"Hello. My name is Scribe. I'm an onlineaholic."

My affliction now has an official name. According to a story in today's New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01addict.html?ex=1291093200&en=1a89129a0787f083&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss), mental health professionals call it Internet addiction disorder — IAD.
These specialists estimate that 6 percent to 10 percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction, and they are rushing to treat it. Yet some in the field remain skeptical that heavy use of the Internet qualifies as a legitimate addiction, and one academic expert called it a fad illness. Skeptics argue that even obsessive Internet use does not exact the same toll on health or family life as conventionally recognized addictions. But, mental health professionals who support the diagnosis of Internet addiction say, a majority of obsessive users are online to further addictions to gambling or pornography or have become much more dependent on those vices because of their prevalence on the Internet.


But other users have a broader dependency and spend hours online each day, surfing the Web, trading stocks, instant messaging or blogging, and a fast-rising number are becoming addicted to Internet video games.

Dr. Cash and other professionals say that people who abuse the Internet are typically struggling with other problems, like depression (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/depression/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier) and anxiety. But, they say, the Internet's omnipresent offer of escape from reality, affordability, accessibility and opportunity for anonymity can also lure otherwise healthy people into an addiction. [more (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01addict.html?ex=1291093200&en=1a89129a0787f083&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss)]

Scoff if you want. But it can be a real problem. Fortunately I have a family that helps keep my addiction in check.


(Originally posted here (http://scribeokc.blogspot.com/2005/12/onlineaholics-addicted-to-internet.html))

I guess I siffer from IAD, but also have a life beside internet. I look at it now as part tool, part fun. It has come in handy to look up info without going to a library to search through a huge pile books. I can even look up my car/truck parts on autozone's website without the hassle of calling only to be put on hold. I can also price compare with out leaving the house and wasteing gas. I know one person my mother in law is a big IAD, or was at one time, she spent every waking minute a the computer, and still knows nothing about the machine or cyber highway that got there.