New Mental Illness

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

 

 

Excessive emails and text are a mental illness

March 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."