Cyber Addicts, AIIMS has a gift for you
Cyber Alert
Being always active on social media 24×7 is a cyber addiction and if we are not wrong majority of you are cyber addicts.
Earlier, people use to spend their time in outdoor activities, but now scenario has totally changed with the invention of these social networking sites and games children are now spending maximum of their time in indoor activities.
All Indian Institute of Medical Science has started a special psychiatric OPD for people who are hooked to social media, online games or the internet in general. This, doctors say, had to be done in view of the increasing number of such “addicts”, mostly school and college students, who are gradually slipping into serious psychiatric issues due to the habit.
On the serious notes this addiction is not at all good for our physical as well as mental health. According to Dr Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, a psychiatrist leading the AIIMS’s Behavioral Addiction Clinic was quoted saying that depression, anxiety and substance abuse was common in patients addicted to the internet. Balhara added that “They are counselled, and the access to the internet is controlled and in rare circumstances, admission is required for their well-being.”
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Clinic will open only on Saturdays
Due to the initial stage of the clinic, it will be kept open on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm. According to doctors, these days will be extended. It is run by Balhara and another psychiatrist Dr Rachna Bhardwaj. “We are seeing six to seven patients daily. The cases are likely to go up as awareness increases”, Balhara said, adding that the addiction to the internet is a major cause of academic failure and poor work performance.
Symptoms of addiction
Addiction to the cyber has various symptoms listed below and if you can relate to these symptoms you need treatment.
- All the time you are engage on social networking sites
- Playing online games
- Ignoring sleep, food, calls etc
- Disinterest in studies
- No outdoor activities
These are some common symptoms we can find in an individual. Not only this Dr Nand Kumar, additional professor in the psychiatry department of AI IMS, said, “Cellphone addiction is another dangerous trend being observed. It is leading to short attention span, poor tolerance and decreased inter-personal communication.”
