Debate Starts on Internet Addiction

Posted on: Sunday, 3 August 2008, 06:00 CDT By Alonzo Weston, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo. Aug. 3--If an Oregon psychiatrist has his way, excessive Internet surfing, text messaging and e-mailing would be considered a mental illness. And it would be one officially recognized and included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMV), the psychoanalyst's bible. But some local mental health providers disagree. They say they haven't seen any actual cases of Internet addiction. And what can be considered Internet addiction is already covered in the DSM manual under compulsive disorders. Internet addiction simply doesn't compare to substance abuse or other addictions, said Bernie Storms, director for the Family Guidance Center for Behavioral Healthcare addiction treatment services. "I haven't seen anything that... [read full story]