Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: How to control yourself
• Method 2 of 3: How to Get Help
• Method 3 of 3: How to tell if a problem exists

Spending too much time on the Internet increases the risk of developing emotional and physical health problems, deteriorating relationships with loved ones, and decreasing academic performance and productivity at work. Internet addiction affects the lives of more and more people. If you are familiar with this problem, you can deal with it if you start limiting the time you spend on the Internet, fill your life with other activities, and seek help.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: How to control yourself

1. 1 Make a list of activities that your internet addiction is hindering. Include in it all the activities that you enjoy and which you cannot devote time to due to the fact that you are constantly surfing the Internet. The list is not meant to upset you - it should motivate you to cut down on your time online.
2. 2 Make it a goal to spend no more than a certain amount of time on the Internet. Unlike some types of addiction, Internet addiction can be difficult to overcome altogether, as the Internet is often used in everyday life. However, you can limit the time you spend on this activity.
   • Do not count the time you need to spend on the Internet for study or work.
   • Make a list of other things you need to do and activities you would like to have more time for (sleep, socializing with loved ones, sports, commuting, work, school, etc.).
   • Think about how much time per week you need to spend on these activities.
   • Calculate how much free time for rest and personal affairs you will have. From the remaining time, set aside a few hours for online entertainment. You will be guided by this information if you decide to try other methods of dealing with addiction.
3. 3 Create a new schedule. If the internet is time-consuming, you can fix the problem by keeping yourself busy with other things. If you have more other things to do, you will not have enough time for the Internet. For example, if you can't get away from your computer every night at home, change your daily routine so that at this time you need to go shopping, clean up the house, or do something else that will prevent you from sitting at the computer.
4. 4 Use external distractions. If someone or something distracts you from the internet, it will be very helpful. Since the distraction will be external, it will take away your responsibility. You will have time for other things.
   • You can set an alarm that would go off the moment you need to turn off your computer. It may be difficult at first, but you shouldn't give up. Remember your goal.
   • Plan various activities and activities that would prevent you from surfing the Internet. For example, if you know that you often disappear on the Internet in the afternoon, schedule meetings and business for this time.
   • There are a huge number of applications that can help you fight addiction. Some of them may turn off the Internet until a certain amount of time has elapsed.
5. 5 Prioritize. Internet addiction can be overcome by remembering more important things more often. Make a list of things you need to do without using the Internet, and rank them in order of importance relative to the time you spend on the Internet.
   • For example, you may decide that you want to read a book that you have been looking at for a long time, rather than browsing sites with things that you do not need or that you do not like.
   • Compare the importance of doing things on the Internet and in real life. For example, promise yourself to spend more time with your friends in person and not on social media.
   • You can also make a list of things that you would like to do before you start flipping through the pages on the Internet. For example, promise yourself to clean the room every time you turn on your computer.
6. 6 Avoid apps, websites, and habits that you think are problematic. If you know that on the Internet you often spend time on the same thing, try to give it up completely. Online gaming, social media, gambling and online shopping are most often addictive, but any online activity can be a problem.
7. 7 Use reminder cards. Visual reminders of internet addiction and your desire to overcome it will help you spend less time on the internet. Write messages to yourself on cards or sticky notes and leave them in prominent places (on or near your computer, on the refrigerator, on the table) or carry them with you. Here are some examples of such messages:
   • "The game takes up time that you can spend with your friends."
   • "I don't get the joy of spending all night on the Internet."
   • "I'm not taking my laptop to bed with me today."
8. 8 Go in for sports. Exercise is beneficial for several reasons. Sport strengthens health, improves mood, makes a person self-confident, improves sleep. If you want to overcome your internet addiction, sports can be a time-worthy activity.

Method 2 of 3: How to Get Help

1. 1 Find a counseling group. More and more people are becoming victims of internet addiction, and help can now be obtained in a variety of ways. Psychological support groups will allow you to communicate with people, find a solution to the problem and find all the necessary information. Find out if your city has a psychological help group for Internet addicts.
2. 2 Make an appointment with a psychotherapist. The help of a professional who specializes in the treatment of Internet addiction will not be superfluous. A therapist can help you cut down on your time online, show you how to keep yourself busy with other activities, and explain what habits and internal reasons have contributed to addiction. Look for contacts of psychotherapists among friends or ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist.
   • Motivational counseling and reality therapy techniques are often used to treat internet addiction. The psychotherapist asks questions that require a detailed answer, actively listens and helps the person to understand his problem.
3. 3 Try family therapy. Internet addiction can negatively affect not only you, but also your family (it all depends on the specific situation). In this case, family therapy will allow both parties to understand the essence of the problem and begin to solve it. Family members can also provide you with psychological support to help you overcome addiction. A psychotherapist can help you think about the direction of work or refer you to the right specialist.
4. 4 Go to a rehabilitation center. Due to the growing problem of Internet addiction, some rehabilitation centers have begun to offer special programs. There you can stay away from the Internet and start overcoming your addiction.
5. 5 Try special medications. There are no specific drugs for treating internet addiction, and drug treatments for addiction are still being developed. However, drugs such as escitalopram, bupropion, methylphenidate, and naltrexone have helped some internet addicts. If you are ready to try medications, talk to your doctor.

Method 3 of 3: How to tell if a problem exists

1. 1 Keep track of how much time you spend online. Almost all people use the Internet on a daily basis, but a person with an addiction spends more time on the Internet than necessary, to the detriment of work, study and a full-fledged personal life. To get started, try recording how many hours a day you spend on the Internet and how this affects everything else. Excessive hobby for the Internet can lead to the following consequences:
   • A person spends more time on the Internet than he intended. The urge to check your email leads to hours of useless online activity.
   • A person thinks about how to quickly access the Internet, even if he is busy with other things.
   • A person needs to spend more and more time so that the degree of satisfaction from the Internet remains at the same level.
2. 2 Look for signs that the time you spend online is negatively affecting your mood or mental health. Using the internet too often can cause emotional problems. If you notice the following symptoms, it means that you are addicted:
   • anxiety, anger, irritability if you do not have the opportunity to be on the Internet or if you have to limit the time spent on the Internet;
   • using the internet as a way to escape reality or emotional problems;
   • the desire to spend time on the Internet instead of doing things that you should be doing or that you previously liked;
   • Feelings of shame, guilt, or disgust over internet use;
   • failure to reduce the amount of time spent on the Internet despite repeated attempts.
3. 3 Look for signs that the internet is damaging your health. Internet addiction is dangerous to health, but symptoms may not appear immediately or the connection between them and Internet addiction may not be obvious. Internet addiction can lead to:
   • weight gain;
   • losing weight;
   • headaches;
   • back pain;
   • tunnel syndrome;
   • sleep deficit.
4. 4 Consider whether the internet is hurting your relationship. Internet addiction can be harmful not only to your physical and emotional well-being, but also to your personal and work relationships. Pay attention to the following signs:
   • job loss or decreased productivity due to internet addiction;
   • deterioration in school or college performance;
   • problems in interpersonal relationships (for example, quarrels over the Internet);
   • breakdown of relationships due to dependence on the Internet;
   • lying about how much time you spend online (to your husband or wife, relatives, colleagues, etc.);
   • refusal to communicate with loved ones for the sake of the Internet.
5. 5 Learn to recognize signs of internet addiction in children. Since the Internet is available in many places and is used by people of all ages, anyone, including a child, can develop addiction. However, parents can control how much time the child spends on the Internet, so you can get rid of addiction, especially if you consult a specialist. Signs of Internet addiction in a child include:
   • gaining access to the Internet by fraudulent means;
   • lying about how much time the child has spent on the Internet;
   • anger and irritability when parents take away electronic devices and block Internet access;
   • a strong desire to get back to the internet as soon as possible;
   • refusing to sleep at night for the sake of the Internet;
   • refusing to do housework, homework and other tasks, or not being able to remember all of these things;
   • the emergence of new connections with people on the Internet (especially if relationships in real life deteriorate at the same time);
   • loss of interest in activities that the child previously enjoyed