ICT addiction: how do psychologists intervene?

ICT addiction is a relatively new phenomenon but that is gaining more and more importance. The reasons are obvious: the Internet and the new electronic devices connected to the network of networks have burst into our society with force, with positive and negative consequences.

The truth is that for many people, the possibility of connecting at any time and always finding new ones content through your screen has become, more than a habit, a need that cannot be dispense with.

Since for many people this dependence has become a problem that significantly affects their quality of life, in this article we will see how psychologists intervene in cases of addiction to ICT, as well as several characteristics of this phenomenon.

• Related article: "Addiction: disease or learning disorder?"

What is ICT addiction?

First of all, it must be borne in mind that what is popularly known as ICT addiction is not an addiction according to the manuals diagnoses, in which in most cases this word is used only for cases of substance dependence except for a few exceptions.

So, in this case we are talking about a type of behavior that has degenerated into psychological dependence (Not chemical, since a specific substance is not searched for).

Psychological dependence, in turn, can be defined as a set of behaviors whose function is to satisfy an intense desire or a craving from which it is difficult to disengage the attention focus; that is to say, in case of not doing what said need asks, there is an urgency to direct towards it all our attention, as well as irritability, anxiety and in some cases even agitation at the level physiological.

For example, a person with an ICT addiction you need to connect to your social networks through your mobile If you have not done it for more than five minutes, and if you cannot satisfy that, think about how to do it as soon as possible despite doing activities that have nothing to do with it, until the discomfort is so intense that you feel you have to connect practically at any cost, without thinking about the consequences.

• You may be interested: "Gambling addiction: causes and symptoms of gambling addiction"

How do psychologists intervene?

In these cases, psychological intervention has two different moments: prevention, to prevent these causes of distress develop in those who are most vulnerable to it, and psychological evaluation and therapy consequent.

Prevention

Prevention actions are carried out most of the time in educational centers and independent talks to parents, and are aimed at that the youngest and their parents learn to distinguish between bad habit, abuse and addiction.

In general, an attempt is made to provide children and adolescents with practical examples that describe different ways to use the most popular electronic devices in these age groups: tablets, smartphones, etc.

Intervention programs aimed at other vulnerable groups in adults can also be carried out, in which In this case, it becomes more important to concentrate efforts on reaching these people directly and not so much their family environment.

Therapy and rehabilitation

The guidelines that we will see below are general lines that are followed to treat cases of dependence on ICT; but you have to be clear that the therapeutic approach must be adapted to each particular case. This is usually done by an interdisciplinary team, which will assess the severity of the case and the specific needs of the subject. Beyond that, the usual strategies are as follows.

1. Counseling the patient and the family

By detecting the problem, the patient and their family environment are informed of what is happening. It is important that family members are well informed, since addictions require continuous monitoring, and These people must have guidelines for action both in times of crisis and in dealing with the patient, so as not to enhance relapses.

2. Indication of the type of intervention

On the other hand, depending on whether the case is serious or not and whether that interferes with the needs fundamental of the person, a period of therapeutic admission will be indicated (in the most extremes).

In case the income is unnecessary, it will be made an outpatient or specific treatment in a psychologist's office once or twice a week.

3. Training in strategies to avoid relapse

During moments of therapeutic care, the main objective is for the person to adapt to a way of life in which ICTs are not so present, and to abandon its use as far as possible, except for what is strictly necessary, and to make that transition you will be taught strategies to avoid stimuli of this type.

For example, how can one avoid being near mobile phones, what to do in moments of anxiety due to the inability to use ICT, training in relaxation exercises, etc.

In addition, strategies are also applied to keep patient motivation high, and that at the same time it is he himself who finds sources of motivation in what he considers relevant.

4. Attention to other possible psychological problems

It should also be taken into account if the person also has a history of other types of psychological problems or even parallel addictions (the latter is very common), in order to adapt the type of intervention.

5. Rehabilitation

After having gone through a stage in which the need to be constantly connected to ICT has decreased until it reaches levels without clinical discomfort, we move on to the rehabilitation stage, in the what the goal is to relearn new ways of living without relapsing into addiction.

Here, the training focuses on the adoption of new relational dynamics, the avoidance of places associated with the constant consumption of ICT in the past, and the development of new hobbies.

How to train in this area?

There are several options for health professionals interested in training in this and other forms of addiction and dependence. In them, the important thing is to have the most up-to-date information and academic content in order not to lose sight of the reality of these psychosocial phenomena, in constant transformation that runs parallel to the changes in the ways of living.

An example of a recommended training program is the Master's Degree in Prevention of Addictive Behaviors at the International University of Valencia. In this online modality master and 60 ECTS credits, whose enrollment period is already open, they are taught to implement these prevention measures in various relevant contexts, from educational centers to work environments.

On the other hand, it offers the possibility of internships in professional environments both in public and private centers. In addition, it works only from content with scientific evidence. For more information about him, you can click this link.

Bibliographic references:

• Gómez Mena, C. (2015). "Internet addiction can destroy social relationships, specialist alert." The Day. Society and Justice: Grupo Demos, Desarrollo de Medios, S.A. de C.V. p. 30.
• Shaffer, H.J. and Hall, M.N. (1996) Estimating the prevalence of adolescent gambling disorders: A quantitative synthesis and guide to ward standard gambling nomenclature. Journal of Gambling Studies, 12, 193-214.