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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1998)
National News Internet addiction may be sign of psychiatric disorders A study suggests that treatment of the other problems may help slow the urge to be on-line By Malcolm Ritter The Associated Press People who seem to be addicted to the Internet often show a bumper crop of psychiatric disor ders, such as manic-depression, and treating those other conditions might help them rein in their urge to be on-line, a study suggests. On average, Internet “addicts” in the study reported having five psy chiatric disorders at some point in their lives, a finding that “just blew me away,” said psychiatrist Nathan Shapira of the University of Cincin nati College of Medicine. It’s unclear whether the Internet problem should be considered a disorder or just a symptom of something else, or whether certain disorders promote the excessive on-line use, he said. Shapira is scheduled to present the study today at the annual meeting of the American Psychi atric Association in Toronto. He and colleagues studied 14 people who’d spent so much time on-line that they were facing prob lems such as broken relationships, job loss and dropping out of school. One 31-year-old man was on line more than 100 hours a week, ignoring family and friends and stopping only to sleep. A 21-year old man flunked out of college af ter he stopped going to class. When he disappeared for a week, campus police found him in the university computer lab, where he’d spent seven straight days on line. The study participants, whose average age was 35, were inter viewed for three to five hours with standard questions so doctors could look for psychiatric disorders. Being hooked on the Internet is not a recognized disorder. But Shapira said the excessive on-line use by the study participants would qualify as a disorder of im pulse control, in the same category as kleptomania or compulsive shopping. In fact, he suggested the Internet problem be called “Inter netomania” or “Netomania,” rather than an addiction. But the striking thing, Shapira said, was the other psychiatric problems that turned up: — Nine of the 14 had manic-de pression at the time of the inter view, and 11 had it at some point in their lives. — Half had an anxiety disorder such as “social phobia,” which is a persisting and unreasonable fear of being embarrassed in public, at the time of the interview. — Three suffered from bulimia or binge eating, and six had an eat ing disorder at some time in their lives. — Four had conditions involv ing uncontrollable bursts of anger or buying sprees, and half report ed such impulse-control condi tions during their lives. — Eight had abused alcohol or some other substance at some time in their lives. We hate to see you go, but before you move, give EWEB a call so we can stop your water and electric service in your name. We'll come and read your meter right away. That way you're sure to avoid being responsible for service after you leave. Please call EWEB before you leave, it will give us a chance to transfer your service and say goodbye. 484-6016 EWEB Eugene Water & Electric Board 500 East Fourth Avenue Office Hours: 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday I exercise for my health. I exercise for my mind. I exercise for me. SEWN LOCATIONS - ONE LOW PRICE, SANTA CLARA COED & WOMENS ONLY 2025 RIVER ROAD, EUGENE 461-7834 GATEWAY COED & WOMENS ONLY OPEN 24 HRS. 1170 GATEWAY ST, SPRINGFIELD 726-5220 COTTAGE GROVE FOR WOMEN 172 GATEWAY PLAZA, COTTAGE GROVE 942-7427 THURSTON COED & WOMENS ONLY 5410 MAIN STn SPRINGFIELD 746-3533 EUGENE/FRANKLIN BLVD. 1475 FRANKLIN BLVD. 344-1028 WEST EUGENE EXPRESS FITNESS Z lit W. 11 th AVE., EUGENE 686-2633 VALLEY RIVER PLAZA FOR WOMEN 1011 VALLEY RIVER DA, NO. IM, EUGENE 344-4200 Track Torn Pizza Favorite Pie” Lucky Duck. Deal i rMenu, Locations, Contests, Delivery Maps, UO Sports WWW.tracktown.com
