The Truth About Internet Addiction

Internet addiction definitely qualifies as an behavioral addiction (while alcohol and other drugs cause chemical addiction). As a person becomes more and more compulsively bound to surfing the Internet, adverse consequences on one’s family, work, and social life can occur as that seen with any other drug addiction. One can become addicted to the Internet in general, avoiding other real-life activities in favor of the online experience. One may also be addicted to particular sites or topic, such as one may become addicted just to online pornography, or even exclusively a certain type of pornography.

Qualifying for Internet addiction, a person’s Internet-accessing behavior would meet the same criteria as for addiction to alcohol or other drugs:

Increasing the frequency or duration of their access time to achieve the same satisfying effect.
Withdrawal symptoms can be seen: when not on the Internet, one can become depressed, anxious, isolative, or irritable
More time, or longer duration spent than what was intended
Persistent desire or failed efforts to control or cut down Internet use.
More time spent in activities to access Internet, use it, or even recover from the use.
Important social, occupational, and recreational activities are given up in favor of the Internet.
Continued and frequent Internet access despite physical, psychological, or social problem that occur as a result of it.


I have seen some extreme examples of Internet addiction where a person is so dependent on their online access that they have become malnourished, physically sick (exhaustion requiring hospitalization), or even psychiatrically unstable (extreme sleep deprivation to the point of hallucinations and psychotic breaks). The same surge in the brain hormone, dopamine, responsible for alcohol and drug addictions, is also seen surging in behavioral addictions such as with the Internet.

At the Betty Ford Center, a patient must have, at least, a primary chemical addiction to alcohol or other drug. But many patients also have a co-existing behavioral addiction, such as Internet addiction. The treatment is the same, as the Internet has become another “drug” for these patients: treatment involving abstinence from computer use (as this will drive Internet “craving”), showing them how they are powerless over their use, and teaching them new tools and skills to integrate them back into real-life and away from their online isolation.

Unfortunately, for so many people, the Internet has become a hi-tech, very easily available drug, that can carry with it the same consequences in life as any chemical. I believe it speaks to the state of our culture as promoting “instant gratification” and “right now” as the technologically advanced Internet provides today. While it certainly is a very powerful tool, with positive benefits to society, it may be undermining more moral values at an even faster pace.

Why Longer Treatment Is Optimal

For many individuals contemplating treatment for addiction, ninety or more days of residential treatment can be a daunting thought; even difficult for some to consider beyond the once-mainstay “30 day” inpatient treatment program. While many programs still use this “30 day” model, this duration was not based on research or science. It was simply the time period that insurance carriers agreed to provide coverage in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and so was adapted as the model for treatment.
Fast-forward nearly seventy years. The wisdom found in experience, combined with large outcome studies, have clearly shown that patients completing at least 90 days of residential treatment have a significantly reduced relapse rate compared with those who stay for shorter time periods. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) now considers 90 days of treatment as the “gold standard”. With longer treatment, patients have more time to fully participate in a meaningful level of treatment. They are able to begin applying and “practicing” real-world skills important for their recovery in the relative safety of a residential program.
Detoxification from alcohol and other drugs, especially in the face of other physical and psychological issues, may be prolonged and may take several days up to several weeks to complete. Within that timeframe, a patient may just begin engaging in the treatment process towards recovery, which is continued and reinforced during the longer stay in residential treatment.
The length of detoxification can vary greatly due to multiple factors that must be accounted for at the start. An uncomplicated detoxification from alcohol in a relatively healthy patient may be as short as 48 hours. Conversely, patients with a history of withdrawal seizure from alcohol, or dependence to benzodiazapines (i.e. Valium, Xanax, or Ativan) usually require a longer “controlled” taper off of these drugs with medication that will prolong detoxification. The Betty Ford Center employs state-of-the art detoxification protocols that affect the duration of detoxification based on multiple factors in a patient’s history.
At the onset of treatment, a multitude of factors can make it more difficult for a patient to engage in treatment quickly, and increase the need to extend treatment for up to 90 days or more. These may include a prolonged detoxification as discussed, or complications that may develop during the Detox period (such as high blood pressure or high blood glucose levels, for example) that require closer, longer monitoring. Of course, a patient may be lacking motivation to begin treatment immediately, or may be in frank denial of their disease that would slow engaging into the treatment process.
Addiction to alcohol or drugs is also rarely an isolated event. Many serious problems coexist, including multiple drug addictions, legal and criminal problems, mental and physical health disorders, professional licensure issues or a family home-life that is not conducive to new recovery. Research again has shown that the return to drinking or drug use is considerably lower after 90 days of treatment even when these complicating problems are present. At the Betty Ford Center, for example, alcoholic/ addicted physicians who undergo a 90 day treatment program enjoy an impressive 78% long-term sobriety rate, with five to seven years of continued monitoring.
The traditional 30-day treatment program may certainly be appropriate for many patients. However, a longer length of stay allows a patient to focus on recovery, while learning new tools to maintain long-term sobriety.

As i began to discuss yesterday, and becoming more apparant today, Michael Jackson's excessive use of prescription drugs may well have contributed to or caused his demise. Reports from those who knew him well are surfacing of his narcotic addiction and his treatment of chronic pain.
Alone these drugs such as the narcotics Demerol and oxycontin- which Michael Jackson purportedly was prescribed repeatedly- can ease pain but also have serious physical, psychological and social consequences. In combination, these drugs greatly increase the risk for overdose and death. Also, a paradox exists for the treatment of chronic pain with narcotics. As one continues to use these drugs for a prolonged period to reduce pain- in fact, pain can actually worsen as the narcotics are continued. These drugs over time actually make the body more sensitive to pain. A vicious cycle then ensues-- more pain develops, more drug is taken to relieve the pain, and then more pain occurs, and so on. I have seen countless patients fall into this cyclic trap of pain and pain medication, that eventually leads to addiction. One can only wonder if Mr. Jackson himself was its victim who eventually was befallen by overdose.
Perhaps this most tragic example of the consequences of drug addiction can show the world that the disease of addiction does not discriminate, and must be taken very seriously. It can equally affect the lives of those who live at the lower rungs of our society just as well as touching those, like Michael Jackson, who lived in its upper limelight.

Did Michael Jackson's Prescription Drug Use Lead To His Death?

Prescription drugs when used properly can have many beneficial effects- including significant reduction of pain, reduction in anxiety and improved sleep for instance. However, when used improperly, these medications can be quite harmful and, in fact, can become quickly fatal. Narcotic painkillers, for example, when taken in dosages that exceed the recommended amounts, or when combined with other medications or alcohol, can create a sudden, large drop in blood pressure. Physically, narcotics have an effect of dilating blood vessels, dropping blood pressure, causing the heart to have to work harder to maintain a normal blood pressure. If the heart is already compromised- as can occur due to stress, physical or even excessive psychological illness, or co-occurring physical illness- the added workload on the heart can lead to abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmias) that can result in death. Drug overdose- that which may have led to Michael Jackson's untimely death- can quickly lead to death in this manner.

Whether overdose on prescription drugs lead to Michael Jackson's death is unclear at this early stage, and simply speculation now. However, this certainly must be considered a possibility, particularly given his past history of drug abuse and need for treatment. Past behavior and family concern is frequently a "red flag" for a drug problem. Relatives of Michael Jackson had publically expressed serious concerns in the past for possible drug addiction. Unfortunately, drug overdose may never be known in certainty as the cause of death, as is the case in many instances.

I will continue my blog discussion tomorrow on prescription drug abuse/ addiction and further discussion on how this may have contributed to Michael Jackson's untimely death. Please comment if you wish in this discussion.

Scott M. Davis M.D., M.A., FASAM
Inpatient Medical Director, Betty Ford Center
Author of "Living Jonathan's Life"

What if we legalized all drugs? - MSN Money

What if we legalized all drugs? - MSN Money

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