Internet Addiction Could Be Classified As Mental Illness
Put down your laptop and listen up: The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that compulsive e-mailing and text messaging could soon become classified as an official brain illness.
This month's issue of American Journal of Psychiatry says Internet addiction -- which includes "excessive gaming, sexual pre-occupations and e-mail/text messaging" -- is a common compulsive-impulsive disorder, and that it should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders.
From Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, says people can lose all track of time or neglect "basic drives" (read: eating, sleeping, and the like). He says that relapse rates are high, and that some people may actually need psychoactive medications or hospitalization.
So look at yourself in the glow of your reflective monitor and ask, "Do I need help?"
And then promptly continue reading Switched.com and its affiliated Web sites. Thank you.
From Engadget
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