Possible Causes and Effects of Internet Addiction

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Psychodynamic focuses on the conscience and unconscious mind of an individual where as Behaviourism, is based on the behaviour of the individual without taking into account any thoughts of the individual. The two theories are both deterministic and both believe that our current behaviour is a result of previous events. A behaviourists would suggest that psychology is a science of behaviour, not a science of mind, the sources of an individual's behaviour is external, in the environment, not internal. The psychodynamic approach studies the relationship between the mind and personality of the individual, and the theory beleives that a person's behaviour is driven by emotions, mental aspects, and subconscious forces. Dr Kimberly S Young (1995). Dr Kimberly S Young says that prior research links internet addiction with existing mental health issues such as social anxiety, depression, and antisocial personality disorder and if not treated properly can have a significant effect on the patient socially, psychologically and occupationally. It will be argued that the psychodynamic approach to find an underlying disorder will be a more effective approach to an intervention for an individual addicted to the internet. I will be discussing the possible intervention options, and possible causes and effects of internet addiction disorder. As well as why I believe that there is an underlying disorder and why the psychodynamic approach is more suited for this than the behaviourist approach.

Internet addiction disorder was originally proposed as a disorder by Ivan Goldberg in 1995, he took gambling disorder, as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as his model for the description of internet addiction disorder as ...

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... time is based on their desire to know something about where their illness has come from. Someone who is not suitable for analysis expresses no desire to know more about the root causes of their illness.

Works Cited

1. Winkler, A.; Dörsing, B.; Rief, W.; Shen, Y.; Glombiewski, J. A. (2013). "Treatment of internet addiction: A meta-analysis". Clinical Psychology Review 33 (2): 317–329.

2. O'Leary, K. Daniel, and G. Terence Wilson. Behavior Therapy: Application and Outcome, 7-12. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975. Print.

3. O'Leary, K. Daniel, and G. Terence Wilson. Behavior Therapy: Application and Outcome, 12-14. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975. Print

4. Lee, B. W., & Stapinski, L. A. (2012). Seeking safety on the internet: Relationship between social anxiety and problematic internet use. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 197-205

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