Addiction

Addiction refers to a craving habit or a compulsion to have a certain experience repeatedly.  Addiction may be caused by a substance or an activity (Eg, digital experience, sex and gambling).  Addiction creates an altered behaviour due to craving for the substance or experience.  Behaviour gets directed by the substance or craving-causing experiences.  For instance, alcoholism is a horrific substance abuse addiction problem, which causes deterioration of physical health, mental disturbance and social problems.

Addiction is a major source of unhealthy status in society.  Addiction causes weakness in individuals, family collapse, social problems and economic loss.  Drug addiction to morphine and other Opioids, and Nicotine is defined as a chronic recurrent brain disease that seriously damages health and causes enormous social problems.  A major challenge of addiction management is relapse.  The addicted person gives up the source of addiction for some time, however, reverts to it after a gap.  It is a pattern observed in alcoholics, nicotine abusers, drug addicts and digital addicts too.

Digital addiction is a 21^st century phenomenon.  The term digital addict refers to a person who compulsively uses digital technology. The digital addict compulsively and excessively uses digital technology and is absorbed to such an extent that it is prioritized above everything else, even if it causes harm to the individual.  As with all forms of addiction, digital addiction is a chronic disease based on brain reward, motivation, and memory.

Manifestations of digital addiction

Electronic Dope – Era of new diseases. Today, digital technology is a baby sitter! The digital addict starts to form early, when playing the smartphone to calm the infant or child, distract the child to help in the feeding process, or to keep the child occupied so that the mother can continue with her facebook or whatsapp activity!!

Online gaming is a wholly absorbing child or teen habit, which consumes significant sleep time too.  This wrecks the faculty of concentration, sports habit and academic study habit in the child.  It leads to significant parental tension and verbal abuse in families.

Excessive social media activity creates nocturnal habits, eye strain and sedentary lifestyle in children and adults alike.  The soap operas on TV created a generation of idiot box addicts, and the digital screen is creating a new breed of e-morons.  Digital screen time activity particularly the gaming and interactive form, provides a dopamine boost increasing the digital dependence.  Dopamine is a brain chemical, that causes a person to feel-good and evokes feeling of euphoria and happiness.  Performing activities through the digital screen (social media or gaming) boosts dopamine release.

Many forms of digital addiction

• Nomophobia: Fear of being without your phone
• FOMO: Fear of missing out (want to read and share it first)
• IGD: Internet Gaming Disorder (playing internet games like Candy Crush for hours together)
• IAD: Internet Addiction Disorder
• Selfitis: Obsessively clicking selfies (clicking more than 5 selfies per day)
• SMA: Social Media Addiction
• Phantom Vibration Syndrome: Fven though phone is not with you, it appears to you that the phone is vibrating or ringing
• FAD: Facebook Addiction Disorder, obsessively posting photos of yourself on facebook and waiting for likes and responses.

The digital addict suffers addiction just as any other form of addiction.  He or she needs help and support to get rid of the electronic dope from his or her life.  Several institutions now treat digital or mobile phone addiction, including NIMHANS: National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore.  NIMHANS Center for Well-Being http://www.nimhans.ac.in/nimhans-centre-well-being/services offers counseling and other services for treating digital technology addiction.

Sunil S Chiplunkar
M Pharm (Pharmacology) MBA (Marketing) PGDHRM
VP – Training (Marketing)
Juggat Pharma:
Pharma division of Jagdale Ind. Pvt. Ltd.,
Bangalore – 560078
sunilchiplunkar@gmail.com
Ph.: 9379077788
www.pharmaceuticalshealthcare.blogspot.in

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