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."
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
Online Gambling is becoming an increasingly popular form of gambling, and there are now an estimated 1,700 gambling websites on the Internet. As well as the Internet, you can now gamble through interactive television and a mobile phone.
The convenience of gambling at home, the ease of setting up an gambling account and the variety of forms of gambling - from traditional betting, to casino gambling, bingo and lotteries - makes online gambling very appealing.
However, whilst many people gamble online without any problems GamCare has started to see an increase in the amount of people contacting our helpline and counselling services who are losing control of their gambling online.
There are some factors of online gambling that could certainly increase the risk of developing a gambling problem. These are:
>The ability to gamble 24 hours a day in your own home
>The increased risk of exposure and access by children
>The absorption of computers, leading people to lose track of time whilst gambling
>The decrease in the perception of the value of cash - i.e. players are forgetting that they are spending money
"Our telephone survey suggests that potential markers of problematic Internet use are present in a sizeable portion of the population," the researchers noted in their paper, which appears in the October issue of CNS Spectrums: The International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine. "We often focus on how wonderful the Internet is - how simple and efficient it can make things," elaborated lead author Elias Aboujaoude, MD. "But we need to consider the fact that it creates real problems for a subset of people."
People can go online and bet about whether Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will get married or if Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s marriage will last. They can bet on the outcome of the Oscars or who will win on Survivor. These are the new kind of bets that are done by people who might not normally visit a gambling site.
Internet gamblers were more likely to have a serious gambling than other gamblers. Furthermore, Internet gamblers were more likely to suffer from health and emotional problems such as substance abuse, circulatory disease, depression, and risky sexual behaviors.
the University of Pennsylvania show that more than one million young people currently are using Internet gambling sites on a monthly basis. Among males 18 to 22, Internet gambling doubled in the past year.
In today's headlines, the American Medical Association is considering video game overuse an addiction. While they say a final diagnostic classification for the behavior is a ways off, studies have been conducted and clinical evidence is mounting to support the validity of this new syndrome.
Many people who are addicted to chat rooms use them for sexual gratification. lThis can lead to cybersexual affairs. lWarning signs include: ¡You give personal details in chat rooms. ¡You become defensive when the subject is discussed. ¡You fantasize about chat rooms. ¡You do not get an appropriate amount of sleep because of the time spent in chat rooms.
An estimated 5-10% of the population suffer from internet addiction lThe most common form of internet addictions are cybersex and cyberporn addiction. l30% use the internet to escape negative feelings. lChat rooms are believed to be the most addicting form of online communication. lThe rate of internet addiction increases the longer someone has been exposed to the internet. lThe largest group of internet addicts is composed of students and retirees.
Cyberporn Addiction lOnline Auction Addiction lObsessive Role Play Gaming lCompulsive Online Gambling lChat Room Addiction lCompulsive Surfing lCybersexual Addiction lCybersexual Affairs
Compulsive surfing often accompanies other internet addictions. lPeople who suffer from compulsive surfing often exhibit other obsessive compulsive tendencies. lCompulsive surfing often starts as a way to escape problems. lWarning signs include: ¡Gathering and sorting information irrelevant information ¡Any other form of internet addiction is present ¡Fantasizes about next opportunity to surf the internet ¡
eBay addiction is a new and increasingly worrisome category under the umbrella diagnosis of Internet Addiction. Due to the popularity of online auctions such as eBay, a growing number of individuals are showing signs of addition related these sites in the past decade.
For the addict, winning the bid represents an emotional rush or high. It isn’t the item but the experience of winning that keeps them bidding. Online auction houses create a stimulating place where users can conquer others as the highest bidder, which can be intoxicating as one beats out others in the last precious seconds to win the desired prize.
In moderate cases, eBay addicts will wake up at strange hours just to be there for the last remaining minutes of an online auction. “It was 5 am and I couldn’t log on,” explains one eBay addict. “I had a complete breakdown, I started crying, and my husband didn’t know what to do with me. That’s when I realized I had a real problem.”
In more serious cases, eBay addicts feel a sense of accomplishment when they discover they are the highest bidder and begin to bid on items they don’t need just to experience the rush of winning – sometimes to the point that they go into financial debt, take out a second mortgage, or even go into bankruptcy just to afford their online purchases. One client stole funds from her husband’s 401K until he discovered her addiction. “He shut down my account and threatened to divorce me,” she explained. “I was about to lose my marriage all because I couldn’t stop myself from using eBay.”
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.
"The road is long, with many a winding turn........."
Never have truer words been spoken - especially when it comes to substance addiction recovery.
When we first decide to crawl out of the darkness and take our tentative steps in the light of sobriety, it's an amazing experience. We begin to feel stronger and our reasoning abilities become a lot clearer.
......then the emotional crash, the "honeymoon" period is over.
Perhaps you have experienced this and know what I mean. The "high" of making the decision to clean up and detoxing has gone. You are now back in the community and facing it on it's terms, learning to cope.
You may be alone, isolated in your pain that "normal" people can never understand. You grieve for your lost "friend", even though that friend was actually your worst enemy. You become irritable, uninterested, depressed -perhaps even suicidal. This can lead to a "bust", a bust you may never recover from -remember, that if we are addicted we cannot control our substance intake. The "just one more time" may seal your fate. And as we all know, there are worse things in life than death -the insanity of addiction. You may not be lucky enough to die the next time.
Indicate to what extent you agree with each of the following items CONCERNING WORLD OF WARCRAFT (WoW).
Not agree at all Very slightly agree Slightly agree Moderately agree Mostly agree Strongly agree Very strongly agree
1. Playing WoW is in harmony with other activities in my life.
2. I have difficulties controlling my urge to play WoW.
3. The new things that I discover in WoW allow me to appreciate it even more.
4. I have almost an obsessive feeling for WoW.
5. WoW reflects the qualities I like about myself.
6. WoW allows me to live a variety of experiences.
7. WoW is the only thing that really turns me on.
8. WoW is well integrated in my life.
9. If I could, I would only play to WoW.
10. WoW is in harmony with other things that are part of me.
11. WoW is so exciting that I sometimes lose control over it.
12. I have the impression that WoW controls me.
13. I spend a lot of time playing WoW.
14. I like playing WoW.
15. Playing WoW is important for me.
16. Playing WoW is a passion for me.
17. Playing WoW is part of who I am.
1. Indicate to what extent you agree with each of the following items CONCERNING WORLD OF WARCRAFT (WoW).
Not agree at all Very slightly agree Slightly agree Moderately agree Mostly agree Strongly agree Very strongly agree
1. Playing WoW is in harmony with other activities in my life.
2. I have difficulties controlling my urge to play WoW.
3. The new things that I discover in WoW allow me to appreciate it even more.
4. I have almost an obsessive feeling for WoW.
5. WoW reflects the qualities I like about myself.
6. WoW allows me to live a variety of experiences.
7. WoW is the only thing that really turns me on.
8. WoW is well integrated in my life.
9. If I could, I would only play to WoW.
10. WoW is in harmony with other things that are part of me.
11. WoW is so exciting that I sometimes lose control over it.
12. I have the impression that WoW controls me.
13. I spend a lot of time playing WoW.
14. I like playing WoW.
15. Playing WoW is important for me.
16. Playing WoW is a passion for me.
17. Playing WoW is part of who I am.
"Researchers say there's little difference between drug use, excessive gambling and heavy game playing. In fact, Orzack says that as much as 40 percent of World of Warcraft’s players are addicted to the game."
the number of online gamblers in the UK increases steadily
An internet gambling addict has been jailed for stealing £1m from his employers to fund his habit.
South Korea is one of the most wired societies in the world.
More than half the population has access to the internet, and there are more than 25,000 cyber cafes - known here as PC Bangs - which are open 24 hours a day across the country.
The country is a global leader when it comes to number of people who can access broadband, or high speed internet services, with the number of broadband subscribers exceeding 10 million.
It is a paradise for online gamers, who come from all over the world to play in South Korea.
Kim Kyung-jae died after playing non-stop for 86 hours
The government haSouth Korea. s been behind efforts to promote South Korea as an IT and cyber leader. But the more negative impacts of over-reliance on the web have only been recently acknowledged and are starting to be addressed.
An extreme case of internet obsession hit the news headlines last month when 24-year-old Kim Kyung-jae collapsed and died after playing computer games at an internet cafe in the south-western city of Kwangju.
The UK has an unusually severe drugs problem and the government's strategy has had a very limited impact on drug use, a new watchdog body has been told.
The report for the independent UK Drug Policy Commission said more addicts were being treated.
But it added that the benefits were limited, and there was little evidence education schemes had had an impact.
The Home Office insisted the strategy was working - with a 16% decline in drug use since 1998.
The number of Nigerian women held in UK jails on drugs offences has risen six-fold in three years.
Illegal drug cultivation, trafficking and abuse are on the rise in Africa, says the United Nations. How seriously should we be taking this problem?
Worldwide, it seems that Nigerian gangs are taking over heroin smuggling. Ghanaian MP Eric Amoateng is awaiting trial in New York for allegedly smuggling over $6m worth of heroin into the United States.
In Zanzibar 8% of young people are heroin addicts, and in South Africa one-third of teenagers experiment with drugs.
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