Stellar Pro Tips

It may be hard to believe that there was enough information to be researched on the following topic.  Computer addictions.  It’s happening fast, and has become one of the newest addictions that is actually starting to be researched by psychologists.  What sparked my interest in this subject was a Dr. Phil episode in all honesty.  The spot was on computer addictions, and it was absolutely insane to me, and I didn’t take it seriously until I continued to watch and saw the stories of these patients’ lives.  There was a woman who was addicted to Farmville.  She planned her entire life around the harvesting of her crops.  It seems funny, yes, and I’ll admit I laughed at her expense, but the woman had children.  The kids would need the computer for school, and she’d have a fit because they were cutting into her Farmville time.  She’d forget to cook dinner, bathe her children, clean her house, and make a scene about taking them to school or a friend’s house.  Instead of grocery shopping, she’d order in, and if her kids needed the computer, she’d unplug the Internet for a bit to pretend it was down so they couldn’t use it.  Had I given only the symptoms and behaviors, and not the addiction, you might think it were a drug problem. The compulsive checking of e-mails, or obsessive video game play or constant instant messaging is referred to as CMC, or Computer Mediated Communication.  IAD refers to Internet Addiction Disorder.  Although the American Psychiatric Association does not currently consider computer addiction as a valid diagnosis for any medication, there are many practices that offer counseling and cognitive therapy for a patient who is addicted to computers and the Internet.  Remember, it’s safe to use computers daily, we all do, but when a person begins to neglect daily activities, their hygiene, or their lifestyles revolve around the Internet, that’s when you may want to step in and help.