Addiction - Internet, Addictions - Online Gaming, Sexuality Narrative Therapy

Internet Addiction is a very real and  debilitating condition which is affecting more people every day. While the internet helps improve productivity by allowing us to get things done more quickly, internet addiction can have drastic effects when it interferes with day-to-day activities, work and relationships with family and friends. The first sign of internet addiction is usually the fact that you are more comfortable with your online friends than those people who are physically close to you, or when you are compulsively checking your social media accounts, or playing games online.

Internet addiction often includes co-occurring impulse-control conditions, including cybersex and/or relationship addiction, and internet gambling addiction. Addiction to offline games forms part of computer addiction, which falls under the same spectrum of disorders.

Symptoms of IAD (internet addiction disorder) don't only affect relationships and interfere with daily life and relationships, If you are addicted to the internet or computer, you may experience sudden weight loss or weight gain, and sleep disturbances.

Therapists and addiction counsellors can use cognitive-behavioral therapy to help you to balance out your internet use and put an end to compulsive behaviors. They will help you to find healthier coping mechanisms to deal with depression, stress and anxiety.  Marriage counseling can help your partner to deal with the effects of cybersex and help you as a couple to reconnect and fulfill your social and emotional needs.

If you need a counsellor or psychologist to help you address the effects of internet addiction, you can scroll down the page to find a professional with the approach best suited to your situation.

Online gaming addiction affects people of all ages, including children. As with other addictions, online gaming addicts use computer or video games as an escape from the problems in their lives. Games offer players complete control, and this intoxicating world causes their brains to release endorphins that cause a high similar to what drug addicts experience.

There is a specific danger attached to children with online gaming addiction, as they are often so attached to virtual reality that they have lost their ability to communicate naturally and comfortably with real people. In cases where children become addicted at a very young age, they may never have developed that ability at all.

It is often hard for people to quit something when it's always in front of you and when everyone else is doing it. Online gaming addiction involves players thinking about and wanting to play games all the time, and getting angry when they can't. They may be unable to talk about anything that doesn't involve gaming and as a result, it will impact on relationships. Adults with online gaming addiction may spend a lot of money on buying games and peripherals and enter tournaments and more. It may affect their work and family lives as well.

The therapists below are some of the few who acknowledge this "new" phenomenon, and they use a range of treatment approaches to help people with online gaming addiction. They will challenge beliefs that steer harmful behaviors and help patients to develop coping skills. Behavioral changes are implemented using a step-by-step method while dealing with underlying issues, such as social anxiety, depression and other issues.

Since online gaming addiction often goes hand-in-hand with other conditions, such as pornography addiction or online gambling, it is important to find a therapist who can help with that too.

If you need a counsellor or psychologist to help you address the effects of online gaming addiction, you can search the directory below to find a professional with the approach best suited to your situation.

Sexuality is an important part of society and relationships in particular. Issues with sexuality are usually an indication of more serious relationship problems. Sex should be a natural and healthy part of a committed relationship, but problems can crop up at any time.

One partner might use the frequency of sex as an indication of their value in the relationship and a measurement as to how much he or she is loved, while the other person values intimacy. Unsatisfactory sex might reveal the partners' deeper levels of control, love and trust, and highlight issues that need further exploration.

Many issues can cause unnecessary stress in a relationship, such as negative childhood attitudes to sexuality. Cultural pressures can also place undue demands on a couple. Traumatic sexual experiences can also emerge at any time.

A therapist can help a couple deal with sexuality issues, helping them to make their own rules regarding sex. They can explore issues with sexuality, such as cultural taboos and family myths,  in a safe environment that is free from judgment.

Relationship counselling can help sexuality issues by helping the couple explore physical communication and allowing both partners to understand the meaning of sex within the bounds of the relationships. Power and control are two of the biggest issues with sexuality in a relationship, while sexual withdrawal is a way for one partner to express disappointment and anger, which are forbidden outside the bedroom.

These are just some of the myriad sexuality related issues that may cause problems in relationships, with which therapists could assist. Sexual dysfunction can be assisted through psychosexual therapy.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers sexual counselling and other sexuality issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.