Internet and Cybersexual Addiction
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Internet and Cybersexual Addiction My comments may be in any colour, quotations are always in pale blue. For Moore, what Sade’s work ultimately brings to light is the "shadow self" that exists within each individual. This part of the self is consigned to the shadows of our own being by forces and rules from without. Motivated by the fear that our true nature will be rejected by broader society, we force our very being to conform to expectations not of its making. Despite its pariah status, this side of the self strives to find an outlet for expression, to be granted legitimacy in a polite setting where this cannot be granted. That these impulses form our shadow, darker half becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: if the expectation is that these parts of our very Site Map selves are bad, that is how we ourselves will come to view them, and how they themselves will find expression. Dark Horse Multimedia Inc. Yes, I admit I'm a libertine: I've conceived everything one can conceive in that genre, but I've surely not done all I've imagined and surely will never do it. I'm a libertine, but I'm not a criminal or a murderer. Marquis de Sade, to his wife, 1781. As is often the case with emotive issues, terminology, interpretation and fear are causing many confusions and difficulties. Clearly, much of the content is of an adult nature. Addiction and Dependency Brown’s Checklist of the Common Components of Addiction: Salience The addictive activity becomes the most important thing in the person’s life and dominates thinking (preoccupation and cognitive distortions) feeling (cravings) and behaviour (deterioration of socialised behaviour). Conflict Disputes about the extent of excessive behaviour arise both between the addicted person and others around and with the addicted person themselves. Continual choosing of short term pleasure and relief leads to disregard of adverse consequences and long term damage which in turn increases the apparent need for the activity as a coping strategy. Tolerance Increased amounts of the addictive activity are required to achieve the former effects. Withdrawals Unpleasant feeling states and/or physical effects when the addictive activity is discontinued or suddenly reduced. Relief The effects of the addictive activity are so powerful that there is a rebound effect when it ceases (withdrawals) and when it is over the only way to avoid feeling more miserable than before (to find relief) is to do it again at the earliest opportunity. Relapse and reinstatement Tendency for repeated reversions to earlier patterns of addictive behaviour to recur and for even the most extreme patterns typical of the height of the addiction to be quickly restored even after many years of abstinence and control. Planning deficiencies in addiction from the perspective of reversal theory, R.I.F. Brown (1993), In Advances in Reversal Theory. (eds. Kerr J., Murgotroyed S. and Apter M. J.) pp. 205-223. Swets and Zeitburger However, the term “addiction” is hardly used in diagnostic manuals such as The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) http://www.psychologynet.org/dsm.html by the American Psychiatric Association and The International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) http://www.who.int/whosis/icd10/ by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The sections on psychoactive substance use are in both manuals based on the underlying assumptions and conceptual framework developed by a WHO Working Group, and are therefore similar in their intellectual foundation (Jaffe, 1992). As the term “addiction” became a concept surrounded by a lively and sometimes heated debate, the WHO attempted in the 1970’s to employ the notion of dependence (Brown, 1993a). In both the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 the term “ addiction” is hardly used and the notion of dependence is adhered to. In DSM-IV (p. 181) the criteria for substance dependence are as follows: A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period: 1) tolerance, as defined by either of the following: · a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect. · markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance 2) withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: · the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance · the same (or closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms 3) the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended 4) there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use 5) a great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substances (e.g. chain smoking), or recover from its effects 6) important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use. 7) the substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurring physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., current cocaine use despite recognition of cocaine-induced depression , or continued drinking despite recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption). There are many similarities between the DSM-IV criteria for substance dependency and the common features that constitute an addiction. Especially salience, tolerance and withdrawal are central aspects for both concepts. However, symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal are neither sufficient nor necessary for the diagnosis of substance dependence and some individuals display compulsive use of the substance without physiological dependence (Frances and Miller, 1998). Substance abuse is distinguished from substance dependence in DSM-IV. There are four substance abuse criteria, which require one of them to have been present during the last 12 months to establish a diagnosis. The Prevalence of Gambling Addiction and Sexual Addiction among Male Inpatients under Treatment for Alcohol Addiction in Norway, T. Roald, European Association for Gambling What is Internet Addiction? The Internet itself is a neutral device originally designed to facilitate research among academic and military agencies. How some people have come to use this medium, however, has created a stir among the mental health community by great discussion of Internet addiction. Addictive use of the Internet is a new phenomenon which many practitioners are unaware of and subsequently unprepared to treat. Some therapists are unfamiliar with the Internet, making its seduction difficult to understand. Other times, its impact on the individual’s life is minimized. The purpose of this chapter is to enable clinicians to better detect and treat Internet addiction. The chapter will first focus on the complications of diagnosis of Internet addiction. Second, the negative consequences of such Internet abuse are explored. Third, how to properly assess and identify triggers causing the onset of pathological Internet use are discussed. Fourth, a number of recovery strategies are presented. Lastly, since Internet addiction is an emergent disorder, implications for future practice are presented. Internet Addiction: Symptoms, Evaluation, And Treatment, K. S. Young, Young, K.,(January 1999) Internet addiction: symptoms, evaluation and treatment. In L. VandeCreek & T. Jackson (Eds.). Innovations in Clinical Practice: A Source Book (Vol. 17; pp. 19-31). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Addictions/netaddiction/articles/symptoms.htm Prior research has utilized the Zung Depression Inventory (ZDI) and found that moderate to severe rates of depression coexist with pathological Internet use.1 Although the ZDI was utilized for its expediency with on-line administration, its limitations include poor normative data and less frequent clinical use. Therefore, this study utilized the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which has more accurate norms and frequent usage among dual diagnostic patient populations. An on-line survey administered on a World Wide Web site utilized the BDI as part of a larger study. A total of 312 surveys was collected with 259 valid profiles from addicted users, which again supported significant levels of depression to be associated with pathological Internet use. This article discusses how a treatment protocol should emphasis the primary psychiatric condition if related to a subsequent impulse control problem such as pathological Internet use. Effective management of psychiatric symptoms may indirectly correct pathological Internet use. The Relationship Between Depression and Internet Addiction, K.S. Young and R.C. Rodgers http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Addictions/netaddiction/articles/cyberpsychology.htm also HealthyPlace.com http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Addictions/netaddiction/articles/index.htm What is Cybersexual Addiction? Cybersexual Addiction has become a specific sub-type of Internet addiction. It has been estimated that 1 in 5 Internet addicts are engaged in some form of on-line sexual activity (primarily viewing cyberporn and/or engaging in cybersex). Early 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 severely distorted body image, untreated sexual dysfunction,