Exploring the Mind of Internet Addicts Essay Example for Free

Exploring the Mind of Internet Addicts EssayAddiction is a commonly used word that is mostly associated with a substance(drug or alcohol) and sometimes fantasy of as an illness. We often hear the word dependency thrown around in conversations. Ive often used the word dependence when referring to my love of chocolate, just in this case its just an expression of speech. For a long time now, though, a lot of controversy has been going on about adding different activities, different than substance use to the word addiction. In this case excessive use of the Internet, Internet Addiction(IA). Many people be wanting to take addiction to a whole new level, by adding Internet Addiction to the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition in other words the psychiatric bible) but is our need, love, desire, and excessive use of the internet just a compulsion or an addiction?Addiction is when a person is dependent on a behavior or specific substance in or der to cope with life. The dependence is so important to the individual that even when it becomes harmful to themselves, their family, work, and other important areas of their life they will persist in using the substance, or engaging in the behavior. Also, There are actual changes that occur in the reasons of addicts and treatments for addiction must address the biology behind the behavior. So far addictions have focused on highs that are caused from the use of drugs or other substances that affect the passs chemical responses. However it has recently been discovered that a person can receive a similar high from using the Internet. The research for this deflect is scarce and fairly new, but the results leave something to argue about for the supporting side. Overly excessive use of the Internet affects everyone involved with the user. There have been confessions from individuals who assume to suffer from IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder). A case was, reported in the New York Tim es,A woman who had been divorced by her husband because of her excessive use of the Internet. legato the woman did not come to her senses and continued to use the internet so much that she forgot to buy food for her children, to take them to doctor appointments, and to buy enough oil color to warm her home.(Maria Garcia Duran)Sounds like an addiction, but this still doesnt fit the whole criteria. Remember you have to experience a chemical effect in the brain when your considering an obsessive need for something to be a diagnose as an addiction. There may be some alternative chemical change in her brain, such as the internet use is causing her to be happy, which means endorphins are being released to the brain. But this article isnt clear on whether the internet use very makes her happy, or helps her hide from reality which may still leave her with the same mood set, but just in hiding.Most people who think they are addicted may just be suffering from the desire to not want to de al with other problems going on in their lives. Those problems may in fact be a mental disorder like anxiety or depression. It may be a a relationship problem, serious impairment or health problem. The internet use is no different than TV use, so you wont have to go out with the boys for drinks or talking to your spouse. Others who spend to much time online with out any other problems present may just be suffering from compulsive over-use.