Internet addiction

A look at some different aspects of addiction: is Celebrity Rehab yet another addictive reality-TV show? Is it actually causing harm, and not promoting a positive view of treatment? Gamers, it seem, have larger reward hubs ... expanding the dopamine pathway ... are their brains wired differently ... rats once addicted to junk food, will die rather than switch to a healthy diet. And a new name for our latest set of addictions: digital attention disorder.

.. the iPhone has defined a new kind of communication form ... and some of interesting sociology ... in the news this week is "nomophobia", the fear of being away from your smart phone. People in the 18 to 24 year range seem most dependent on mobile technology with over 75% expressing discomfort with being away from their phones for more than a few minutes. The 25 to 34 year old group was only a bit behind with 68 percent. "Nomophobic people have a fear of losing connection with the outside world," according to psychologist Elizabeth Waterman, who has started to address nomophobia in group therapy sessions at the Morningside Recovery Center in California. We discuss different aspects of the issue and how it relates to other addictions.

Gambling ... will have a category as a full-spectrum disorder in the new DSM-V. Though 80% of the US population engages in gambling, only about %2 have serious issues -- and while its not physically dangerous like many drugs (although there is increased suicide risk), it can still be profoundly troublesome to the people affected. The increase in internet gambling promises to exacerbate the issue. Naltrexone, which is being used successfully to treat opioid and alcohol addiction, is also being used, with reported successes in reducing the craving to gamble.

Oregon, Washington and Colorado have legalized and taxed marijuana on their ballot; other states are watching closely to see if this can be a viable revenue source... as well as reducing the costs of policing, prosecuting and incarcerating pot users ... The new DSM will list marijuana as a fully addictive substance, and a recent study shows that adolescents who start heavy use of pot before the age of 18 having significantly reduced IQs by the time they are in their 30s.

The Olympics ... ways athletes strive to enhance their performances ... by using drugs - as well as other techniques - like blood-doping ... also news about gambling -- it seems Facebook users are more inclined to gamble and make compulsive choices than "normies," and the related obsessions with FarmVille ...

Inspired by a recent Huffington Post article, we look at whether there is a trend to "medicalize normality out of existence" -- with the inclusion of behavioral addictions in the new psychiatry handbook (DSM-5.) Gambling is the first topic in our wide-ranging discussion of addiction.