ICT addiction is a relatively new phenomenon but that is gaining more and more importance. The reasons are obvious: the Internet and 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 content through their screen has become, more than a habit, a necessity that cannot be dispensed with.
Given that for many people this dependency has become a problem that significantly affects their quality of life, in this article We will see how psychologists intervene in cases of ICT addiction as well as several characteristics of this phenomenon.
First of all, it must be taken into account that what is popularly known as ICT addiction is not an addiction according to the diagnostic manuals, in which in most cases this word is used only for cases of substance dependence except few exceptions.
So, in this case we talk about a type of behavior that has degenerated into psychological dependence (not chemistry, since a specific substance is not sought).
Psychological dependence, in turn, can be defined as a set of behaviors whose function is to satisfy an intense desire or craving from which it is difficult to disengage the focus of attention; That is to say, if we do not do what this need requires, the urgency to direct all our attention towards it appears, as well as irritability, anxiety and in certain cases even agitation on a physiological level.
For example, a person with an ICT addiction You miss connecting to your social networks through your mobile If you haven’t done it for more than five minutes, and if you can’t 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 bad. intense that feels that he must connect practically at any cost, without thinking about the consequences.
In these cases, psychological intervention has two different moments: prevention, to prevent these causes of discomfort from developing in those who are most vulnerable to it, and psychological evaluation and subsequent therapy.
Prevention
Prevention actions are carried out in most cases in educational centers and independent talks with parents, and are aimed at that the youngest and their parents learn to distinguish between bad habits, abuse and addiction
In general, an attempt is made to provide children and adolescents with practical examples that describe different ways of using the most popular electronic devices in these age groups: tablets, smartphones, etc.
Intervention programs aimed at other vulnerable groups can also be carried out in adults, in which case it becomes more important to concentrate efforts on reaching these people directly and not so much on their family environment.
Therapy and rehabilitation
The guidelines that we will see below are general lines that are followed to treat cases of ICT dependency; but we must be clear that The therapeutic approach must be adapted to each particular case This is usually carried out by an interdisciplinary team, which will evaluate the severity of the case and the specific needs of the subject. Beyond that, the usual strategies are as follows.
1. Advice to the patient and family
When the problem is detected, the patient and his or her family 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 when dealing with the patient, to not encourage relapses.
On the other hand, depending on whether the case is serious or not and whether it interferes with the person’s fundamental needs, a period of therapeutic admission will be indicated (in the most extreme cases).
In the event that the entry is unnecessary, it will be an outpatient or punctual 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 do not have as much presence, and gradually 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 you can avoid being around 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 at the same time he is the one 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 reaching levels without clinical discomfort, we move on to the rehabilitation stage, in which The goal is to relearn new ways of living without relapsing into addiction
Here, training focuses on the adoption of new relational dynamics, the avoidance of places associated with constant ICT consumption in the past, and the development of new hobbies.
How to train in this area?
There are several options that health professionals interested in training in this and other forms of addiction and dependence can choose. In them, The important thing is to have the most up-to-date information and academic content so as not to lose sight of the reality of these psychosocial phenomena, in constant transformation that runs parallel to changes in 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 master’s degree and 60 ECTS credits, whose registration period is already open, It is 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 carrying out internships in professional environments in both public and private centers. Furthermore, we work only from content with scientific evidence. To learn more about him, you can click this link.
