a new mental illness

[Guest guest]

Wonder if they will start therapy groups now, or perhaps work on a

vaccine.. surely this can't go unchecked .. you just got to

laugh

 

www

 

..news.com.au/story/0,23599,23414957-2,00.html

 

Excessive emails and text are a mental illnessMarch 23,

2008 11:03am

PEOPLE who send excessive texts and emails may have a mental illness,

according to an article in a leading psychiatric journal.

As more people leave the office computer, only to log on as soon as they

get home, the American Journal of Psychiatry has found addiction

to text messaging and emailing could be another form of mental illness.

 

The article, by Dr Jerald Block, said there were four symptoms: suffering

from feelings of withdrawal when a computer cannot be accessed; an

increased need for better equipment; need for more time to use it; and

experiencing the negative repercussions of their addiction.

Dr Block said that although text messaging was not directly linked to the

Internet, it was a form of instant messaging and needed to be included

among the criteria.

" The chief reasons I see to consider it are motor vehicle accidents

that are caused by cell phone instant messaging, stalking and harassment

via instant messaging, and instant messaging at social, educational,

(and) work functions where it creates problems, " he said.

" It should be a pervasive and problematic pattern, though, not

isolated incidents. "

Leanne Battaglia, 21, said she would not classify herself as being

clinically addicted to online communication, but could see how quickly

the problem could develop.

" It's become a way of life now, but I don't think it's at that stage

yet, " Ms Battaglia said.

Despite sitting at a computer all day, the sales consultant admits she

will often log on again when she gets home.

" I use it almost every night and during the day. I'm pretty much

always on Facebook, eBay, ninemsn and gossip sites. "

Ms Battaglia also sends about 20 text messages a day.

" I swear by my mobile, it's like a security blanket. I just feel

really bare without it, " she said.

Dr Robert Kaplan, a forensic psychiatrist at the Graduate School of

Medicine, University of Wollongong, said he first saw a case of internet

addiction in 1998.

Since that time, he has noticed a steady increase in the disorder among

Australians.

According to a report titled Media And Communications In Australian

Families 2007, the average child spends about one hour and 17 minutes

on the internet each day, with teenagers aged 15 to 17 spending an

average of 30 minutes sending text messages and another 25 minutes

playing online games.

" I think in general it's escalating, " Dr Kaplan said. " We

now all live in an internet world, and it brings with it a range of

problems. "