MediSys Raises Awareness About Internet Addiction

The Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Services at Jamaica and Flushing Hospital is raising awareness about a potential problem for an increasing number of Americans – internet addiction.

Last year, the Psychiatry Department hosted a symposium and invited leading researchers in the field, who educated the MediSys staff on this growing, yet not officially recognized, condition.

The idea that someone can be addicted to the internet or other electronic mediums, such as gaming consoles or hand-held devices, has not always been fully accepted by everyone in the psychiatric community. In recent years, however, more and more mental health professionals are beginning to see similarities between internet addiction and other addictive activities.

Internet addiction can affect children and adolescents, as well as adults because of how pervasive the technology has become in our everyday lives. According to Dr. Fermin Gonzalez, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “we use technology for work and school, and we rely on it to connect with others socially, which makes it hard to avoid.”

Persons addicted to the internet often share the same traits as other addicts, including:
• Prolonged time away from friends and family
• Preoccupation with the internet
• Increased time spent to feel “satisfied”
• Failed attempts to limit internet usage
• Hiding or lying about the amount of time spent on the internet

As Dr. Gonzalez explains, “the dangers of internet addiction don’t pose the same physiological dangers as drug or alcohol addition, but they can affect the individual psychologically. Internet addiction poses similar characteristics to a gambling addiction.”

Dr. Gonzalez shared his thoughts about internet addiction in a recent interview with the Queens Chronicle. To read the full article click here:
http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/internet-addiction-a-real-growing-problem/article_b4e0caf8-5f08-5008-91fc-53f5165dbffa.html