing the extent of the time you stay on the computer, or covering up or being dishonest about what activities you participate in when on the computer.

Negative consequences experienced by the computer user or his/her friends or family as a direct result of time or activities spent on the computer.

Participation in high risk or normally unacceptable behaviors when using the computer. Compromising your morals and values based on the opportunity to remain anonymous and protected on the computer. (a good test for this is to ask yourself if your spouse, partner or family would approve of what you were doing on the computer)

An overdeveloped sense of importance for the computer in ones life. Defending your right to use the computer as much as desired, regardless of the fact that people in your life are feeling left out and neglected. (denial of the problem and justification; not being able to hear or feel what the other people are saying regarding your computer behavior)

Mixed feelings of euphoria (a "rush"), combined with feelings of guilt brought on by either the inordinate amount of time spent on the computer or the abnormal behavior acted out while using the computer.

Feelings of depression or anxiety when something or someone shortens your time or interrupts your plans to use the computer.

Preoccupation with the computer and computer activities when you are not using the computer (thinking about the computer and its activities when doing something else; i.e. having a family dinner, working on project deadline etc.)

Finding yourself using the computer at times when you are feeling uncomfortable, irritated, or sad about something happening in your life. ( feeling uncomfortable in your relationship, so you will self medicate and "hide out" on the computer) Using time on the computer to become externally focused outside yourself as a way to avoid facing what is happening in your life, and avoiding feeling the appropriate feelings inside yourself. (self medicating)

Experiencing financial concerns or problems in your life as a result of money being spent on computer hardware, computer on-line charges, or any other costs associated with computers. (Spending money on computer related items which should have been allocated to other normal living expenses)
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Cyber Anonymous

When someone finally realizes they have a problem, however, help is available. There are a number of web sites available for the treatment of Internet addiction. They include sites like Cyber Anonymous or ”CYANON“ There is even software available for addicts. One such package is Graham’s Mac Shareware. However, trying to cure on-line addiction by going on-line is probably not the best answer. Face to face counseling is probably the best method for dealing with this problem. The availability of this type of counseling is expanding rapidly. Over the past two years, two major clinics have also been established to treat this addiction.
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High use of pornography among Internet addicts

There's a very high use of pornography among Internet addicts. Sixty-two percent of Internet addicts are logging on to porn sites. However, forty-six percent of non-addicts are also logging on to those sites. But don't forget, two-thirds of the 18,000 people we surveyed were men, who tend to access porn sites more regularly. Clearly, an aspect of the addictive nature of the Internet cannot be separated from sexual interest and/or addiction, but I believe there are other aspects of the Internet separate from sexuality that are addictive in and of themselves.
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thumbnail sketch of online addiction

Essentially, if you're spending a lot of time online and it's really interfering with your life. That's the quick thumbnail sketch. If it’s causing difficulty in your life, interfering with work, home or Relationships, than you may have a problem. Questions such as: Are you spending an excessive amount of time online? Are you preoccupied with the Internet? Are you keeping it a secret from people? Do other people think you might have a problem? Do you experience intense intimacy while online? Can you not wait to go online or to use the computer? These can all be signs of addiction.
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Addictive patterns is identifying the problem Trading Addiction

The first step in dealing with any addictive pattern is identifying it--and identifying it as a problem. Here are a few questions that you might ask yourself:

Have there been times when I told myself to stop trading, but still found myself placing trades any way? ~ Do I find myself overtrading by putting on positions with too large size or by trading during periods when nothing is happening? ~ Have my trading losses created problems for me in my relationship(s), or have they caused financial problems for me? ~ Have people close to me told me that I need to stop trading? Is the pain from losing more extreme than the satisfaction from winning? ~ Do I find my moods fluctuating with my P/L? ~ Do I trade simply out of boredom sometimes? ~ Do I find myself preoccupied with trading outside of market hours at the cost of other work and relationships?

Notice that, for many of these questions, you could substitute the word "drinking" or "gambling" for "trading". The dynamics of addictions are the same across the board. If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, I would suggest that trading has become a problem for you.

How does one deal with addictive trading? The first step is to identify it, but the second--and harder--step is to acknowledge that you need help for it. It's pride that tells us we can handle it on our own through will power, but addictions wouldn't occur in the first place if will power were sufficient to prevent consequences.

Telling yourself you can manage your own addiction is itself a form of denial. That is why a key step in Alcoholics Anonymous is acknowledging that you are powerless against alcohol. That is why AA substitutes mutual support for drinking and advocates abstinence as a goal.

Through books, self-help groups, and counseling, you learn to identify the thought and behavior patterns that drive your addictive behaviors. You also learn to identify cravings in advance and channel these in productive directions.

Most of all, you regain a measure of control over your life and end the negative consequences of the addiction. If you find yourself unable to control your trading and you find the emotional, financial, and social consequences mounting, that's not a passion for trading. It's an addiction.
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Let's look at the facts:

An addiction occurs when an activity provides a strong source of stimulation that, over time, leads to psychological and sometimes physical dependence. We generally label a behavior as an addiction when people seek out the activity even in the face of demonstrable negative consequences. It is the inability to stop the activity when those consequences interfere with life that marks any addiction.

Let's look at the facts:

According to research cited by the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2 million adults (1% of the population) meet the diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling. Another 4-8 million adults (2-4% of the population) can be considered problem gamblers who are experiencing direct problems as a consequence of gambling.

Research in psychology and psychiatry reported in the Oxford Textbook of Psychopathology finds that between 14 and 16 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Between 4-6 million Americans are dependent upon illegal drugs.

Rates of substance abuse among men ages 18-44 are double those of the general population.

A family history of addictive problems is one of the best predictors of risk for addiction. Peer influence is another significant risk factor.

According to a research review in the Oxford Textbook, rates of depression are significantly higher among people with addictions than in the general population, with indications that people are using the addictive activities to medicate themselves for the pain of depression.

Addictions are also most common among individuals with attention deficits and hyperactivity problems and appear to be related to sensation-seeking among those needing stimulation.
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Online affairs

Online affairs account for a growing number of divorce cases and it is the most frequently treated problem at the Center for Online Addiction. Partners engaged in an online affair go through several personality changes and often rationalize that an online affair isn’t really cheating. They believe it is a harmless flirtation because it doesn’t involve any “physical touching”. However, the emotional pain and devastation to a once warm and loving relationship is just the same.
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Cybersex/Pornography Addiction

Cybersex/Pornography Addiction is a specific sub-type of Internet addiction. Estimates suggest that 1 in 5 Internet addicts are engaged in some form of online sexual activity (primarily viewing cyberporn and/or engaging in cybersex). Studies show that men are more likely to view cyberporn, while women are more likely to engage in erotic chat. People who suffer from low self-esteem, a distorted body image, untreated sexual dysfunction, or a prior sexual addiction are more at risk to develop cybersex/cyberporn addictions. In particular, sex addicts often turn to the Internet as a new and safe sexual outlet to fulfill their underlying compulsive habit.
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US shows signs of net addiction

14% of respondents said they cannot stay away from the internet
More than one in eight adults in the US show signs of being addicted to the internet, a study has shown.
"Addicts" showed signs of compulsive internet use, habitually checking e-mail, websites and chat rooms.

More than 8% of the 2,513 respondents to the Stanford University phone survey said they hid their use from partners.

A typical addict is a single, white college-educated male in his 30s, who spends more than 30 hours a week on "non-essential" computer use, it found.

"We often focus on how wonderful the internet is; how simple and efficient it can make things," said Dr Elias Aboujaoude of the Stanford University School of Medicine and one of the researchers behind the study.

"But we need to consider the fact that it creates real problems for a subset of people."
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overeating

For obese people overeating is akin to drug addiction, research suggests.
Scans on seven overweight people revealed the regions of the brain that controlled satiety were the same as those in drug addicts craving drugs.

The US team who carried out the research said the findings could potentially help to uncover new treatments for obesity.

The work, led by a New York scientist, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Sunbathing

Sunbathing may be a physical addiction, research in the United States suggests.
Scientists believe exposure to ultraviolet rays may stimulate the release of chemicals in the blood which produce a natural high.

The team from Wake Forest University in North Carolina say this may explain why some people are prepared to ignore the cancer risk of too much sun.

The research is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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The study warns that the explosive growth of the internet will lead to more on-line betting opportunities

Internet gamblers may be more likely to have a serious gambling problem than other gamblers, say researchers.
It is thought that the web may attract people who are trying to hide their gambling addiction.
The availability of internet gambling may draw individuals who seek out isolated and anonymous contexts for their gambling behaviours
The study warns that the explosive growth of the internet will lead to more on-line betting opportunities - and thus increase the risk of more people suffering from the health and emotional difficulties associated with compulsive gambling.
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I lost £30,000 gambling online, it’s not like it feels like real money! Right?

My story begins around the summer of 2003. I saw an advert in a men's magazine for online poker, sounded like fun!

To my detriment I had a wireless network in my house newly setup which meant that I could install this “poker” and play in the living room while still speaking to my partner who was watching the TV.

It took a couple of minutes to load/install the program and I was off…buzzing.

Imagine being in a “live” poker game while sitting in my living room! Cool.

After 20 minutes I won $137 with a full house, and well if you are reading this then I guess that sound small, but when you started gambling – that was a monster! Remember? No? Hmm I know, what would $137 accomplish now? Nothing.

No lecture here then, my problem, online poker.

My losses, hard to pinpoint but it would be safe to assume it is around £30,000/$55,000 which is enough to shame most people into thinking dark thoughts.

Yes, I lost £30,000 gambling online, it’s not like it feels like real money! Right?
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