Understand What Addiction Really Is

Understand What Addiction Really Is (and What It's Not)

Is Internet Addiction a Real Thing?1

You probably already understand the difference between "real" addiction, like an addiction to alcohol, drugs, or gambling, and a "conversational" addiction, like being "addicted" to chocolate or your favorite TV show. Even so, to understand whether Internet "addiction" falls into one (or both) of those categories, we need to understand how addiction is quantified. Luckily, there is a very specific definition. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine:

Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief by substance use and other behaviors.

Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.

Simply, addiction is a psychological or physical dependence on a substance or behavior to the point where it interferes with normal life, and pursuit of it becomes a person's primary focus. Roger explained that people struggling with addiction have difficulty refraining from the substance or behavior, and often makes poor choices—even if they know there are negative consequences—in order to get to it. They also usually experience serious physical or mental stress when deprived.

This is a simplified take on a complex topic, but you get the point. For example, it's one thing to not be able to imagine going a day without Facebook, but it's another to actually plan activities around using Facebook, to avoid any activities that may require you not, get seriously stressed out when you can't, or to find yourself unable to stop checking Facebook even though it's inappropriate in that situation.