Internet Addiction

[introspective1]

I have a serious internet addiction problem. My current therapist isn't really helping me with it.

I need to have internet at my house for school to do online tests and research. I live 15 minutes from my school or the nearest library. I don't want to get rid of it at my house cause i also keep in touch with friends and use it to access dating sites too.

I was wondering....has anyone here had an internet addiction problem before? What is a way to solve it without totally getting rid of your computer? Is it possible? How did you 'cure' your addiction to the internet?

[Narz]

Why do you want to "cure" yourself of internet "addiction"?

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Narz

Why do you want to "cure" yourself of internet "addiction"?

This is a very good question.

I'm going to assume that you're spending time on the internet that you'd rather spend more fruitfully doing other things.

In that case, start doing what you actually want to be doing. Getting rid of internet frees you up time but, if your real goal is procrastination, you'll just find some other thing to do.

There are technical solutions to minimise internet use (eg. program your firewall to only let you on for 1 hour per day). But that's only part of the problem. If you really wanted to be doing something else more, you would be.

[introspective1]

Originally Posted by Narz

Why do you want to "cure" yourself of internet "addiction"?

Because i feel like the internet interferes with me doing my other schoolwork (reading,studying for tests) and i have become less social cause i would rather stay in the house on the net in my free time when i should be out trying to make friends (since i really don't have any) or doing other things that i like to do

[Michelle]

I think people who do not have a lot of friends, and who may have somewhat free or unstructured schedules gravitate toward the internet because it makes them feel less alone. It distracts from fear, worries, lets us feel connected to the world ...

Do you think this could apply to you?

[nvictor]

There is a show on radio here, which I don't know the name, that states that the next popular thing would be not to have an identity [email,blog,photoblog] on Internet. The way things are going on makes me think that show is right.

Yet, studies have shown that as the communication technologies evolve, human communication decrease...

[Narz]

Originally Posted by nvictor

Yet, studies have shown that as the communication technologies evolve, human communication decrease...

What studies show that?

My own experience is very much the opposite. I'm connecting with more people thru the Internet than I ever did before (met many in real life). Makes me wish I would have had it as a kid. If I would have had the web growing up my life would have turned out very differently (I think I would have expanded my horizons more quickly).

If you're intention is to get out and have fun in the community why not use the Internet to meet people and find stuff to do?

[nvictor]

I'm sorry, by human communication I mean, human basic means of communication as talking. It's true that technologies have brought many many way to communicate but can technology ever transport feelings?

[Narz]

Originally Posted by nvictor

I'm sorry, by human communication I mean, human basic means of communication as talking.

You can meet humans to meet and communicate with in person thru the Internet. Or at a bar. Whatever.

Originally Posted by nvictor

It's true that technologies have brought many many way to communicate but can technology ever transport feelings?

I find the written word can communicate feelings pretty well.

Speech in general is pretty limited and certainly face to face contact has many added dimensions that you'll never get online.

I guess just try to find some real life situations you're excited about and shut off your computer and get out there.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by introspective1

Because i feel like the internet interferes with me doing my other schoolwork (reading,studying for tests) and i have become less social cause i would rather stay in the house on the net in my free time when i should be out trying to make friends (since i really don't have any) or doing other things that i like to do

Okay, then I would definitely say:

Put your attention on what you would rather be doing if you weren't surfing the 'net. If you make your focus "dealing with internet addiction" you're still spending all your time focussed on the internet!

Go out and visit friends everyday. Study for tests. Read. Do what you want to do. If you have time left over for internet after all that, what's the harm?

[John Hill]

It's just like any other type of addiction, you need to find other constructive activities to do when you would normally be wasting time on the internet. Once you figure out what else you can be doing that will make you happy, set an intention to do it and then sit back and wait for the universe to send you a sign to get moving towards your intention.

For a thorough explanation on setting your intentions and making them happen follow the link below. Setting intentions is easier than setting goals.

John

[Keith]

Originally Posted by nvictor

I'm sorry, by human communication I mean, human basic means of communication as talking. It's true that technologies have brought many many way to communicate but can technology ever transport feelings?

Yup. Ever watched a Youtube videoblog?

[introspective1]

Originally Posted by Keith

Okay, then I would definitely say:

Put your attention on what you would rather be doing if you weren't surfing the 'net. If you make your focus "dealing with internet addiction" you're still spending all your time focussed on the internet!

Go out and visit friends everyday. Study for tests. Read. Do what you want to do. If you have time left over for internet after all that, what's the harm?

You are right, Keith....what's the harm? But it is easier said than done. I don't have alot of friends (maybe 2 or 3) and my schedule is very different from theirs so it is hard to hang out. Plus i really don't know how to make friends without the use of the 'net anymore, so my face-to-face communication is hindered. However, you do give good advice

Originally Posted by Michelle

I think people who do not have a lot of friends, and who may have somewhat free or unstructured schedules gravitate toward the internet because it makes them feel less alone. It distracts from fear, worries, lets us feel connected to the world ...

Do you think this could apply to you?

Yes, Michelle, I think this could apply to me. I really agree with you when you say it distracts from fear and worries. I am really afraid to get out and interact in real life cause people scare me because everyone seems so rude, negative, bitter, bitchy, so on and so on...i could go on all day.

[Michelle]

I really sympathize with you. I also had (and still have sometimes) the wish to hide and be protected, but still remain connected. The internet is safe because you can control exactly how you use it. The outside world is like a jungle - dangerous and uncontrollable.

I really recommend starting to see a therapist. If you are not willing to do that, Learning Strategies makes a program called Resiliency (and several others) which may be beneficial to you.

Hugs!

[asrai]

Use a timer or alarm. When you log onto a forum or chatroom or whatever, set a timer for whatever amount of time you deem acceptable. Then when your time is up you have to log off and shut the computer down and study.

Or

Use internet time as a reward for yourself for getting your work done. Work for half an hour go online for 15 minutes or some such thing.

They've worked for me in the past.

Asrai

[Dimitry]

At one point when I was in the same situation you are in now, I got one of my friends to change all my passwords for a 30 day period on most things I visited online (except for things like banking and such). MSN was included in this. After 30 days, I was so blown away by how much more time I had and what I accomplished that I extended some of those areas further (such as MSN, which lasted for 4-5 months).

This was about a year or two ago for me, can't remember when, but I now have better control of my usage online. I only go on MSN very occasionally, and chat for a brief period of time. Usually, most of my interactions are either over the phone or in person. It's true that you can't reach out to more people that way, but are you REALLY reaching out? I find that through this experience, it revealed to me who my true friends are. The peopel that still continued to contact me through other means bothered to have me as a friend. The ones that didn't basically were just e-friends. I know priortize and spend more time doing things that matter. My grades are the best they've ever been and I have a few but really great friendships.

On the friendship topic, I like you have about 3 really good friends. Some might see this as a disdavantages but I see it differently. I get to actually invest in them and the same gets reciprocated back. Nothing wrong with having a few good friends.

[Alex2007]

I think the Internet Addiction "Disorder", if we can call it "a disorder", is something different from what have been said above.

The internet should be there as a tool of knowledge and happiness.

The Internet disorder is something else. It is something similar to gambling or heroin addiction. The more time you invest on the internet, the more you expect out of it. This is a wasteful use of the internet, and no benefit can be gained.

It's an addiction. It is like you chase a mystery, which may be an illussion. You want to get more and more and more. It is like "heroin". The better you feel the more "Heroin" you take, chasing an illusion. At the end of the day, you end up finding your self tired, and a a pile of priorities left undone.

And like Keith above said:
"Getting rid of internet frees you up time but, if your real goal is procrastination, you'll just find some other thing to do."


This is how inernet can make you feel....
"A clinic for Internet addiction was opened at the Beijing Military Region Central Hospital in People's Republic of China. It treats patients, mostly youths between the age of 14 to 24, who suffer from anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep, often due to long hours on online video games and chats. Treatments include Internet "cold turkey", counseling, physical activity, antidepressants, and enforcement of strict regular sleeping patterns."

Internet is not bad, if you know how to use it wisely.

[Chinese Dragon]

I've struggled with this problem for months when I was an active member of The Game Creators Forums. What you need to do is fill your time with more constructive projects, and finished working on them before you use the internet. Often when working on projects I noticed that I simply didn't feel the need to use the internet. When I hit a snag I will start using the internet again a lot again until I have an idea on how to continue, but the basic idea is to keep a daily to-do list and finishe that before you use the internet. That will guartee you're making a more efficient use of your time and limit your internet use.

[abhi]

Simply search on google.

[InterfaceLeader]

I was addicted to World of Warcraft for a while. I tried all the commonly known ideas of using it as a reward, or setting myself time limits. It would work for a day or two, and then I'd go back to my bad habits.

Then when I dealt with some real issues that had been bothering me (a lack of direction and enjoyment in my life, a soul-destroying job in a callcentre handling complaints all day, and a feeling of burnout after completing my degree) and WoW just stopped being fun. I kept on playing it for a bit out of 'habit' and because I'd spent the money, but then I just stopped. It wasn't hard, it didn't feel like 'giving up', I just found things to do with my time that attracted me more.

If you'd rather go online than do schoolwork, maybe you're not studying the right subjects, or maybe you're getting bogged down with the boring technicalities of studying without realising the benefit later on. Studying time spent squashed around other things, that is hurried because you want to get online is barely worth it. You might pass an exam, but you won't remember that stuff ten years later.

Work out what you want to do with your time, and why you want to do it. Where is it taking you?

Good luck!

[Chinese Dragon]

Originally Posted by introspective1

What is a way to solve it without totally getting rid of your computer? Is it possible? How did you 'cure' your addiction to the internet?

I JUST wrote an article on that, it takes less than a minute to set up a blocking mechanism. The downsides are that it only works on Windows systems, and you need enough self discipline to stop yourself from unblocking it. Here's the link:

How to Break Internet Addiction in Less than a Minute

[Susie]

When I was making an effort to limit my internet time I kept a notebook and when I had an "I must look this up NOW" compulsion (you know, when you wonder about some random thing and think you'll just look it up on the net really quickly but then find yourself still on the net hours later because while you're there you may as well check your email, forums, look up this or that thing, oh there's an IM from so-and-so etc)...well when I got one of those compulsions to run online to look something up instead I wrote it down in a notebook to look up during my designated internet hour. And usually by the time that came around I wasn't all that interested in looking that thing up, really.

To sum it up, what I did was gave myself 1 hour of internet time a day (you could give yourself more time than that if it will still be an improvement on how much time you spent online before)-- and during the day when you think of something you just have to look up or check out or an email to send, etc, write it in a notebook to remind yourself later instead of firing up your computer right then. Also try to plan what you are going to look at when you're online and make a list and follow it, such as: email/this forum/that forum/research a.b.c./message to so and so/and follow that. Get in, do what you planned to do, and get out.

Writing in a paper notebook also helped me when I had an urge to chat online or make online journal entries.

Good luck with your efforts! Whatever way you decide to go about it, you can do it!

[ragtag]

I know where you're coming from. A while ago I did a 30 day, no forum, no blog surfing trial. Which worked great, and afterwards I surfed much less too. But lately I have began to surf much more again.

The internet is a bit like TV. It's easy entertainment that requires very little effort on your part, and there are always new and interesting things to be found there, which is why it is so addictive.

You have both your school and a library you can access the internet at, and probably some internet cafe's or wireless hotspots near by. So why not get rid of it at home. You could try for 30 days.

I'm actually considering canceling my interent at home. I have an internet cafe just down the street, and my job is 5 min away. I don't really need it at home. I once was without internet at home for a couple of weeks, because the phone company messed up some cabling in my building, and I wrote a small computer game in my free time during those weeks. When I needed the internet I would go to the cafe, but then I also had a list of things I needed to do on the net, so it would rarely take more than an hour.

Of course, it helps to have a laptop.