Internet addiction counseling is a specialized therapeutic approach designed to address and alleviate problematic or compulsive internet usage. It offers individuals a structured and supportive setting to delve into the root causes of their excessive online behaviors, which may encompass activities like social media and gaming.
Internet addiction therapists at Thriveworks in Grand Rapids Charter Township, MI collaborate with you to identify and alter thought patterns and behaviors that drive your dependence, often employing cognitive behavioral techniques. The primary objective of this counseling is to assist you in regaining control over your internet use, establishing healthier online habits, and addressing any underlying emotional or psychological issues, ultimately fostering a more balanced relationship with the digital world and enhancing overall well-being.
The length of internet addiction counseling can differ depending on the person’s particular requirements and the seriousness of their addiction. Typically, this form of counseling includes multiple sessions spanning from several weeks to several months. The precise number of sessions and overall therapy duration are determined through discussions with the counselor.
Treatment for Internet Addiction in Grand Rapids, MI—Therapy and Counseling
Thriveworks Grand Rapids provides therapy for Internet addiction, and we have worked with a number of clients who have struggled to control the amount of time they are online or what they do when they are online. Many of the treatment options that are available for behavioral addictions (like gambling or shopping) are also effective for Internet addiction.
Signs of Internet Addiction
Today, almost anyone can be online whenever and wherever they want to be. Smartphones are always in the hand; laptops and tablets can travel anywhere; data is often unlimited. However, long before the Internet was so accessible, mental health professionals were expressing their concern. Some people can handle that access easily. Others have trouble with so much Internet access. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Ivan Goldberg proposed the thought that someone could become addicted to being online, and that thought was received with as a joke. However, within a few years, many realized this was no laughing matter. By the late 1990s, diagnostics and subcategories of Internet addiction had been developed by Dr. Kimberly S. Young.
When an individual displays a minimum of five of the following symptoms, they may be addicted to the Internet:
- Stabilizing one’s mood with Internet use.
- Difficulty stopping or curbing Internet use.
- Lying about how much one is online or what one does online.
- Staying online longer than one intended to be there.
- Experiencing a preoccupation with the Internet.
- Feeling depressed, irritable or moody when unable to go online.
- Escalating the amount of time spent online to feel the same level of satisfaction.
- Taking personal or professional risks in order to go on the Internet.
Forms of Internet Addiction
Internet addiction can come in many different forms. A few include:
- Cybersex addiction: Obsessively going to adult websites for porn and sex.
- Computer addiction: Playing online video games.
- Cyber-relationship addiction: Over involvement with relationships that are online.
- Net compulsions: Losing control over how much one is gambling, shopping, or day-trading online.
- Information addiction: Scrolling through social media, databases, and the web compulsively.
Setting Up an Appointment for Internet Addiction at Thriveworks Grand Rapids
There are many people who struggling to regulate when they are online and what they do online. If you are ready to help, the counselors at Thriveworks Grand Rapids are ready to help you. When you call our office, know that a real person will answer and help you schedule an appointment. New clients often meet their counselor within the same week of their first call.
We do not put our clients on a waitlist, but we do offer weekend and evening appointments. We also accept many insurance plans. Call today.
