For many social media is a platform to send and receive information. Like most individuals, this is where it begins and ends. However, more people are finding themselves addicted to this form of communication. Have you ever wondered drives someone to post endless updates or chronically checks for updates and gets upset when there are none? Is it because they are suffering from depression, anxiety, narcissism, paranoia or other psychological disorders? Even though social media addiction is not a considered a valid and recognized disorder, it does exist. Can it be proven that the same underlying psychological issues that can cause one to become addicted to substances are the same for an addiction to social media?
Addiction and Psychological Disorders
Addiction comes in many forms; the medical field has established that most individuals with addictive tendencies have an underlying psychological issue. Individuals that are diagnosed with a psychological disorder are approximately two times more at risk for dependence disorders (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010). There are four recurring subtypes of disorders within two major categories based on diagnostic criteria for mood and personality disorders associated with addiction.
Mood Disorders
It has been found that pre-existing mood disorders are prevalent in those with chemical (drug) and alcohol dependence disorders. Of the recognized mood disorders, dysthymia and major depressive disorders are significant comorbid factors amongst addicts.
Dysthymia. Dysthymia is described as a chronic condition in which an individual is depressed or irritable mood for two or more years. Persons diagnosed with this disorder experience chronic an extreme low, dark, and sad mood. There is little...
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Depression has many degrees of severity from a passing feeling to a serious illness, which destroys lives and relationships. Major depressive disorder is the most severe form of depression. It is extreme and persistent, rendering the patient inconsolable and helpless (1). Depressed patients often cannot continue working and have difficulty dealing with family and friends. Other symptoms of major depression are deep despair, misery, irritability, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, change in eating and sleeping habits, fatigue and inability to concentrate. Other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and alcoholism are also associated with major depression (2). While serious depressive episodes are important to our understanding of mental health, chronic depression is terribly widespread and often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Dysthymia is a disorder which has similar, but milder and much longer lasting, symptoms to depression (3). By understanding the characteristics of dysthymia, health professionals can identify a chronic mental illness before it manifests into more serious psychological problems, such as severe depression. Dysthymia is also an interesting disorder from the neurobiological perspective because it is often difficult to discern from other personality disorders, such as a depressed or gloomy personality. This paper explores depression and dysthymia, their symptoms and therapies. In addition, personalities which are depressed will be analyzed and compared to depression and dysthymia. Do all three afflictions stem from the same genetic or environmental causes, and mechanistic origins? Are they all responsive to the same treatment? This comparison will address the difficulty in dis...
The term ‘dual diagnosis’ refers to people who suffer from grave mental illness and have problems with drugs or alcohol to the extent that their mental and physical health is affected. The condition of substance misuse disorder does not entail that there is dependence or an addition rather it defines a spot where the person’s use of drugs or alcohol has become problematic and it impairs the person’s tone of spirit and their ability to work as part of a community. Some reasons that people who are mentally ill drink and get hold of drugs include they are self-medicating, to normalize entry into social groups, to run away or to disengage because their spirit is difficult so they why would rather be “numb” than deal with their troubles. In this paper I will cover the following topics substance abuse’s role in offending behaviors, challenges for both client and clinician’s perspective, interventions and techniques that can be used with this population and some research findings.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings [Data File]. Available From http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11Results/NSDUHresults2011.htm
Liehr, P, Marcus, M, Carroll, D, Granmayeh, K L, Cron, S, Pennebaker, J ;( Apr-Jun 2010). Substance Abuse; Vol. 31 (2); 79-85. Doi: 10.1080/08897071003641271
George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.
As a biopsychosocial disease, addiction affects every facet of a person’s life, and is a true form of suffering. It is difficult to elucidate addiction without considering the criteria of two disorders, Substance Dependence and Substance Abuse in American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM IV). According to the DSM IV, the characteristics of Substance Abuse include the use of a drug despite significant negative consequences, using the drug in situations that may be dangerous, recurring legal issues, and social maladaptive behavior while intoxicated. Likewise, including the features of Substance Abuse, Substance Dependence becomes more severe and has as its fundamental qualities the physiological and psychological need for the drug. Substance Dependence has two essential aspects, tolerance for the drug [needing larger amounts of the drug t...
Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria. (2008) Understanding dual diagnosis: mental illness and substance use. Retrieved from http://www.mifellowship.org/sites/default/files/styles/Fact%20Sheets/Understanding%20Dual%20Diagnosis.pdf
As many as 19 million Americans million are affected by mood disorders ( The two main types of mood disorders are bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder which are described as disturbances in mood, behavior and emotion.“ Bipolar disorder is a complex disorder in which the core feature is pathological disturbance in mood ranging from extreme elation, or mania, to severe depression usually accompanied by disturbances in thinking and behavior, which may include psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations” (Craddock, Jones 1999). Major depressive disorder or unipolar depression is characterized by a consistent low mood and lack of interest in things typically enjoyed .A second classification of major depressive disorder, is dysthymic disorder which is a chronic but less severe form of major depression (John W. Santrock 2007). Also major depression has many subgroups including seasonal affect disorder and postpartum depression. While there are many treatment options for the symptoms of mood disorders and promising scientific research, much is still unknown about a disorder that affects so many lives.
In conclusion, this is a common but very serious condition; many of the people who suffer from addictive personality disorder don't know it and it could very well ruin their lives. Any addiction is a serious problem but when one is susceptible to it, it automatically becomes worse. Throughout the course of this research paper, I pointed out facts that have been proven through science. Many people can lead a normal and healthy life while dealing with this condition if the proper support and help is presented. I hope to have helped raise the awareness of this illness and to help encourage people who suffer or think they may suffer from it to seek help so they could continue to live a healthy and addiction free life.
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Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems and suffer frequent relapses and hospitalizations (Agnes B. Hatfield, 1993).
""Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" - Drug Abuse and Addiction." Web. 14 Dec. 2010.
Social media has become an extremely powerful and useful tool that enables people in a modern society to effortlessly interact and socialize with each other via the internet; however, there is an extremely dark and little known side of social media: addiction. Social media has the potential to become extremely addictive to its users. The addictive nature of social media may intensely interfere with users daily obligations in the real world, which may make a recovery process necessary in order to quell the powerful addiction.