Without knowing it, you may be among the ten percent of internet users that are afflicted with “Internet Addiction Disorder.” Is your first craving in the morning your computer mouse? Or do you obsessively check your email in the middle of the night? Even being afflicted with internet addiction can have potential negative effects such as loss of sleep, anxiety when not online, isolation from family and peer groups, loss of work, and periods of deep depression.

Internet addiction is more than an urge; it’s manifesting itself as a deep craving. Psychologists and addicts need to understand this and if they don’t make the change in the way they classify Internet addiction, it can’t be treated in the proper way. The symptoms of Internet addiction are often vague and can be hard to diagnose. Internet addictions are simply inevitable and a product of modernization. Just like anyone who is addicted to coffee, exercise, or myspace; as the times change, so will addictions.

Though, just like any addiction, Internet addiction can be treated effectively. For example, a clinician could use talk therapy to find the source of the addiction and prescribe medication for severe cases. Two groups are at greatest risk from Internet addiction disorder. The first group is teenagers. Though, surprisingly, the second group is men and women in their mid-50s. Early diagnosis is critical to help the computer addict before the development of additional psychiatric problems such as depression.

Some people create virtual identities through the Internet that are very different from their real psyches, living in online virtual worlds. Those with Internet Addiction Disorder being in contact with others only through the Internet can give the addict a feeling of commitment and intimacy with others, blocking their distinction between reality and fantasy. As you can see, Internet Addiction is a real problem and it is growing, controlling people lives, but it can be treated and overcome.