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Treating An Internet Addiction

There is no one specific treatment that should be used to address an internet addiction. Depending on the severity of the addiction and the behaviors of the individual, different types of treatment would be effective. If someone you know is suffering from excessive internet abuse, the first step is to plan an intervention or to express your concerns with their behaviors.

Therapy is generally incorporated into the treatment of addiction along with any co-occurring disorders that may be present such as anxiety, depression, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In some cases, medication may be used to manage symptoms of these underlying mental illnesses or to control intrusive thoughts about going online if other treatment options were not effective.

Internet addiction does not need to control the life of yourself or of someone you love. Consider doing more research to determine what the right way forward may be, but also be mindful of not waiting too long before taking action to fix the problem — time is a valuable thing, and perhaps not best sacrificed overmuch so to the technological tools that are meant to serve us (and not the other way around).