The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, sounds ominous but is really just the diagnostic Bible for the psychology and psychiatry professions. It exists to ensure that people under the care of a psychiatric professional are treated for the correct symptom set. What does that have to do with the Internet? Nothing, now, but one man wants that to change.

Jerald Block submitted a modest proposal to the American Journal of Psychiatry back in March stating that he saw Internet addiction as a true mental disorder that should be added to the infamous DSM. Come on, Jerald, really? Internet addiction is not a separate addiction in my book, it is a symptom.

What do I mean by that? If you have another of the long-known mental disorders already in the book, then you may be prone to other addictions and compulsions as part of your other, actual, disorder. This means that a person diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder may be more prone to addiction than someone else. This makes them prime candidates for being addicted to the Internet, but it doesn’t make excessive use of the Internet its own addiction.

Other prime candidates for excessive internet use are people with borderline personalities and other dissociative tendencies. The Internet is both personal and removed, so people can use it to remake themselves every day. This is quite tempting for people with that kind of personality disconnect, and leads to hours on end at the computer. Occasionally it also manifests itself in obsessions related to the Internet or to using the Internet, like hoarding, which is still a symptom and not a new disease.

Jerald used sketchy studies from parts of Asia to “substantiate” his claim, but I remain unconvinced. Sure, Internet abuse shares a few similarities with other addictions, but it can’t stand on its own in comparison to, say, a drug addiction or nymphomania. The full criteria set is just not met; only a few highlights are. Internet addiction remains just a symptom of other problems.

Heck, the other problems don’t even have to be a real mental disorder. Unhappy with your marriage? You may find the Internet replacing time spent with your spouse. Hate your job but not qualified to do anything else? Welcome to Second Life, instant messaging, emails, Twittering and other workday Internet time sinks. Regardless of how you get over involved in an online world, I can guarantee it isn’t the sole issue, and it sure isn’t its own disease for the DSM.

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Entry was posted on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 6:00 am under Internet.

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